Flexible driving device for mechanical arm joint of subway bottom inspection robot

Abstract

The utility model discloses a subway bottom inspection robot's mechanical arm joint flexible drive arrangement, including first mechanical arm, first mechanical arm one end is swingly provided with second mechanical arm through bearing, be provided with drive mechanism between first mechanical arm and second mechanical arm, drive mechanism includes drive shaft, worm wheel, worm, servo motor, telescopic link, first friction disc, second friction disc, first mechanical arm inboard middle part is swingly provided with drive shaft through bearing, drive shaft outside is fixedly provided with worm wheel, first mechanical arm inside is swingly provided with worm through bearing at worm wheel one side, first mechanical arm inside is fixedly provided with servo motor at worm lower extreme, the utility model discloses good use effect, and the device adopts flexible area to the joint of mechanical arm, when the collision of mechanical arm outside blind area, extrusion, drive mechanism can produce skidding like this can prevent drive mechanism damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of inspection robot technology, specifically to a flexible drive device for the joints of the robotic arm of a subway under-bottom inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] As a vital component of urban public transportation, the safe operation of subways is of paramount importance. The subway's undercarriage structure is complex, containing numerous critical components such as bogies, bolts, and track connectors. The condition of these components directly impacts the subway's operational safety. Traditional methods of inspecting the subway's undercarriage primarily rely on manual inspections, which are inefficient, labor-intensive, and prone to omissions due to human error.

[0003] With the development of robotics technology, subway undercarriage inspection robots have gradually become a research hotspot. However, existing subway undercarriage inspection robots have many problems in terms of the joint drive of their robotic arms. Most robotic arms use traditional rigid drive methods, such as motors driving worm gears or gears. The drawback of this is that the entire drive method is rigid, and when the robotic arm collides with the subway undercarriage inspection equipment, the drive is affected, which can easily lead to damage to the transmission mechanism. Therefore, an improved flexible drive device for the joints of the robotic arm of the subway undercarriage inspection robot is needed to address this problem. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a flexible drive device for the joints of the robotic arm of a subway bottom inspection robot, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a flexible drive device for the joints of a robotic arm of a subway bottom inspection robot, comprising a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm movably mounted at one end of the first robotic arm via a bearing, a drive mechanism between the first and second robotic arms, the drive mechanism comprising a drive shaft, a worm gear, a worm, a servo motor, a telescopic rod, a first friction disc, and a second friction disc, wherein the drive shaft is movably mounted at the middle of the inner side of the first robotic arm via a bearing, a worm gear is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the drive shaft, a worm is movably mounted at one side of the worm gear inside the first robotic arm via a bearing, a servo motor is fixedly mounted at the lower end of the worm inside the first robotic arm, the power output shaft of the servo motor is fixedly connected to the worm, a telescopic rod is fixedly mounted at one end of the drive shaft, a first friction disc is fixedly mounted at the movable end of the telescopic rod, and a second friction disc is fixedly mounted on the surface of the second robotic arm.

[0006] Preferably, the surfaces of the first friction disc and the second friction disc are in contact with each other, and the power of the motor can be transmitted between the first friction disc and the second friction disc through the contacting surfaces of the first friction disc and the second friction disc.

[0007] Preferably, a spring is fitted on the outer surface of the telescopic rod, which can automatically push the telescopic rod to extend so that the surfaces of the first friction disc and the second friction disc can fit together; in this way, the power transmission between the servo motor and the second robotic arm is achieved through friction.

[0008] Preferably, the outer surface of the first friction disc is uniformly and fixedly provided with a plurality of arc-shaped protrusions, and the outer surface of the second friction disc is uniformly provided with a plurality of arc-shaped grooves. The arc-shaped protrusions are movably engaged inside the arc-shaped grooves. In addition to the transmission between the first and second friction discs through friction, this device can also use arc-shaped protrusions and arc-shaped grooves for transmission, which improves the transmission effect. When the second robotic arm encounters resistance, due to the arc shape of the surface of the arc-shaped protrusion, the servo motor continues to drive, causing the telescopic rod to be squeezed vertically, thereby causing the telescopic rod to retract. In this way, the arc-shaped protrusion disengages from the arc-shaped groove, thus interrupting the rotation.

[0009] Preferably, the worm wheel and the worm mesh with each other, and the spiral angle of the worm is smaller than the friction angle of the worm wheel and the worm contacting each other. The worm wheel and the worm mesh with each other in this device to transmit power. Since the spiral angle of the worm is smaller than the friction angle of the worm wheel and the worm contacting each other, this device can transmit power in one direction.

