A driving assembly, a ball wheel moving mechanism and a ball wheel moving device

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a driving assembly, a ball wheel moving mechanism and a ball wheel moving device, the driving assembly is used on the ball wheel moving mechanism, the driving assembly comprises a driving motor, a driving structure and a transmission assembly; the driving structure is used for driving connection of a ball wheel of the ball wheel moving mechanism; the transmission assembly is transmissionally connected with the driving motor and the driving structure, and the transmission assembly comprises a transmission belt, so as to transmissionally drive power between the driving motor and the driving structure through the transmission belt. In the scheme of the embodiment of the application, the transmission assembly is arranged, and the transmission assembly comprises the transmission belt, so as to transmissionally drive power between the driving motor and the driving structure through the transmission belt, thereby a part of impact load can be offset in the process that the transmission belt transmissionally drives power, the impact load is smaller compared with the scheme that the motor is directly driven, damage to the surface of the ball wheel when the impact load is large is avoided, and the long-term stability of the ball wheel moving mechanism is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ball wheel moving equipment technology, specifically to a drive component, a ball wheel moving mechanism, and a ball wheel moving device. Background Technology

[0002] Ball wheel mechanisms, with their flexible motion characteristics, have been widely used in various technological fields, including ball wheel robots in automation, spherical intelligent inspection equipment in consumer electronics, and ball wheel mobile platforms in special operation scenarios. The core function of this type of mechanism is to perform multi-degree-of-freedom manipulation of the ball wheel through drive components to achieve the movement, steering, and attitude adjustment of the mechanism.

[0003] Currently, the drive components of ball wheel moving mechanisms generally use a motor to directly drive the roller to rotate. Under the rotation of the roller, the ball wheel is driven by the friction between the roller and the surface of the ball wheel. In this driving method, the impact load is large and it is easy to damage the surface of the ball wheel, resulting in poor long-term stability of the ball wheel moving mechanism. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a drive component, a ball wheel moving mechanism, and a ball wheel moving device, aiming to improve the long-term stability of the ball wheel moving device.

[0005] On one hand, embodiments of this application provide a drive assembly used in a ball wheel mechanism, the drive assembly comprising: Drive motor; A drive structure for driving the ball wheel connected to the ball wheel movable mechanism; and, A transmission assembly that drives the drive motor and the drive structure, the transmission assembly including at least a transmission belt for transmitting power between the drive motor and the drive structure via the transmission belt.

[0006] In some embodiments, the transmission assembly further includes a transmission shaft, and the transmission belt drives the drive motor and the transmission shaft respectively. The drive structure is mounted on the transmission shaft.

[0007] In some embodiments, the drive shaft and the drive motor are arranged radially upward along the drive shaft.

[0008] In some embodiments, the drive assembly further includes a fixed bracket for rotatably mounting the drive shaft and for mounting to the mounting bracket of the ball wheel mechanism.

[0009] In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes a fixing plate for mounting the drive motor and the fixing bracket, wherein the fixing bracket and the transmission belt are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the fixing plate in the thickness direction.

[0010] In some embodiments, the drive structure includes a double row of omnidirectional wheels.

[0011] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a ball wheel moving mechanism, including: Ball wheel; A drive assembly that drives the ball wheel, and the drive assembly is any of the drive assemblies described above.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ball wheel mechanism further includes a mounting bracket, and multiple drive components are provided, with the multiple drive components mounted on the mounting bracket.

[0013] In some embodiments, three drive components are provided, and the spacing between any two of the three drive components is equal.

[0014] In another aspect, embodiments of this application provide a ball wheel moving device, including any of the ball wheel moving mechanisms described above.

[0015] In the embodiment of this application, by setting the transmission component, which includes a transmission belt, power is transmitted between the drive motor and the drive structure via the transmission belt. This process of transmitting power via the transmission belt can offset a portion of the impact load. Compared to the direct drive solution of the motor, the impact load is smaller, avoiding damage to the surface of the ball wheel when the impact load is large, and improving the long-term stability of the ball wheel moving mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the driving component provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Exploded view of the driving components in the diagram; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the ball wheel moving mechanism provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 4This is a perspective structural diagram of another embodiment of the ball wheel moving mechanism provided in some embodiments of this application; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 An exploded view of the ball wheel mechanism.

[0018] Explanation of key component symbols: Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0021] "A and / or B" includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0022] The use of "applies to" or "configured to" in this application implies open and inclusive language, which does not exclude the applicability to or configuration to devices performing additional tasks or steps. Additionally, the use of "based on" implies openness and inclusivity, because processes, steps, calculations, or other actions "based on" one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may in practice be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0023] In this application, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "used as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described as "exemplary" in this application is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this application. Details are set forth in the following description for purposes of explanation. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will recognize that this application can be made without using these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of this application with unnecessary detail. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and features disclosed in this application.

