A chassis structure for an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot

Abstract

This utility model belongs to the field of underwater robots and provides an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure, including a ballast water tank for adjusting the buoyancy of the chassis. A support frame is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the ballast water tank. A helical drive wheel is rotatably mounted on the support frame and includes a helical wheel and a conical section at its end, both of which are hollow. A suspension drive assembly is located at the rear end of the helical drive wheel and includes a sleeve and a coaxially arranged propeller blade. The propeller blade is connected to a drive motor. The wheel axle passes through the helical wheel, with the drive motor and the helical drive wheel connected at both ends respectively. This utility model achieves omnidirectional movement of the underwater robot through the synergistic action of the helical wheel and propeller blade, combined with the independent control of the two drive wheels, enabling flexible response to complex underwater environments. The helical drive wheel combines underwater walking and levitation propulsion without the need for an additional switching mechanism, and its application scope covers underwater detection, exploration, and other scenarios.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of underwater robots, specifically an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure. Background Technology

[0002] In fields such as underwater exploration, pipeline inspection, and underwater rescue, the operational efficiency and environmental adaptability of omnidirectional mobile underwater robots are highly dependent on the chassis structure design. Current mainstream technologies generally adopt a split drive architecture, which enables underwater movement through independent tracks or wheel mechanisms, while relying on external propeller thrusters to provide levitation thrust and steering control.

[0003] However, because the propulsion and walking mechanisms need to be arranged independently and have safety clearances reserved, the lateral dimensions of the chassis are greatly increased, making it difficult to operate in narrow spaces such as pipes and shipwreck gaps, which severely limits the coverage of application scenarios. Moreover, the configuration of multiple independent drive motors and transmission chains (such as track motors and propulsion motors) not only increases manufacturing costs, but also multiplies the number of underwater sealing points. Any seal failure or transmission failure may cause system paralysis, and maintenance is extremely difficult in high water pressure environments. In addition, the walking and suspension systems belong to different power units, and the start-stop and power distribution of multiple motors need to be coordinated when switching modes, which is prone to response delays. In complex terrains such as silt and gravel, poor power connection often leads to attitude instability. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure, which solves the problems of large size, high cost, difficult sealing, and slow response in existing underwater robots that use separate drive systems.

[0005] An omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure includes:

[0006] Ballast water tanks are used to adjust the buoyancy of the chassis;

[0007] Supports are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the ballast water tank;

[0008] A spiral drive wheel, rotating on a support, includes a spiral wheel and a conical section at its end, both of which are hollow.

[0009] A suspension drive assembly is located at the rear end of a spiral drive wheel, and includes a sleeve and a coaxially arranged propeller blade, wherein the propeller blade is connected to a drive motor.

[0010] The axle passes through the helical wheel, with the drive motor and the helical drive wheel connected at both ends respectively.

[0011] Preferably, the auger is connected to the bracket via a bearing, and the axle is fixedly inserted through the auger and fixedly connected to the propeller blade.

[0012] Preferably, the sleeve is fixed on the bracket and sleeved on the outside of the drive motor output shaft and the propeller blade, with an outer diameter larger than the propeller blade and smaller than the conical section.

[0013] Preferably, the sleeve is provided with a plurality of water inlets, which are located between the propeller blade and the support.

[0014] Preferably, a reinforcing bracket is provided between the propeller blade and the drive motor, and the reinforcing bracket is fixed to the sleeve and the bracket respectively.

[0015] Preferably, the drive motor is a servo waterproof motor, which achieves omnidirectional movement by controlling the speed difference between the two helical drive wheels.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. This utility model achieves omnidirectional movement of an underwater robot through the synergistic effect of a spiral wheel and a propeller blade, combined with the independent control of the two drive wheels on both sides. It can flexibly cope with complex underwater environments. The spiral drive wheel can handle both underwater walking and levitation propulsion without the need for additional switching mechanisms. Its application scope covers underwater detection, exploration and other scenarios.

[0018] 2. This utility model combines "underwater walking" and "assisted levitation" functions through a spiral drive wheel. No additional switching mechanism is required. The "walking-levitation" mode can be seamlessly switched by adjusting the buoyancy through the ballast water tank. This reduces the use of multiple drive components in traditional designs, resulting in lower manufacturing costs. At the same time, the single motor cooperative drive design simplifies the control logic. Operators can achieve omnidirectional movement through a single control system, reducing the difficulty of operation. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a first-view perspective three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a second-view perspective three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the third-view three-dimensional structure of this utility model.

[0022] In the picture:

[0023] 1. Ballast water tank; 2. Support frame; 3. Spiral drive wheel; 301. Spiral wheel; 302. Conical section; 4. Axle; 5. Suspension drive assembly; 501. Sleeve; 502. Propeller blade; 503. Inlet; 6. Drive motor. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model.

[0025] As attached Figure 1 To be continued Figure 3 As shown, this utility model provides an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure, including a ballast water tank 1. The ballast water tank 1 is used to control the buoyancy and depth of the robot. Its main structure includes: a hollow chamber for containing water; a ventilation pipe and a ventilation valve for discharging or drawing in air when adjusting buoyancy to regulate the air pressure inside the chamber; a water supply pipe, a water pump, and a water valve. The water supply pipe connects the ballast water tank to an external water source, the water pump drives the inflow or outflow of water, and the water valve controls the flow of water. The sensors and monitoring devices adopt a hollow pressure-resistant shell, and the chassis buoyancy is adjusted by water injection and drainage to adapt to the needs of different water depth operations.

