A deformable and foldable structure carrying device adapted to inspection robots

Abstract

A deformable and foldable cargo-carrying device adapted to an inspection robot includes a main body of the inspection robot, with deformable and foldable cargo boxes symmetrically connected to both sides of the main body via clamping mechanisms. The clamping mechanisms include a clamping crossbeam body positioned at the front upper part of the main body of the inspection robot. The clamping crossbeam body can accommodate a telescopic guide rod, and a retainer at the end of the telescopic guide rod mechanism clamps the deformable and foldable cargo boxes to the side of the main body of the inspection robot. The deformable and foldable cargo boxes are hinged together from a triangular plate, a base plate, and a baffle, enabling them to deform and fold. This invention balances cargo-carrying capacity, expandability, and movement stability, and can adapt to complex working environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of inspection robot technology, specifically to a deformable and foldable structure carrying device adapted to an inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] Inspection robots are widely used in complex environments such as nuclear power plants, mines, and chemical plants to perform tasks such as equipment inspection, security patrols, and environmental monitoring. These environments typically present harsh conditions such as high temperature, high humidity, strong radiation, and dense dust, placing high demands on the robot's structural design, mobility, and task execution capabilities. Inspection robots generally need to be equipped with various sensors, tools, and auxiliary equipment to meet the needs of different inspection tasks, such as thermal imagers, gas detectors, and mechanical grippers.

[0003] Currently, inspection robots mainly include wheeled, tracked, and multi-legged types. Among them, multi-legged robots, due to their excellent terrain adaptability, can move stably in complex terrains such as rugged, sloping, and irregular ground, and therefore have been widely used in special environments such as nuclear power plants and mines. However, multi-legged inspection robots (Liu D, Yang F, Liao X, et al. DIABLO: A 6-DoF Wheeled Bipedal Robot Composed Entirely of Direct-Drive Joints[C] / / 2024.DOI:10.1109 / IROS58592.2024.10801943.) usually focus on optimizing the legged motion mechanism, but have the following shortcomings in terms of carrying capacity:

[0004] 1) Lack of dedicated carrying devices: Currently, multi-legged inspection robots mainly focus on leg movement control, balance stability and environmental perception capabilities, with little dedicated design for carrying functions. Existing robots usually require temporary fixation or external sensors and equipment, which not only affects the robot's movement stability but may also cause the carrying structure to loosen or even fall off.

[0005] 2) Limited carrying space and insufficient expandability: The size of the inspection robot is limited, and existing carrying methods often rely on the space on the top or back of the robot. However, in complex environments, this fixed carrying method may affect the robot's mobility, such as being easily restricted when operating in narrow passages or low spaces; in addition, the fixed carrying method is difficult to adjust flexibly according to task requirements, resulting in poor expandability.

[0006] 3) The impact of the load-bearing device on the mobility: Some inspection robots attempt to attach additional equipment to the sides or top of the robot body, but these external structures often affect the robot's center of gravity distribution, increase the swaying amplitude during walking, and even affect the stability of movement in complex terrain. In particular, multi-legged robots need to consider the uneven load distribution in their gait planning, and existing load-bearing solutions often fail to fully meet this requirement.

[0007] 4) Lack of foldable and deformable cargo-carrying designs: Existing cargo-carrying structures are mostly rigid and fixed structures, which cannot flexibly adjust their size or shape according to actual usage needs, making it difficult to balance cargo-carrying capacity and the robot's own mobility; when the inspection task does not require carrying a large amount of equipment, the fixed cargo-carrying structure will become a burden and affect the robot's mobility.

[0008] In summary, existing technologies still have many shortcomings in terms of cargo-carrying devices for inspection robots. There is an urgent need for an innovative design that can balance cargo-carrying capacity, expandability, and motion stability to meet the task requirements in complex working environments. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a deformable and foldable structure carrying device that is adapted to inspection robots, which can take into account the carrying capacity, expandability and motion stability, and can adapt to complex working environments.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0011] A deformable and foldable structure carrying device adapted to an inspection robot includes a main body 1 of the inspection robot, and deformable and foldable carrying boxes are symmetrically connected to both sides of the main body 1 of the inspection robot through clamping mechanisms.

[0012] The clamping mechanism includes a clamping crossbeam body 2, which is located at the front of the inspection robot body 1. The clamping crossbeam body 2 can accommodate a telescopic guide rod 3 inside. The card seat 14 at the end of the telescopic guide rod 3 clamps the deformable foldable cargo box to the side of the inspection robot body 1.

[0013] An auxiliary positioning connecting rod 4 is connected to the upper rear of the main body 1 of the inspection robot. The auxiliary positioning connecting rod 4 is connected to the deformable and foldable cargo box. When the cargo is heavy, the auxiliary positioning connecting rod 4 can achieve better balance of the deformable and foldable cargo box.