[0024] Ball wheel mechanisms, with their flexible motion characteristics, have been widely used in various technological fields, including ball wheel robots in automation, spherical intelligent inspection equipment in consumer electronics, and ball wheel mobile platforms in special operation scenarios. The core function of this type of mechanism is to perform multi-degree-of-freedom manipulation of the ball wheel through drive components to achieve the movement, steering, and attitude adjustment of the mechanism.

[0025] Currently, the drive components of ball wheel moving mechanisms generally use a motor to directly drive the roller to rotate. Under the rotation of the roller, the ball wheel is driven by the friction between the roller and the surface of the ball wheel. In this driving method, the impact load is large and it is easy to damage the surface of the ball wheel, resulting in poor long-term stability of the ball wheel moving mechanism.

[0026] For this, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 In some embodiments of this application, a drive assembly 100 is provided, which is used on a ball wheel movable mechanism 200. The drive assembly 100 includes a drive motor 10, a drive structure 20, and a transmission assembly 30. The drive structure 20 is used to drive the ball wheel 211 connected to the ball wheel movable mechanism 200. The transmission assembly 30 drives the drive motor 10 and the drive structure 20, and includes a transmission belt 31 to transmit power between the drive motor 10 and the drive structure 20.

[0027] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the transmission component 30 is not limited. It may only include the transmission belt 31. For example, one end of the transmission belt 31 is sleeved on the output shaft of the drive motor 10, and the other end is sleeved on the drive structure 20. When the drive motor 10 is working, the output shaft of the drive motor 10 rotates, thereby driving the transmission belt 31 to move. While the transmission belt 31 is moving, it also drives the drive structure 20 to move together. During the entire process, due to the transmission of the transmission belt 31, compared with the direct drive solution of the motor, it can effectively reduce the impact load and improve the smoothness of the movement of the drive structure 20. Of course, the transmission component 30 may also include other components, such as gears, racks, drive shafts, etc., which are not limited here.

[0028] The specific implementation of the drive structure 20 is not limited. It can be in the form of rollers, or in the form of omnidirectional wheels, such as single-row omnidirectional wheels, multi-row omnidirectional wheels, etc., or in the form of Mecanum wheels, etc., and is not limited here.

[0029] It should be emphasized that, in order to make the ball wheel 211 of the ball wheel moving mechanism 200 more easily driven, wear-resistant and anti-slip materials such as rubber and PU (polyurethane) are preferred.

[0030] In the scheme of this embodiment, by setting the transmission component 30, and the transmission component 30 including the transmission belt 31, power is transmitted between the drive motor 10 and the drive structure 20 through the transmission belt 31. In this way, a part of the impact load can be offset during the transmission of power by the transmission belt 31. Compared with the direct drive scheme of the motor, the impact load is smaller, avoiding damage to the surface of the ball wheel 211 when the impact load is large, and improving the long-term stability of the ball wheel moving mechanism 200.

[0031] Please refer to this carefully. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the transmission assembly 30 further includes a transmission shaft 32, and the transmission belt 31 is respectively connected to the drive motor 10 and the transmission shaft 32; the drive structure 20 is mounted on the transmission shaft 32.

[0032] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the drive structure 20 mounted on the transmission shaft 32 is not limited. It can be achieved by snap-fitting, bonding, welding, etc., and is not limited here. In some embodiments, a connecting flange is provided on the transmission shaft 32, and the drive structure 20 is mounted on the connecting flange. By setting the connecting flange, the stability of the drive structure 20 can be improved.

[0033] Furthermore, by setting the transmission shaft 32, when the drive motor 10 is working, the transmission belt 31 is driven by the drive motor 10 to move. Under the action of the transmission belt 31, the transmission shaft 32 and the drive structure 20 move together, thereby allowing the drive structure 20 to drive the ball wheel 211.

[0034] In the solution of this embodiment, by setting the transmission shaft 32, the impact load can be offset to a certain extent through the transmission of the transmission shaft 32, thus protecting the ball wheel 211.

[0035] In addition, in some embodiments, the transmission assembly 30 further includes a driving wheel 33 and a driven wheel 34. The driving wheel 33 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 10, and the driven wheel 34 is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft 32. The transmission belt 31 is sleeved on the driving wheel 33 and the driven wheel 34. Thus, under the rotation of the output shaft of the drive motor 10, the driving wheel 33 drives the transmission belt 31 to move, thereby driving the driven wheel 34 and the transmission shaft 32 to rotate together. With this arrangement, the impact load can be effectively offset through multiple transmissions.

