Mechanical gripper and cleaning device

Abstract

The application provides a mechanical claw and a cleaning device, and relates to the technical field of household cleaning. The claw body unit comprises a main body and a clamping claw. The main body is provided with opposite first and second end portions in the axial direction. The clamping claw is arranged on the first end portion and is configured to open and close to perform clamping or releasing tasks. The claw body opening and closing driving unit is arranged on the main body and is in transmission connection with the clamping claw. The claw body opening and closing driving unit is configured to drive the clamping claw to open and close. The claw body rotating driving unit is in transmission connection with the second end portion. The claw body rotating driving unit is configured to drive the main body and the clamping claw to synchronously rotate around the axial direction. The working efficiency of the mechanical claw during work is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of home cleaning technology, and more specifically, to a mechanical gripper and cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the continuous improvement of people's living standards, home cleaning has become an important daily necessity, but it has also become a major burden for many families. To alleviate the workload of manual cleaning, intelligent cleaning equipment such as robotic vacuum cleaners and floor scrubbers have gradually become more popular. These devices can autonomously complete tasks such as sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping floors using artificial intelligence and automation technology, thereby significantly improving cleaning efficiency and gaining popularity among consumers.

[0003] To further enhance the intelligence and functionality of smart cleaning equipment, related technologies typically incorporate robotic arm structures with robotic hands at the end of the arm to assist in performing more complex cleaning tasks. For example, the robotic hand can be used to empty dustbins, pick up larger debris, or clean stains in specific areas, thereby expanding the application scenarios of the cleaning equipment and improving cleaning effectiveness.

[0004] In the related technical field, patent CN119279449A discloses a robotic hand, a robotic arm, and a cleaning device. The robotic hand includes a connecting part, a first flange, and multiple gripping arms. The connecting part may include a housing and a drive device disposed within the housing. The first flange is rotatably connected to the connecting part, and the drive device is drively connected to the first flange, driving the first flange to rotate. Multiple gripping arms are spaced apart on the outside of the first flange, with one end of each gripping arm rotatably connected to the first flange. The ends of the multiple gripping arms opposite to the first flange form an opening. The drive device is drively connected to each gripping arm, driving the multiple gripping arms to move closer or further apart to open or close the opening. The rotation axis of the first flange is perpendicular to the plane of the opening. This robotic hand can perform gripping and rotation actions, can enter narrow spaces, and has a wide range of applications, solving the problem of limited application scenarios for robotic grippers in related technologies.

[0005] Regarding the aforementioned technical content, if a user wants to operate the mechanical gripper to rotate, they must first use the drive device to fully open or close the gripper arm, or after gripping an item, before the drive device can drive the mechanical gripper to rotate. Therefore, the aforementioned technical content has the drawback of low working efficiency of the mechanical gripper in actual use. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this application is to provide a robotic gripper and cleaning equipment, which aims to improve the working efficiency of the robotic gripper.

[0007] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of this application.

[0008] According to a first aspect of this application, a mechanical gripper is provided, comprising a gripper body unit including a main body and grippers. The main body has opposing first and second ends in an axial direction. The grippers are disposed on the first ends and configured to open and close to perform gripping or releasing tasks. A gripper opening and closing drive unit is disposed on the main body and is driveably connected to the grippers, configured to drive the grippers to open and close. A gripper rotation drive unit is driveably connected to the second ends and configured to drive the main body and grippers to rotate synchronously about an axial direction.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the claw opening and closing drive unit drives the gripper to operate, and the claw rotation drive unit drives the main body and gripper to rotate synchronously. This allows the opening and closing action of the gripper and the overall rotation action to be controlled independently, eliminating the need to wait for the gripper to fully open or close before rotation can begin, thus improving the working efficiency of the robotic gripper. Furthermore, with this configuration, the robotic gripper can rotate and adjust while holding an object, or rotate freely when not holding an object, adapting to the needs of different cleaning scenarios. For example, adjusting the gripper angle, precisely grasping items, or adjusting the gripping direction in confined spaces makes operation more convenient and efficient. Therefore, in summary, by adopting the above structure, the working efficiency of the robotic gripper is effectively improved.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, a rotating unit is further included. The rotating unit is fixed at the second end, and the rotation axis of the rotating unit coincides with the axis of the main body. The rotating unit and the claw rotation drive unit are dynamically coupled through a transmission mechanism so that the rotating unit rotates around its own rotation axis under the drive of the claw rotation drive unit.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the rotating unit can receive the driving force output by the rotating drive unit and transmit it to the main body, thereby driving the main body to rotate. The rotation axis of the rotating unit is completely coincident with the axis of the main body, ensuring that the rotational motion is carried out along the fixed axis, avoiding vibration or displacement of the main body caused by eccentric rotation, and making the mechanical claw more stable and reliable when rotating.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, the claw opening and closing drive unit is disposed inside the main body, and the rotating unit has a wiring hole extending through it along the axial direction. The wiring hole connects to the interior of the main body for a wire to pass through into the main body. The wire is electrically connected to the claw opening and closing drive unit.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the claw opening and closing drive unit is firstly integrated into the main body, optimizing the overall structure of the robotic claw and making it more compact, facilitating operation in confined spaces. Furthermore, the design of axially penetrating wiring holes in the rotating unit allows wires to be directly connected to the claw opening and closing drive unit inside the main body. This not only effectively protects the wires from external wear but also eliminates interference caused by the wires during the rotation of the robotic claw, enabling the main body and claws to rotate 360 ​​degrees around the axis, effectively improving the working performance of the robotic claw.