[0014] The deformable foldable cargo box includes a side fixing plate 9. One side of the upper part of the side fixing plate 9 is tightly attached to the main body 1 of the inspection robot via a clamping crossbeam 2 and a telescopic guide rod 3, while the other side is tightly attached to the main body 1 via an auxiliary positioning connecting rod 4. Near the left and right edges of the side fixing plate 9 are upper triangular plates 5, which are hinged to the side fixing plate 9 and simultaneously hinged to lower triangular plates 6, and are located on the same plane when unfolded. Lower triangular plates 6 are hinged to lower triangular plates 7, which are also hinged to lower triangular plates 7. The two lower triangular plates 7 on the fuselage end are symmetrical to each other and are located on the same plane when unfolded; the lower triangular plate 7 on the far fuselage end is hinged to the upper triangular plate 8 on the far fuselage end; the outer baffle 12 is connected between the two upper triangular plates 8 on the far fuselage end; the upper triangular plate 5 on the fuselage end, the lower triangular plate 6 on the near fuselage end, the lower triangular plate 7 on the far fuselage end, and the upper triangular plate 8 on the far fuselage end are spliced ​​together to form a cargo frame. The bottom surface of the cargo frame will be formed by splicing the bottom plate 10 on the near fuselage end and the bottom plate 11 on the far fuselage end. The two are respectively hinged to the fuselage side fixing plate 9, the lower triangular plate 6 on the near fuselage end, the lower triangular plate 7 on the far fuselage end, and the outer baffle 12, realizing the all-round planar enveloping splicing of the deformable folding cargo box.

[0015] Multiple magnetic points 13 are provided at the corresponding fitting positions of the side fixing plate 9, the near-fuselage end base plate 10, the far-fuselage end base plate 11, and the outer baffle 12 to ensure the structural stability of the deformable folding cargo box when it is folded up.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0017] (A) Modular configuration to improve adaptability: The deformable and foldable cargo box of this utility model can be modularly installed on both sides of the main body of the inspection robot, which is suitable for different types of multi-legged inspection robots and enhances the robot's ability to adapt to tasks in complex environments.

[0018] (B) Folding structure design to enhance flexibility: This utility model adopts a deformable foldable cargo box that can switch between unfolded and retracted modes. When cargo needs to be carried, it can be unfolded to provide effective cargo space, and when no cargo is carried or when it needs to pass through narrow passages, it can be retracted to reduce space occupation and improve robot passability.

[0019] (C) Optimize load distribution and improve motion stability: Through structural design, the center of gravity of the deformable and foldable cargo box is more evenly distributed on both sides of the robot, avoiding instability caused by cargo offset and improving the robot's motion stability in rugged terrain or complex environments.

[0020] (D) Compatible with multiple inspection tasks and highly expandable: This utility model can provide effective carrying space for different types of sensors, tools and equipment according to the needs of different inspection tasks, effectively improving the task execution capability of the inspection robot.

[0021] (E) Convenient installation and disassembly, improving maintenance efficiency: This utility model is easy to install and disassemble, and can quickly replace the carrier modules required for different tasks, reducing downtime of the inspection robot due to equipment replacement or maintenance, and improving work efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is an isometric schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a top view of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the folding principle of the present invention.

[0025] In the diagram: 1-Main body of the inspection robot, 2-Clamping crossbeam body, 3-Retractable guide rod, 4-Auxiliary positioning connecting rod, 5-Upper triangular plate near the body end, 6-Lower triangular plate near the body end, 7-Lower triangular plate far from the body end, 8-Upper triangular plate far from the body end, 9-Side fixing plate of the body, 10-Base plate near the body end, 11-Base plate far from the body end, 12-Outer baffle, 13-Magnetic suction point, 14-Card holder. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0027] like Figures 1-3 As shown, a deformable and foldable structure carrying device adapted to an inspection robot improves carrying capacity and expandability, while ensuring motion stability and flexible adaptation to complex working environments; it includes an inspection robot body 1, which typically contains several electronic integrated devices inside; deformable and foldable carrying boxes are symmetrically connected to both sides of the inspection robot body 1 through clamping mechanisms.

[0028] like Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the clamping mechanism includes a clamping crossbeam body 2, which is located at the front of the main body 1 of the inspection robot. The clamping crossbeam body 2 can accommodate a telescopic guide rod 3. The length of the telescopic guide rod 3 is determined according to the width of the main body 1 of the inspection robot. The retainer 14 at the end of the telescopic guide rod 3 clamps the deformable folding cargo box to the side of the main body 1 of the inspection robot. An auxiliary positioning connecting rod 4 is connected to the rear of the main body 1 of the inspection robot. The auxiliary positioning connecting rod 4 is connected to the deformable folding cargo box. The auxiliary positioning connecting rod 4 can be configured as needed. When the load is large, it can achieve better balance of the deformable folding cargo box and together ensure a stable connection between the deformable folding cargo box and the main body 1 of the inspection robot.