[0010] Preferably, the telescopic rod has a rectangular cross-section. A rectangular telescopic rod can ensure that it can extend and retract without spinning freely, thus enabling the telescopic rod to transmit power.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0012] 1. This utility model's device employs a flexible area design at the joints of the robotic arm. When the robotic arm experiences a collision or compression outside its blind zone, the drive mechanism can slip. For example, in the complex environment of a subway underpass, the robotic arm may accidentally hit an obstacle. In this case, the flexible drive device can prevent the drive mechanism from being damaged by excessive impact force through the contraction of the telescopic rod and the relative sliding between the first and second friction discs, greatly improving the service life and reliability of the robotic arm.

[0013] 2. This invention achieves a dual transmission method through frictional transmission between the first and second friction discs and the engaging transmission of the arc-shaped protrusion and the arc-shaped groove. This design makes power transmission more stable and efficient. Under normal working conditions, the dual transmission ensures that the robotic arm accurately performs inspection tasks, improving the accuracy and efficiency of subway bottom inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the flexible drive device for the joint of the robotic arm of the subway bottom inspection robot of this utility model.

[0015] Figure 2 This is an overall structural view of the drive mechanism in the flexible drive device of the robotic arm joint of the subway bottom inspection robot of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of the flexible drive device for the joints of the robotic arm of the subway bottom inspection robot of this utility model. Figure 1 ;

[0017] Figure 4 Cross-sectional view of the flexible drive device for the joints of the robotic arm of the subway bottom inspection robot of this utility model. Figure 2 ;

[0018] Figure 5 Cross-sectional view of the flexible drive device for the joints of the robotic arm of the subway bottom inspection robot of this utility model. Figure 3 .

[0019] In the diagram: 1. First robotic arm; 2. Second robotic arm; 3. Drive mechanism; 4. Drive shaft; 5. Worm gear; 6. Worm; 7. Servo motor; 8. Telescopic rod; 9. First friction disc; 10. Second friction disc; 11. Spring; 12. Arc-shaped protrusion; 13. Arc-shaped groove. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0021] Please see Figure 1-5 This utility model provides a technical solution: a flexible drive device for the joints of the robotic arms of a subway bottom inspection robot. The device consists of a first robotic arm 1, a second robotic arm 2, and a drive mechanism 3. One end of the first robotic arm 1 is movably connected to the second robotic arm 2 via a bearing, and the drive mechanism 3 is located between the first robotic arm 1 and the second robotic arm 2.

[0022] The drive mechanism 3 includes a drive shaft 4, a worm gear 5, a worm 6, a servo motor 7, a telescopic rod 8, a first friction disk 9, and a second friction disk 10. Specifically, the drive shaft 4 is movably mounted on the inner center of the first robotic arm 1 via a bearing, and the worm gear 5 is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the drive shaft 4. Inside the first robotic arm 1, the worm 6 is movably mounted on one side of the worm gear 5 via a bearing, and the lower end of the worm 6 is fixedly connected to the power output shaft end of the servo motor 7 fixed inside the first robotic arm 1. One end of the drive shaft 4 is fixedly connected to the telescopic rod 8, and the first friction disk 9 is fixedly mounted on the movable end of the telescopic rod 8. The second friction disk 10 is fixedly mounted on the surface of the second robotic arm 2.

[0023] The surfaces of the first friction disk 9 and the second friction disk 10 are in close contact with each other. This contact design allows the power of the motor to be transmitted to the second robotic arm 2 through the friction between the two. A spring 11 is sleeved on the outside of the telescopic rod 8. The spring 11 can automatically push the telescopic rod 8 to extend, thereby ensuring that the surfaces of the first friction disk 9 and the second friction disk 10 are always in close contact, thus realizing the power transmission between the servo motor 7 and the second robotic arm 2 through friction.

[0024] The outer surface of the first friction disk 9 is uniformly provided with several arc-shaped protrusions 12, and the outer surface of the second friction disk 10 is uniformly provided with several arc-shaped grooves 13, with the arc-shaped protrusions 12 movably engaged inside the arc-shaped grooves 13. This device not only relies on the friction between the first friction disk 9 and the second friction disk 10 for transmission, but also achieves transmission through the cooperation of the arc-shaped protrusions 12 and the arc-shaped grooves 13. This dual transmission method makes the transmission effect better. When the second robotic arm 2 encounters resistance, because the surface of the arc-shaped protrusions 12 is arc-shaped, while the servo motor 7 continues to drive, the telescopic rod 8 will be compressed vertically and contract, causing the arc-shaped protrusions 12 to disengage from the arc-shaped grooves 13, thereby stopping the rotation.