[0014] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, the claw rotation drive unit is configured to output driving force in a rotational manner, and the rotation plane of the claw rotation drive unit is perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotation unit. The transmission mechanism is configured to convert the direction of the driving force output by the claw rotation drive unit to the rotation direction of the rotation unit.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, and arranging the rotation plane of the claw rotation drive unit perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotation unit, and coordinating with power steering, efficient optimization of spatial power transmission is achieved. This orthogonal transmission layout effectively improves the structural compactness of the mechanical claw, enabling rotation drives in different directions to be integrated into a limited volume with a smaller footprint, thus making it suitable for installation in space-constrained cleaning equipment.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, the rotation axis of the claw body rotation drive unit and the rotation axis of the rotation unit are located in the same plane.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the goal of shortening the power transmission path is first achieved, effectively reducing the kinetic energy loss from the claw rotation drive unit to the main body and significantly improving energy transmission efficiency. Secondly, the coplanar axis arrangement makes the entire transmission mechanism symmetrical, optimizing the overall center of gravity distribution of the mechanical claw, making the mechanical claw less prone to vibration and off-center loading problems, and enhancing the stability of the mechanical claw during operation.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, the rotating unit and the claw body rotation drive unit are dynamically coupled through a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism includes a worm gear, a worm, and a connecting gear set. The worm gear is coaxially fixed with the rotating unit, and a wiring channel communicating with a wiring hole is opened at the center of the worm gear. The connecting gear set includes several spur gears and is configured to transmit the driving force output by the claw body rotation drive unit to the worm.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the coaxial fixation of the worm gear and the rotating unit, as well as the connection between the wiring channel and the wiring hole, allows the wire to smoothly enter the main body. The self-locking characteristic of the worm gear provides a stable rotational holding force for the mechanical gripper, and also prevents reverse rotation when the gripper is holding a heavy load. The connecting gear set uses cylindrical gears, which can construct a highly efficient reduction mechanism in a limited space. This not only realizes the direction conversion of the output power of the gripper rotation drive unit, but also achieves ideal speed and torque matching through a reasonable reduction ratio configuration.

[0020] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, the rotating unit and the claw rotation drive unit are dynamically coupled through a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism includes a first gear, which is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the claw rotation drive unit and rotates synchronously with the output shaft. A second gear meshes with the first gear. A third gear is fixedly coaxially with the second gear. A fourth gear is fixedly coaxially with the rotating unit and meshes with the third gear. The fourth gear has a wire routing channel extending axially through it, and the wire routing channel communicates with a wire routing hole. One set of the first and second gears, and the third and fourth gears, is configured as a bevel gear set, and the other set is configured as a cylindrical gear set.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solutions, the bevel gear set realizes the transmission of power in different axial directions, enabling the driving force output by the claw rotation drive unit to be converted into the rotation direction required by the rotation unit. This ensures the continuity of power transmission and reduces the vibration and noise caused by traditional right-angle transmission. The parallel shaft transmission of the cylindrical gear set provides a stable reduction ratio, achieving speed and torque matching and ensuring that the mechanical claw maintains smooth operation under various load conditions. The axial through-path of the fourth gear connects with the wiring hole of the rotation unit, allowing the wire to enter the main body, thus enabling the mechanical claw to rotate 360 ​​degrees around its axis, effectively improving the working performance of the mechanical claw.