[0036] The arrangement of the drive shaft 32 and the drive motor 10 is not limited; they can be arranged circumferentially along the drive shaft 32 or spaced apart radially along the drive shaft 32.

[0037] In some embodiments, the drive shaft 32 and the drive motor 10 are arranged radially spaced apart along the drive shaft 32. With this arrangement, compared to the scheme in which the drive motor 10 directly drives the drive structure 20, the drive assembly 100 has a smaller axial dimension along the drive shaft 32, thereby saving axial space along the drive shaft 32. Compared to the scheme in which the motor directly drives the drive structure 20, by providing the transmission belt 31, the drive motor 10 and the drive structure 20 do not need to be arranged axially along the drive motor 10, and their axial dimensions are smaller, thereby allowing the ball wheel movable mechanism 200 to be made smaller.

[0038] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the drive shaft 32 and the drive motor 10 are spaced apart along the circumference of the drive shaft 32.

[0039] It should be noted that the installation method of the drive shaft 32 is not limited. It can be directly installed on the ball wheel moving mechanism 200, or some additional mounting parts can be set for the drive assembly 100, etc., which are not limited here.

[0040] In some embodiments, the drive assembly 100 further includes a fixed bracket 40 for rotatably mounting the drive shaft 32 and for mounting to the mounting bracket 221 of the ball wheel movable mechanism 200.

[0041] In the corresponding embodiment, by setting the fixed bracket 40, the drive shaft 32 can be rotatably mounted on the fixed bracket 40. In the actual assembly process, it is only necessary to install the fixed bracket 40 to the mounting bracket 221 of the ball wheel movable mechanism 200 to complete the installation of the drive shaft 32. The assembly process is simple, and there is no need to set a structure for the rotating shaft to be rotatably mounted on the mounting bracket 221, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the mounting bracket 221.

[0042] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the fixing bracket 40 is sleeved on the outside of the drive shaft 32 to shield the drive shaft 32. With this arrangement, the fixing bracket 40 can at least partially shield the drive shaft 32, thereby isolating the drive shaft 32 from other objects and preventing the drive shaft 32 from interfering with other components when it rotates.

[0043] It should be noted that the specific manner in which the drive shaft 32 is rotatably mounted on the fixed bracket 40 is not limited. It can be that an installation channel is directly opened at the fixed bracket 40, so that the drive shaft 32 can be rotatably mounted on the installation channel. Of course, a bearing can be set on the fixed bracket 40, so that the drive shaft 32 can be mounted on the bearing, etc., and no limitation is made here.

[0044] The installation method of the drive motor 10 is not limited. It can be directly installed on the mounting bracket 221 of the ball wheel moving mechanism 200, or directly installed on the outside of the fixed bracket 40, or an additional mounting structure can be set for the drive motor 10 to be installed, etc., which are not limited here.

[0045] In some embodiments, the drive assembly 100 includes a fixing plate 50 for mounting the drive motor 10 and the fixing bracket 40, and the fixing bracket 40 and the transmission belt 31 are respectively disposed on both sides of the fixing plate 50 in the thickness direction.

[0046] In the scheme of this embodiment, by setting the fixing plate 50, the drive motor 10 and the fixing bracket 40 can be installed on the fixing plate 50, thereby connecting the drive assembly 100 into a whole through the fixing plate 50. In the actual installation process, the fixing bracket 40 is directly installed on the mounting bracket 221 of the ball wheel movable mechanism 200 to complete the installation of the drive assembly 100. The whole installation process is relatively simple.

[0047] Furthermore, since the fixed bracket 40 and the transmission belt 31 are respectively located on both sides of the thickness direction of the fixed plate 50, the fixed bracket 40 and the transmission belt 31 are separated. On the one hand, this can avoid interference with the fixed bracket 40 when the transmission belt 31 moves. On the other hand, when the fixed bracket 40 is installed on the mounting bracket 221, the distance between the transmission belt 31 and the mounting bracket 221 can be made larger, thus avoiding interference with the mounting bracket 221 when the transmission belt 31 moves.

[0048] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the drive structure 20 is not limited. It can be in the form of rollers, or in the form of omnidirectional wheels, such as single-row omnidirectional wheels, multi-row omnidirectional wheels, etc., or in the form of Mecanum wheels, etc., and is not limited here.

[0049] In some embodiments, the drive structure 20 includes a double row of omnidirectional wheels.