[0026] As attached Figure 1 To be continued Figure 2 As shown, brackets 2 are welded to both sides of the ballast water tank 1. The brackets 2 are made of aluminum alloy, which has both lightweight and high strength characteristics, and provides stable support for the drive components.

[0027] As attached Figure 2 To be continued Figure 3 As shown, a spiral drive wheel 3 is rotatably mounted on the support 2. The spiral drive wheel 3 includes a spiral wheel 301 rotatably connected to the support 2. The spiral wheel 301 is connected to the support 2 via bearings to ensure smooth rotation. A tapered section 302 is integrally formed at the end of the spiral wheel 301 away from the drive end. The tapered section 302 reduces water flow impact resistance. Both the spiral wheel 301 and the tapered section 302 are hollow, which reduces overall weight while forming a water flow channel and reducing water resistance.

[0028] As attached Figure 2 To be continued Figure 3 As shown, a shaft 4, made of stainless steel, is fixedly inserted through the center of the propeller wheel 301 to prevent underwater corrosion. A propeller blade 502 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 4, coaxially with the propeller wheel 301. The end of the shaft 4 is connected to a drive motor 6 via a coupling. The drive motor 6 is bolted to the inside of the bracket 2, providing power to the drive wheel. The drive motor 6 is a servo waterproof motor.

[0029] As attached Figure 2 To be continued Figure 3As shown, a suspension drive assembly 5 is also fixedly mounted on the support 2. The suspension drive assembly 5 includes a sleeve 501, which is sleeved on the outside of the output shaft of the drive motor 6 and the propeller blade 502, and fixed to the support 2 by bolts. The outer diameter of the sleeve 501 is larger than that of the propeller blade 502 and smaller than that of the conical section 302, which can protect the internal components without affecting the water flow. Several water inlets 503 are evenly arranged on the sleeve 501. The water inlets 503 are located between the propeller blade 502 and the support 2, which can guide the water flow in an orderly manner and improve the propulsion efficiency of the propeller blade 502.

[0030] As attached Figure 2 To be continued Figure 3 As shown, a reinforcing bracket is provided between the propeller blade 502 and the drive motor 6. The two ends of the reinforcing bracket are welded to the sleeve 501 and the bracket 2 respectively, which enhances the stability of the transmission structure and prevents the components from shaking under the high pressure of underwater environment.

[0031] Working Principle: During underwater operations, the chassis weight is adjusted via ballast water tank 1. The drive motor 6 is started, and power is transmitted via axle 4 to the propeller wheel 301 and propeller blade 502. When the propeller wheel 301 contacts the ground, controlling the rotation of the two propeller wheels 301 in the same direction generates forward or backward linear velocity. When the two propeller wheels 301 rotate in opposite directions, the drive wheel generates rotational motion, thus achieving in-situ rotation of the vehicle body. By adjusting the speed difference between the two propeller wheels 301, omnidirectional movement of the vehicle body can be achieved.

[0032] During levitation operations, the chassis weight is adjusted via the ballast water tank 1. The propeller blades 502 draw in water through the inlet 503 of the sleeve 501 and discharge it rearward, generating longitudinal thrust. Omnidirectional steering and propulsion of the chassis are achieved by adjusting the speed difference between the two helical drive wheels 3. The hollow design of the propeller wheel 301 and the streamlined structure of the conical section 302 effectively reduce water resistance and extend endurance.

[0033] The embodiments of this utility model are given for the purpose of illustration and description. Although the embodiments of this utility model have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the utility model. Any changes, modifications, substitutions and variations made by those skilled in the art to the above embodiments within the scope of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A chassis structure for an omnidirectional mobile underwater robot, characterized in that, include: Ballast water tank (1), used to adjust the buoyancy of the chassis; Supports (2) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the ballast water tank (1); A spiral drive wheel (3) is rotatably mounted on a bracket (2), which includes a spiral wheel (301) and a conical section (302) at its end, both of which are hollow. The suspension drive assembly (5) is located at the rear end of the spiral drive wheel (3), and includes a sleeve (501) and a coaxially arranged propeller blade (502), wherein the propeller blade (502) is connected to the drive motor (6) for transmission. A wheel axle (4) passes through a spiral wheel (301), and its two ends are connected to a drive motor (6) and a spiral drive wheel (3), respectively.

2. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The helical wheel (301) is connected to the bracket (2) via a bearing, and the wheel axle (4) is fixedly inserted through the helical wheel (301) and fixedly connected to the propeller blade (502).

3. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sleeve (501) is fixed on the bracket (2) and sleeved on the outside of the output shaft of the drive motor (6) and the propeller blade (502). Its outer diameter is larger than that of the propeller blade (502) and smaller than that of the conical section (302).

4. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The sleeve (501) is provided with a plurality of water inlets (503), which are located between the propeller blade (502) and the support (2).

5. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A reinforcing bracket is provided between the propeller blade (502) and the drive motor (6), and the reinforcing bracket is fixed to the sleeve (501) and the bracket (2) respectively.

6. The omnidirectional mobile underwater robot chassis structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive motor (6) is a servo waterproof motor, which achieves omnidirectional movement by controlling the speed difference between the two spiral drive wheels (3).

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