[0022] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, the number of teeth on the second gear is greater than the number of teeth on the first gear, and the number of teeth on the fourth gear is not less than the number of teeth on the third gear. Alternatively, the number of teeth on the second gear is not less than the number of teeth on the first gear, and the number of teeth on the fourth gear is greater than the number of teeth on the third gear.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, setting the second gear as a reduction gear relative to the first gear and / or setting the fourth gear as a reduction gear relative to the third gear forms a reduction structure. This ensures that the claw rotation drive unit can transmit driving force to the main body, and also ensures that the main body can ultimately achieve ideal output torque and speed matching. When the second gear has a larger number of teeth, the front-stage transmission achieves initial deceleration, allowing subsequent transmission components to bear a smaller torque load. When the fourth gear has a larger number of teeth, the main deceleration effect is achieved in the rear stage, allowing the front-stage transmission components to maintain a higher speed. When both the second and fourth gears have a large number of teeth, a multi-stage deceleration effect is achieved.

[0024] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, the rotation axis of the rotating unit is located at the center of the main body.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solutions, the mechanical gripper's structural balance and motion stability are improved. This ensures a good balance of inertial torque during rotation, effectively reducing yaw during operation. Rotation occurs only within the space occupied by the main body, without requiring additional space, thus facilitating rotational operations in confined spaces.

[0026] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, a mounting sleeve is fixedly provided at the center of the main body along the axial direction, and the rotating unit is configured as a rotating shaft, which is fixedly disposed inside the mounting sleeve.

[0027] By adopting the above technical solution, the mounting sleeve, as a support structure, provides axial positioning and radial constraint for the rotating shaft, ensuring that the rotational motion remains in the axial direction and effectively suppressing radial runout and axial movement during operation. The cooperation between the rotating shaft and the mounting sleeve forms a stable torque transmission path, ensuring that the driving force can be stably transmitted to the main body. The embedded structure of the rotating shaft within the mounting sleeve enhances the overall rigidity of the main structure, allowing the force generated by rotation to be evenly distributed and avoiding local deformation problems caused by stress concentration. This effectively guarantees the stability of the robotic gripper during rotation.

[0028] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, a protective shell is also included, which covers the outside of the claw body rotation drive unit and the transmission mechanism.

[0029] By adopting the above technical solution, the protective shell provides a protective barrier for the claw rotation drive unit and transmission mechanism, completely enclosing the claw rotation drive unit and transmission mechanism inside, effectively isolating the intrusion of external pollutants such as dust and water vapor, improving the reliability of the mechanical claw in harsh working environments, and thus extending the service life of the mechanical claw.

[0030] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, the rotating unit is configured as a rotating shaft, the protective shell is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, and a bearing is installed between the protective shell and the circumferential outer wall of the rotating shaft.

[0031] By adopting the above technical solution, the bearing enables the protective shell to maintain relative rotational freedom with the rotating shaft, thus achieving both static fixation of the protective cover and not interfering with the rotational function of the rotating shaft, forming a dynamic-static separation structure. At the same time, it also provides good support for the protective shell, ensuring good stability of the rotating shaft and the protective shell during use.

[0032] According to a second aspect of this application, a cleaning device is provided, comprising the mechanical gripper of any of the above-mentioned cleaning devices.

[0033] By adopting the above technical solution, the cleaning equipment is equipped with a mechanical gripper. This gripper can be used to empty dustbins, pick up larger debris, or clean stains in specific areas, thereby expanding the application scenarios of the cleaning equipment and improving cleaning efficiency. During use, the mechanical gripper can be controlled by a gripper opening and closing drive unit and by a gripper rotation drive unit to control the rotation of the main body. On one hand, this allows the mechanical gripper to rotate 360 ​​degrees around its axis, enhancing its flexibility and adapting to the needs of different cleaning scenarios. On the other hand, because the gripper opening, closing, and rotation actions do not interfere with each other, the gripping action of the gripper and the rotation action of the main body can be performed simultaneously, thus improving the working efficiency of the cleaning equipment.