[0025] In terms of power transmission, the worm wheel 5 and the worm 6 mesh with each other, and the spiral angle of the worm 6 is smaller than the friction angle of the contact between the worm wheel 5 and the worm 6. This design enables the device to achieve unidirectional power transmission.

[0026] Furthermore, the telescopic rod 8 has a rectangular cross-section. This rectangular structure ensures that the telescopic rod 8 can extend and retract without spinning freely, thus guaranteeing stable power transmission.

[0027] Working principle: The servo motor 7 drives the worm gear 6 to rotate. Since the worm wheel 5 meshes with the worm gear 6, the rotation of the worm gear 6 drives the worm wheel 5 to rotate, which in turn causes the drive shaft 4 to rotate. The drive shaft 4 drives the telescopic rod 8 to rotate. The telescopic rod 8 transmits power to the second robotic arm 2 through the friction between the first friction disc 9 and the second friction disc 10, as well as the interlocking action of the arc-shaped protrusion 12 and the arc-shaped groove 13. This causes the second robotic arm 2 to perform corresponding rotational movements relative to the first robotic arm 1, thereby realizing the inspection of different positions on the bottom of the subway.

[0028] Collision Protection: When the robotic arm collides with the subway undercarriage during inspection, the impact force acts on the second robotic arm 2, causing it to experience resistance. Due to the arc-shaped design of the surface of the arc-shaped protrusion 12, the servo motor 7, while continuing to drive, will exert vertical pressure on the telescopic rod 8, causing it to retract. The retraction of the telescopic rod 8 causes the arc-shaped protrusion 12 to disengage from the arc-shaped groove 13, and simultaneously, relative sliding occurs between the first friction disc 9 and the second friction disc 10, thereby interrupting power transmission and preventing damage to the transmission mechanism due to excessive impact force. After the collision, as the first friction disc 9 rotates and the arc-shaped protrusion 12 aligns with the arc-shaped groove 13, the telescopic rod 8 extends under the action of the spring 11, the arc-shaped protrusion 12 re-engages into the arc-shaped groove 13, and the first friction disc 9 and the second friction disc 10 re-fit tightly, allowing the robotic arm to return to normal operation.

[0029] It should be noted that the drive mechanism 3 of this device can be installed at either the first robotic arm 1 or the second robotic arm 2 where it needs to be driven.

[0030] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0031] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A flexible drive device for the joints of a robotic arm of a subway bottom inspection robot, comprising a first robotic arm (1), characterized in that: A second robotic arm (2) is movably mounted on one end of the first robotic arm (1) via a bearing. A drive mechanism (3) is provided between the first robotic arm (1) and the second robotic arm (2). The drive mechanism (3) includes a drive shaft (4), a worm gear (5), a worm (6), a servo motor (7), a telescopic rod (8), a first friction disc (9), and a second friction disc (10). The drive shaft (4) is movably mounted on the inner middle of the first robotic arm (1) via a bearing, and a worm gear (6) is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the drive shaft (4). 5) A worm (6) is movably mounted inside the first robotic arm (1) on one side of the worm wheel (5) via a bearing. A servo motor (7) is fixedly mounted inside the first robotic arm (1) at the lower end of the worm (6). The power output shaft end of the servo motor (7) is fixedly connected to the worm (6). A telescopic rod (8) is fixedly mounted at one end of the drive shaft (4). A first friction disc (9) is fixedly mounted at the movable end of the telescopic rod (8). A second friction disc (10) is fixedly mounted on the surface of the second robotic arm (2).

2. The flexible drive device for the robotic arm joint of the subway bottom inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surfaces of the first friction disk (9) and the second friction disk (10) are in contact with each other.

3. The flexible drive device for the robotic arm joint of the subway bottom inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A spring (11) is fitted on the outer surface of the telescopic rod (8).

4. The flexible drive device for the robotic arm joint of the subway bottom inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the first friction disc (9) is uniformly provided with several arc-shaped protrusions (12), and the outer surface of the second friction disc (10) is uniformly provided with several arc-shaped grooves (13). The arc-shaped protrusions (12) are movably engaged inside the arc-shaped grooves (13).

5. The flexible drive device for the robotic arm joint of the subway bottom inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The worm wheel (5) and the worm (6) mesh with each other, and the unfolding helix angle of the worm (6) is smaller than the friction angle of the worm wheel (5) and the worm (6) in contact.

6. The flexible drive device for the robotic arm joint of the subway bottom inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-section of the telescopic rod (8) is rectangular.

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