[0050] It should be noted that since the ball wheel 211 is made of PU or rubber, if the drive structure 20 exerts a large pressure, the ball surface is easily damaged when going over bumps or other shaking and vibration scenarios. If a single-row omnidirectional wheel or single-row roller solution is used, the same force will result in a smaller contact area and greater pressure on the ball, meaning that the ball wheel 211 is more easily damaged.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, the drive structure 20 includes a double-row omnidirectional wheel. Compared with the single-row omnidirectional wheel solution, the contact area between the drive structure 20 and the ball wheel 211 is larger. Under the same driving force, the pressure per unit area is smaller, thereby preventing the ball wheel 211 from being damaged.

[0052] Specifically, an omnidirectional wheel refers to a roller that includes a hub and a driven swivel wheel. The outer circumference of the hub is evenly provided with three or more hub teeth, and a driven swivel wheel is installed between every two hub teeth. The radial direction of the driven swivel wheel is perpendicular to the tangent direction of the outer circumference of the hub. A double-row omnidirectional wheel refers to an omnidirectional wheel with two rows of hubs.

[0053] This utility model also proposes a ball wheel movable mechanism 200, which includes a ball wheel 211 and a drive component 100. The specific structure of the drive component 100 is as described in the above embodiments. Since this ball wheel movable mechanism 200 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0054] In the scheme of this embodiment, the drive component 100 includes the transmission component 30, and the transmission component 30 includes at least a transmission belt 31 to transmit power between the drive motor 10 and the drive structure 20 through the transmission belt 31. In this way, a portion of the impact load can be offset during the transmission of power by the transmission belt 31. Compared with the direct drive scheme of the motor, the impact load is smaller, avoiding damage to the surface of the ball wheel 211 when the impact load is large, and improving the long-term stability of the ball wheel moving mechanism 200.

[0055] In some embodiments, the ball wheel moving mechanism 200 further includes a mounting bracket 221, and multiple drive components 100 are provided, with the multiple drive components 100 mounted on the mounting bracket 221.

[0056] In the corresponding embodiment, by setting the mounting bracket 221 and mounting multiple drive components 100 on the mounting bracket 221, the assembly between the multiple drive components 100 and the ball wheel 211 can be achieved through the mounting bracket 221. Furthermore, the multiple drive components 100 jointly drive the ball wheel, which can effectively reduce the pressure on the contact surface during driving and prevent the ball wheel from being damaged.

[0057] Furthermore, in some embodiments, three drive components 100 are provided, and the spacing between any two drive components 100 is equal. That is, the central angle between any two drive components 100 is 120°. The symmetrically distributed drive components 100 at 120° can eliminate radial resultant force, and the load balance is significantly improved compared to the asymmetrically distributed omnidirectional wheels.

[0058] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5 Of course, in some embodiments, the ball wheel moving mechanism 200 may also be equipped with an anti-tipping component 210 to prevent it from tipping over during the movement.

[0059] This utility model also proposes a ball wheel moving device, which includes a ball wheel moving mechanism 200. The specific structure of the ball wheel moving mechanism 200 is as described in the above embodiments. Since this ball wheel moving device adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0060] Specifically, the ball wheel moving device can be a ball balancing robot, a ball horizontal screen moving platform, etc., and is not limited here.

[0061] The driving component 100, the ball wheel moving mechanism 200, and the ball wheel moving device provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A driving component, characterized in that, The drive assembly is used in the ball wheel moving mechanism, and the drive assembly includes: Drive motor; A drive structure for driving the ball wheel connected to the ball wheel movable mechanism; and, A transmission assembly that drives the drive motor and the drive structure, the transmission assembly including a transmission belt to transmit power between the drive motor and the drive structure via the transmission belt; The transmission assembly further includes a transmission shaft, and the transmission belt drives and connects the drive motor and the transmission shaft respectively; The drive structure is mounted on the transmission shaft; The drive assembly further includes a fixed bracket for rotatably mounting the drive shaft and for mounting to the mounting bracket of the ball wheel mechanism.

2. The driving component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive shaft and the drive motor are arranged radially upwards along the drive shaft.

3. The driving component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a fixing plate for mounting the drive motor and the fixing bracket, and the fixing bracket and the transmission belt are respectively located on both sides of the fixing plate in the thickness direction.

4. The driving component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive structure includes two rows of omnidirectional wheels.

5. A ball wheel movable mechanism, characterized in that, include: Ball wheel; A drive assembly that drives the ball wheel, and the drive assembly is the drive assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The ball wheel movable mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The ball wheel mechanism also includes a mounting frame, and multiple drive components are provided, with the multiple drive components mounted on the mounting frame.

7. The ball wheel movable mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The driving components are provided in three parts, and the spacing between any two of the three driving components is equal.

8. A ball wheel movable device, characterized in that, Includes the ball wheel moving mechanism as described in any one of claims 5 to 7.

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