[0034] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a mechanical gripper in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a transmission mechanism according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of part A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view showing a transmission mechanism in an embodiment of the application; Figure 5A schematic diagram of another transmission mechanism in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of another transmission mechanism in an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the cleaning equipment in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0037] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Claw body unit; 11. Main body; 111. First end; 112. Second end; 12. Gripper; 2. Claw body opening and closing drive unit; 3. Claw body rotation drive unit; 4. Rotation unit; 41. Wiring hole; 5. Transmission mechanism; 51. Worm gear; 52. Worm; 53. Connecting gear set; 54. First gear; 55. Second gear; 56. Third gear; 57. Fourth gear; 6. Mounting sleeve; 7. Wiring channel; 8. Protective shell; 9. Mechanical claw; 10. Body; 101. Operating arm; 102. First joint; 103. Second joint; 104. Third joint. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed descriptions will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this application and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0039] Although relative terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another, these terms are used only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that if the device of the icon is flipped so that it is upside down, the component described as "upper" will become the component described as "lower." When a structure is "upper" of another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" mounted on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" mounted on the other structure through another structure.

[0040] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first” and “second” are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects. Example 1

[0041] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the embodiment of this application, a mechanical gripper is disclosed, including a gripper body unit 1, which further includes a main body 11 and grippers 12. The main body 11 has a first end 111 and a second end 112 facing each other in the axial direction. The grippers 12 are mounted on the first end 111, and their number can be set to an even number, with the grippers 12 arranged in pairs facing each other. It is understood that the minimum number of grippers 12 is two, and the number of grippers 12 can also be four, six, or even more. In this application, four grippers 12 are set, and the four grippers 12 form two sets of gripping groups. This ensures that the mechanical gripper 9 can achieve a stable and reliable gripping function in cleaning operations.

[0042] Based on this, the robotic gripper 9 also includes a gripper body opening and closing drive unit 2 for driving the grippers 12 to open and close. The gripper body opening and closing drive unit 2 is disposed on the main body 11 and is connected to the grippers 12 in a transmission manner. The user can drive the grippers 12 in each clamping group to open or close by operating the gripper body opening and closing drive unit 2, thereby performing clamping or releasing tasks. In this application, the gripper body opening and closing drive unit 2 can simultaneously control all the grippers 12 in each clamping group to open and close at the same time to achieve a linkage effect, thereby reducing the user's operating difficulty and improving the ease of use of the robotic gripper 9; or it can control the grippers 12 in each clamping group to open and close independently to achieve the effect of individual control of each clamping group, so that the robotic gripper 9 can meet the needs of more application scenarios.

[0043] In some embodiments, in each set of clamping groups, the two opposing grippers 12 can either move away from or move closer to each other by translation; or they can move away from or move closer to each other by rotation with the end closest to the main body as the rotation center. There are no special restrictions on this.

[0044] Based on this, the mechanical gripper 9 also includes a gripper body rotation drive unit 3, which is connected to the second end 112 for transmission. The gripper body rotation drive unit 3 is used to output driving force and transmit the driving force to the second end 112, thereby driving the main body 11 and the gripper 12 to rotate synchronously around the axial direction. In this application, the axial direction is the length direction of the center of the mechanical gripper 9.

[0045] In some embodiments, the mounting positions of the claw opening / closing drive unit 2 and the claw rotation drive unit 3 can be selected according to actual needs. They can be fully integrated into the main body 11 to improve structural compactness; or they can be fully external for ease of maintenance. Alternatively, one drive unit can be internal while the other is external, which, while maintaining structural compactness, simplifies the structure of the mechanical claw 9, reduces manufacturing costs, and facilitates maintenance. When the claw rotation drive unit 3 is located inside the main body 11, a planetary gear structure can be used to drive the main body 11 and the gripper 12 to rotate together. However, this is only an illustrative example and not a limitation.

[0046] In some embodiments, this application does not limit the form of the driving force output by the claw opening and closing drive unit 2 and the claw rotation drive unit 3. The two drive units can be selected to output either rotary driving force or linear driving force. It is worth noting that when the claw rotation drive unit 3 uses linear power output, the driving force needs to be converted into rotary driving force when transmitted to the second end 112 of the main body 11. For example, a rack and pinion structure can be used.

[0047] In summary, on the one hand, the claw rotation drive unit 3 can drive the main body 11 and the gripper 12 to rotate along the axial direction, allowing the robotic gripper 9 to easily adjust its position and operate in narrow spaces, thus improving the applicability of the robotic gripper 9 and solving the problem of limited application scenarios in related technologies. On the other hand, the claw opening and closing drive unit 2 can control the opening and closing of the gripper 12, and the claw rotation drive unit 3 can control the rotation of the main body 11 and the gripper 12. This allows the opening and closing action and rotational movement of the gripper 12 to be controlled by independent drive units, and the two can be carried out synchronously without mutual constraint. In other words, the gripper 12 can open and close simultaneously during rotation. Therefore, through the above structure, the working efficiency of the robotic gripper 9 in daily use is effectively improved.