[0029] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the deformable foldable cargo box includes a body-side fixing plate 9. One side of the upper part of the body-side fixing plate 9 is tightly attached to the inspection robot body 1 via a clamping crossbeam 2 and a telescopic guide rod 3, while the other side is tightly attached to the inspection robot body 1 via an auxiliary positioning connecting rod 4. Near the body-side fixing plate 9, upper near-body triangular plates 5 are provided on both the left and right edges. These upper near-body triangular plates 5 are hinged to the body-side fixing plate 9 and simultaneously hinged to lower near-body triangular plates 6, and are located on the same plane when unfolded. Lower near-body triangular plates 6 are hinged to lower far-body triangular plates 7, and these two plates are mutually... Symmetrical and located on the same plane when unfolded; the lower triangular plate 7 at the far fuselage end is hinged to the upper triangular plate 8 at the far fuselage end; an outer baffle 12 connects the two upper triangular plates 8 at the far fuselage end; the cargo frame is formed by the interlocking and unfolding of the upper triangular plate 5 at the fuselage end, the lower triangular plate 6 at the near fuselage end, the lower triangular plate 7 at the far fuselage end, and the upper triangular plate 8 at the far fuselage end. The bottom surface of the cargo frame is formed by the interlocking of the bottom plate 10 at the near fuselage end and the bottom plate 11 at the far fuselage end. Both are hinged to the fuselage side fixing plate 9, the lower triangular plate 6 at the near fuselage end, the lower triangular plate 7 at the far fuselage end, and the outer baffle 12, respectively. This achieves a full-range planar enveloping splicing of the deformable and foldable cargo box. The hinged triangular plates, bottom plates, and baffles have flexible telescopic and folding characteristics, such as... Figure 3 As shown; in order to ensure that the triangular plates, base plates and baffles fit tightly together as expected when the box is folded up, multiple magnetic points 13 are provided at the corresponding fitting positions of the side fixing plate 9, the base plate 10 near the fuselage end, the base plate 11 far from the fuselage end, and the outer baffle 12, so as to ensure the structural stability of the deformable folding cargo box when it is folded up.

Claims

1. A deformable folding structure carrier device for a patrol robot, comprising a patrol robot body (1), characterized in that: The main body (1) of the inspection robot has deformable and foldable cargo boxes symmetrically connected to both sides by clamping mechanisms.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The clamping mechanism includes a clamping crossbeam body (2), which is located at the front of the inspection robot body (1). The clamping crossbeam body (2) can accommodate a telescopic guide rod (3). The card seat (14) at the end of the telescopic guide rod (3) clamps the deformable foldable cargo box to the side of the inspection robot body (1).

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: An auxiliary positioning connecting rod (4) is connected to the upper rear of the main body (1) of the inspection robot. The auxiliary positioning connecting rod (4) is connected to the deformable foldable cargo box. The auxiliary positioning connecting rod (4) can achieve better balance of the deformable foldable cargo box when the cargo mass is large.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: The deformable foldable cargo box includes a body-side fixing plate (9). One side of the upper part of the body-side fixing plate (9) is tightly attached to the inspection robot body body (1) through a clamping crossbeam body (2) and a telescopic guide rod (3), and the other side is tightly attached to the inspection robot body body (1) through an auxiliary positioning connecting rod (4). Near the body-side fixing plate (9) are upper triangular plates (5) on both the left and right edges. The upper triangular plates (5) are hinged to the body-side fixing plate (9), and simultaneously hinged to the lower triangular plates (6) on the near body-side, and are located on the same plane when unfolded. The lower triangular plates (6) on the near body-side are hinged to the lower triangular plates (7) on the far body-side, and the lower triangular plates (6) on the near body-side are hinged to the lower triangular plates (7) on the far body-side. The two lower triangular plates (7) at the far fuselage end are symmetrical to each other and are located on the same plane when unfolded; the lower triangular plate (7) at the far fuselage end is hinged to the upper triangular plate (8) at the far fuselage end; the two upper triangular plates (8) at the far fuselage end are connected by an outer baffle (12); the upper triangular plate (5) at the fuselage end, the lower triangular plate (6) at the near fuselage end, the lower triangular plate (7) at the far fuselage end, and the upper triangular plate (8) at the far fuselage end are spliced ​​together to form a cargo frame. The bottom surface of the cargo frame will be formed by splicing the bottom plate (10) at the near fuselage end and the bottom plate (11) at the far fuselage end. The two are respectively hinged to the fuselage side fixing plate (9), the lower triangular plate (6) at the near fuselage end, the lower triangular plate (7) at the far fuselage end, and the outer baffle (12), realizing the all-round planar enveloping splicing of the deformable foldable cargo box.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: Multiple magnetic points (13) are provided at the corresponding fitting positions of the fuselage side fixing plate (9), the near fuselage end bottom plate (10), the far fuselage end bottom plate (11), and the outer baffle (12) to ensure the structural stability of the deformable foldable cargo box when it is folded up.

Images