[0048] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown in this embodiment, the mechanical gripper 9 further includes a rotating unit 4, which is fixedly disposed at the second end 112 of the main body 11. Its rotation axis is coaxial with the length direction of the mechanical gripper 9, meaning the rotation axis of the rotating unit 4 coincides with the axial direction. The rotating unit 4 and the gripper rotation drive unit 3 are connected by a transmission mechanism 5 for power coupling. Through the transmission mechanism 5, the driving force output by the gripper rotation drive unit 3 can be transmitted to the rotating unit 4 in a rotational manner. The rotating unit 4 then transmits the driving force to the main body 11, causing the rotating unit 4 to rotate around its own axis, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the rotational motion. During the process where the rotating unit 4 drives the main body 11 and the gripper 12 to rotate together around the axis, because the rotation axis of the rotating unit 4 coincides with the axial direction, the mechanical gripper 9 is less prone to vibration or offset due to eccentric rotation, thereby improving the stable and reliable rotational performance of the mechanical gripper 9 during operation.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the claw opening and closing drive unit 2 adopts a built-in structure. That is, the claw opening and closing drive unit 2 is placed inside the main body 11. This improves the overall compactness of the mechanical claw 9 and also protects the claw opening and closing drive unit 2 through the main body 11. Specifically, the rotating unit 4 has a wiring hole 41 extending through it along the axial direction. The wiring hole 41 is connected to the interior of the main body 11, allowing wires to be threaded through it and electrically connected to the claw opening and closing drive unit 2, ensuring its normal operation. This structure not only improves the utilization rate of the internal space of the mechanical claw 9, but also ensures that the wires do not obstruct the rotation of the main body 11 when the rotating unit 4 drives it to rotate, thus enabling the mechanical claw 9 to complete a continuous 360-degree rotation and ensuring its flexibility.

[0050] In this embodiment, the claw rotation drive unit 3 is configured to output driving force in a rotational manner. The advantages of the claw rotation drive unit 3 directly outputting rotational driving force are as follows: Firstly, the transmission mechanism 5 can directly transmit rotational driving force without converting the form of the driving force (such as converting linear driving force into rotational driving force), which not only simplifies the structural complexity of the transmission mechanism 5 but also significantly improves the power transmission efficiency. Secondly, the output method of rotational driving force saves more installation space than the output method of linear driving force, which is conducive to improving the overall compactness of the mechanical claw 9, enabling the mechanical claw 9 to better adapt to the needs of narrow space operations, and improving the applicability and flexibility of the mechanical claw 9 in confined environments by reducing the overall volume.

[0051] In some embodiments, the claw rotation drive unit 3 is configured as a motor.

[0052] In some embodiments, the claw rotation drive unit 3 and the rotation unit 4 are arranged perpendicularly. Specifically, the rotation plane of the claw rotation drive unit 3 is perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotation unit 4, and the transmission mechanism 5 converts the direction of the driving force output by the claw rotation drive unit 3 to the rotation direction of the rotation unit 4. With the above structure, on the one hand, the space occupied by the claw rotation drive unit 3 in the axial direction can be effectively reduced, improving the space utilization of the mechanical claw 9 and making the overall structure more compact. On the other hand, it can also avoid the wiring, so that the wires can pass through the wiring hole 41 and enter the main body 11.

[0053] In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the claw rotation drive unit 3 and the rotation axis of the rotation unit 4 are located in the same plane. Through the above structure, the transmission mechanism 5 only needs to transmit the rotational driving force in the same plane, which further simplifies the structural complexity of the transmission mechanism 5 and improves the overall compactness of the mechanical claw 9.

[0054] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in the embodiment of this application, in one specific implementation, the transmission mechanism 5 includes a worm gear 51 and a worm 52, thereby realizing power transmission and direction conversion. The worm gear 51 is coaxially fixed with the rotating unit 4, and a wiring channel 7 connected to the wiring hole 41 is opened in the center of the worm gear 51. When the claw body rotation drive unit 3 outputs rotational power, the driving force is transmitted to the worm gear 51 through the worm 52. With the help of the unique orthogonal meshing characteristics of the worm gear 51 and the worm 52, the direction of the rotational power is converted by 90 degrees. The converted driving force is transmitted to the main body 11 through the rotating unit 4, thereby driving the main body 11 and the gripper 12 to rotate. Through the above structure, the change of the direction of the rotational driving force is realized. And through the connection between the wiring hole 41 and the wiring channel 7, the wire can smoothly enter into the main body 11.

[0055] In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism 5 further includes a connecting gear set 53, which comprises several spur gears. The connecting gear set 53 is configured to transmit the driving force output by the claw rotation drive unit 3 to the worm gear 52. As can be understood from the above, the connecting gear set 53, using several spur gears, can construct a highly efficient reduction mechanism within a limited space. This achieves both the direction conversion of the output power from the claw rotation drive unit 3 and obtains ideal speed and torque matching through a reasonable reduction ratio configuration. The gears in the connecting gear set 53 can be selected from spur gears, helical gears, herringbone gears, etc., without limitation.

[0056] In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism 5 employs a multi-stage gear reduction structure. Specifically, the connecting gear set 53 includes a first gear and a last gear. The first gear is coaxially fixed to the output shaft of the claw body rotation drive unit 3, and the last gear is coaxially fixed to the worm 52. Several reduction gears are arranged between the first gear and the last gear, and there are meshing gears among these reduction gears. There may also be coaxially fixed gears, so that the rotational power is transmitted from the first gear to the last gear, achieving the effect of decreasing speed and increasing torque.

[0057] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown in the embodiment of this application, another implementation includes a transmission mechanism 5 comprising a bevel gear set, wherein one bevel gear is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the claw body rotation drive unit 3, and the other bevel gear is coaxially fixed to the rotation unit 4. The bevel gear set achieves a change in the direction of the rotational driving force.

[0058] In order to achieve the effect of reducing speed and increasing torque of the rotational driving force output by the claw rotation drive unit 3, another specific structure of the transmission mechanism 5 is provided in this application.

[0059] In this transmission mechanism 5, there are a first gear 54, a second gear 55, a third gear 56, and a fourth gear 57. The first gear 54 is coaxially fixed to the output shaft of the claw rotation drive unit 3. The second gear 55 forms a primary meshing transmission pair with the first gear 54. The second gear 55 is coaxially fixed to the third gear 56. The third gear 56 further forms a secondary meshing transmission pair with the fourth gear 57, completing the final power output. It should be noted that, in order to achieve the conversion of the rotational driving force direction, one pair of the first gear 54 and the second gear 55, and the third gear 56 and the fourth gear 57, is configured as a bevel gear set, and the other pair is a cylindrical gear set.

[0060] Specifically, in the first embodiment, the first gear 54 and the second gear 55 are a bevel gear set, and the third gear 56 and the fourth gear 57 are a cylindrical gear set. In this embodiment, the rotational power first undergoes a direction change, and then is transmitted in the same direction. In the second embodiment, the first gear 54 and the second gear 55 are a cylindrical gear set, and the third gear 56 and the fourth gear 57 are a bevel gear set. In this embodiment, the rotational power first undergoes a direction change, and then is transmitted in the same direction. In this application, to improve the rationality of the spatial layout, the second embodiment is preferred.

[0061] In this application, the following three methods can be used to achieve the effect of speed reduction and torque increase for the transmission mechanism 5 in relation to the rotary driving force.

[0062] In method one, the number of teeth on the second gear 55 is greater than the number of teeth on the first gear 54, and the number of teeth on the fourth gear 57 is equal to the number of teeth on the third gear 56.

[0063] Method 2: The number of teeth on the fourth gear 57 is greater than the number of teeth on the third gear 56, and the number of teeth on the second gear 55 is equal to the number of teeth on the first gear 54.

[0064] Method 3: The number of teeth on the second gear 55 is greater than the number of teeth on the first gear 54, and the number of teeth on the fourth gear 57 is greater than the number of teeth on the third gear 56.

[0065] According to the above three methods, in method one, the first gear 54 and the second gear 55 are used to reduce the rotational power and increase the torque, while the third gear 56 and the fourth gear 57 are used to change the direction of the rotational power; in method two, the first gear 54 and the second gear 55 are only used to transmit the rotational power, while the third gear 56 and the fourth gear 57 are used to change the direction of the rotational power and also to reduce the rotational power and increase the torque; in method three, a multi-stage deceleration effect is formed, and the third gear 56 and the fourth gear 57 also realize the change of the direction of the rotational power.

[0066] In this embodiment, the first gear 54 and the second gear 55 are a cylindrical gear set, and the third gear 56 and the fourth gear 57 are a bevel gear set. The second gear 55 is located below the third gear 56, and the lower surface of the third gear 56 is in contact with the upper surface of the second gear 55. This structure can reduce the space occupied by the transmission mechanism 5 and improve the compactness of the mechanical claw 9 structure.

[0067] In some embodiments, the axial length of the first gear 54 is greater than the axial length of the second gear 55 to improve the stability of the claw body rotation drive unit 3 when outputting rotational driving force and during transmission.

[0068] In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the rotating unit 4 is located at the center of the main body 11. This ensures that the inertial torque during rotation is in optimal balance, effectively reducing swaying during operation. When rotation occurs, the main body 11 operates entirely within its own space, without requiring additional external space, thus facilitating the rotational operation of the mechanical gripper 9 in confined spaces.

[0069] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 6As shown in this embodiment, a mounting sleeve 6 is fixedly provided at the center of the main body 11 along the axial direction, and the rotating unit 4 is configured as a rotating shaft, which is inserted into and fixedly connected to the mounting sleeve 6. Specifically, the mounting sleeve 6 and the main body 11 are an integral structure, and screws are provided radially through the rotating shaft and the mounting sleeve 6 to connect and fix them together. Of course, this is not limiting. In other embodiments, the mounting sleeve 6 can be fixed to the main body 11 by welding or other methods, and the rotating shaft can be fixed to the mounting sleeve 6 by welding or other methods. Through the above structure, the mounting sleeve 6 provides support for the rotating shaft. Specifically, the mounting sleeve 6 provides axial positioning and radial constraint for the rotating shaft, so that the rotational movement is always kept in the axial direction, effectively suppressing the radial runout and axial movement of the rotating shaft during operation. The cooperation between the rotating shaft and the mounting sleeve 6 forms a stable torque transmission path, ensuring that the driving force can be stably transmitted to the main body 11. The embedded structure of the rotating shaft in the mounting sleeve 6 enhances the overall rigidity of the main body 11 structure, so that the force generated by rotation can be evenly distributed, avoiding the problem of local deformation caused by stress concentration. Thus, the stability of the mechanical gripper 9 during rotation is effectively guaranteed.

[0070] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the mechanical gripper 9 also includes a protective shell 8, which covers the outside of the gripper rotation drive unit 3 and the transmission mechanism 5. The protective shell 8 provides a protective barrier for the gripper rotation drive unit 3 and the transmission mechanism 5, allowing them to be in a closed state, effectively isolating them from the intrusion of external pollutants such as dust and moisture, and improving the reliability of the mechanical gripper 9 in harsh working environments.

[0071] In some embodiments, a bearing (not shown in the figure) is installed between the protective shell 8 and the circumferential outer wall of the rotating shaft. The bearing provides good support for the protective shell 8, while achieving static fixation of the protective shell without interfering with the rotation function of the rotating shaft, forming a dynamic-static separation structure, which enables the rotating shaft and the protective shell 8 to have good stability during use.

[0072] Example 2 like Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown in the embodiments of this application, a cleaning device is disclosed, which includes any of the mechanical grippers in Embodiment 1.

[0073] It is worth noting that, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of part of the cleaning equipment structure, only showing the relevant structure of the gripper and some functional components of the cleaning equipment.

[0074] In some embodiments, the cleaning device further includes a body 10 and a robotic arm 101.

[0075] The fuselage 10 is operable and movable, and has an internal storage cavity located at the front of the fuselage 10. The front side wall of the fuselage 10 has an opening communicating with the storage cavity (not shown in the figure).

[0076] The robotic arm includes at least two manipulator arms 101. The manipulator arm 101 at the head end is connected to the storage cavity through a first joint 102, and the manipulator arms 101 are connected to each other through a second joint 103.

[0077] The mechanical gripper 9 is connected to the end effector arm 101 via the third joint 104.

[0078] Specifically, the manipulator 101 and the mechanical gripper 9 have two states: one is a retracted state where they are stored in the storage cavity, and the other is a working state where they extend from the opening. In the retracted state, the manipulator 101 and the mechanical gripper 9 are folded into an acute-angled triangular configuration.

[0079] By adopting the above technical solution, the cleaning equipment is equipped with a mechanical claw 9. This claw 9 can be used to empty the dustbin, grab larger debris, or clean stains in specific areas, thereby expanding the application scenarios of the cleaning equipment and improving cleaning efficiency. During use, the mechanical claw 9 can be controlled by the claw opening and closing drive unit 2 to control the gripper 12, and by the claw rotation drive unit 3 to control the rotation of the main body 11. On one hand, this allows the mechanical claw 9 to rotate 360 ​​degrees around its axis, enhancing its flexibility and adapting to the needs of different cleaning scenarios. On the other hand, because the opening, closing, and rotation of the gripper 12 do not interfere with each other, the gripping action of the gripper 12 and the rotation action of the main body 11 can be performed simultaneously, thereby improving the working efficiency of the cleaning equipment during use.

[0080] Other embodiments of this application will readily conceive of by those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments thereof. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not claimed in this application. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A mechanical gripper, characterized by, include: A claw unit includes a body and a gripper. The body has a first end and a second end opposite to each other in the axial direction. The gripper is disposed on the first end and is configured to open and close to perform a gripping or releasing task. A claw opening and closing drive unit is disposed on the main body. The claw opening and closing drive unit is connected to the gripper in a transmission manner. The claw opening and closing drive unit is configured to drive the gripper to open and close. A claw rotation drive unit is connected to the second end via a transmission connection. The claw rotation drive unit is configured to drive the main body and the gripper to rotate synchronously around the axis.

2. The mechanical gripper of claim 1, wherein, It also includes a rotating unit, which is fixed at the second end. The rotation axis of the rotating unit coincides with the axis of the main body. The rotating unit and the claw body rotation drive unit are dynamically coupled through a transmission mechanism so that the rotating unit rotates around its own rotation axis under the drive of the claw body rotation drive unit.

3. The mechanical gripper of claim 2, wherein, The claw opening and closing drive unit is located inside the main body. The rotating unit has a wire routing hole that extends through the main body along the axial direction. The wire routing hole connects to the interior of the main body and is used for wires to pass through the main body. The wires are electrically connected to the claw opening and closing drive unit.

4. The mechanical gripper of claim 2, wherein, The claw body rotation drive unit is configured to output driving force in a rotational manner, and the rotation plane of the claw body rotation drive unit is perpendicular to the rotation plane of the rotation unit; The transmission mechanism is configured to convert the direction of the driving force output by the claw rotation drive unit to the rotation direction of the rotation unit.

5. The mechanical gripper of claim 4, wherein, The rotation axis of the claw body rotation drive unit and the rotation axis of the rotation unit are located in the same plane.

6. The mechanical gripper of claim 3, wherein, The rotating unit and the claw body rotating drive unit are poweredly coupled through a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism includes a worm wheel, a worm, and a connecting gear set. The worm wheel is coaxially fixed with the rotating unit, and a wiring channel communicating with the wiring hole is opened at the center of the worm wheel. The connecting gear set includes several cylindrical gears, and the connecting gear set is configured to transmit the driving force output by the claw body rotation drive unit to the worm.

7. The mechanical gripper of claim 3, wherein, The rotating unit and the claw body rotating drive unit are dynamically coupled through a transmission mechanism, which includes: The first gear is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the claw body rotation drive unit and rotates synchronously with the output shaft; The second gear meshes with the first gear; The third gear is fixed coaxially with the second gear; The fourth gear is coaxially fixed with the rotating unit and meshes with the third gear. The fourth gear has a wire routing channel extending through it along the axial direction, and the wire routing channel communicates with the wire routing hole. Among them, one of the first gear and the second gear, and the third gear and the fourth gear, is set as a bevel gear set, and the other set is set as a cylindrical gear set.

8. The mechanical gripper of claim 7, wherein, The second gear has a greater number of teeth than the first gear, and the fourth gear has a number of teeth that is not less than the number of teeth of the third gear; or, The number of teeth of the second gear is not less than the number of teeth of the first gear, and the number of teeth of the fourth gear is greater than the number of teeth of the third gear.

9. The mechanical gripper of claim 2, wherein, The rotation axis of the rotating unit is located at the center of the main body.

10. The mechanical gripper of claim 2, wherein, The main body is fixedly provided with a mounting sleeve along the axial direction at its center, and the rotating unit is configured as a rotating shaft, which is fixedly installed inside the mounting sleeve.

11. The mechanical gripper of claim 2, wherein, It also includes a protective shell, which covers the outside of the claw body rotation drive unit and the transmission mechanism.

12. The mechanical gripper according to claim 11, characterized in that, The rotating unit is configured as a rotating shaft, the protective shell is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, and a bearing is installed between the protective shell and the circumferential outer wall of the rotating shaft.

13. A cleaning apparatus, characterized by Includes the mechanical gripper as described in any one of claims 1-12.

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