CN113427480B

CN113427480B - Artificial muscle with physical sealing structure

Info

Publication number: CN113427480B
Application number: CN202110468256.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 邱智伟; 王文彪; 鲍官军
Original assignee: Zhejiang University of Technology ZJUT
Current assignee: Zhejiang University of Technology ZJUT
Priority date: 2021-04-28
Filing date: 2021-04-28
Publication date: 2023-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 2041-04-28
Also published as: CN113427480A

Abstract

The invention discloses an artificial muscle with a physical sealing structure, which comprises a pneumatic muscle module, and an air inlet module and a sealing module which are respectively arranged at two ends of the pneumatic muscle module; the air inlet module comprises an air inlet end cover, a first matching end cover which is in detachable sealing fit with the air inlet end cover, an air inlet head with one end in thread sealing fit with the first matching end cover and the other end in sealing fit with the pneumatic muscle module, and an air inlet channel is arranged in the air inlet module. The invention simplifies the mounting and dismounting processes of the pneumatic artificial muscle through the physical sealing structure and can greatly improve the sealing property of the pneumatic artificial muscle.

Description

Artificial muscle with physical sealing structure

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to an artificial muscle with a physical sealing structure.

Background

In recent years, with the development of scientific technology, research and operation in the field of robots have been rapidly advanced. One of the core components of robotics is the drive unit on the robot. The driving modes of the driving unit on the machine can be divided into rigid driving (such as a servo motor and the like) and flexible driving (such as a rope, a pneumatic artificial muscle and the like). For the target objects with large structural difference, complex shapes and easy damage, if a rigid driving mode is adopted, the risk of damaging the target objects can be caused, so that the flexible driving device is more widely used for the machines.

Because the pneumatic artificial muscle has the advantages of simple structure, light weight, large output force, large flexibility and the like, and because of the characteristics of low cost, cleanness, simple installation and the like of pneumatic transmission, the flexible driver of the pneumatic artificial muscle is widely applied to a plurality of fields of medical treatment, aerospace, bionics, man-machine cooperation and the like. However, due to the structural characteristics of the pneumatic artificial muscle, when the pneumatic artificial muscle is stretched and contracted, the friction between the woven meshes and the silicone tube, and the deformation of the silicone tube may have a certain influence on the sealing position of the pneumatic artificial muscle. After a period of use, the pneumatic artificial muscle becomes poor in sealing performance due to internal friction and deformation of the silicone tube. Therefore, the key point for manufacturing the pneumatic artificial muscle is to improve the tightness of the pneumatic artificial muscle.

The patent specification with the publication number CN105030389B discloses an intelligent pneumatic muscle based on a shape memory alloy spring, wherein a corrugated pipe, two support frames, 9 connecting thin springs and the shape memory alloy spring are sequentially arranged inwards on an elastic rubber pipe, and a woven mesh for binding is outwards arranged on the elastic rubber pipe; one end of the elastic rubber tube is outwards and sequentially provided with a front-end inner plug, a front-end outer plug, a front-end pneumatic connector and a front-end outer hoop; the other end of the elastic rubber tube is outwards and sequentially provided with a rear end inner plug, a rear end outer plug, a rear end pneumatic connector and a rear end outer hoop; the front end outer plug is provided with two air inlets, the rear end outer plug is provided with a central air outlet and an air outlet, the two support frames are provided with wire through holes, and wires are led out to lead the front end wires of the shape memory alloy spring into the rear end and lead out along with the central air outlet in the corrugated pipe, so that the shape memory alloy spring can be conveniently electrified and heated; the two support frames in the pneumatic muscle are connected with a front-end inner plug and a rear-end inner plug by nine thin springs, and the nine thin springs and the shape memory alloy spring are in a stretching state initially; two ends of the corrugated pipe are pressed and fixed by the front end inner plug, the front end outer plug, the rear end inner plug and the rear end outer plug; the elastic rubber tube and the outer layer woven net are sleeved on the front end outer plug and the rear end outer plug and then fixed by the front end outer hoop and the rear end outer hoop; the wire is provided with an insulating film to prevent short circuit.

In the above-mentioned scheme, the elastic rubber pipe and the braided network both ends of pneumatic muscle overlap respectively on outer choke plug, with outer clamp elastic rubber pipe and braided network with outer choke plug fixed together to sealed glue is applyed, thereby realize sealed to pneumatic muscle both ends, so the rubber pipe both ends seal up through clamp cooperation sealed glue, sealed effect is not good, and can only let in gaseous medium in the rubber pipe, can't let in other media.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide an artificial muscle with a physical sealing structure, which simplifies the mounting and dismounting processes of a pneumatic artificial muscle through the physical sealing structure and can greatly improve the sealing property of the pneumatic artificial muscle.

An artificial muscle with a physical sealing structure comprises a pneumatic muscle module, and an air inlet module and a sealing module which are respectively arranged at two ends of the pneumatic muscle module;

the air inlet module comprises an air inlet end cover, a first matching end cover in detachable sealing matching with the air inlet end cover, an air inlet head with one end in thread sealing matching with the first matching end cover and the other end in sealing matching with the pneumatic muscle module, and an air inlet channel is arranged in the air inlet module.

In the scheme, the pneumatic muscle module is sealed by arranging the air inlet module and the sealing module at two ends, so that the pneumatic muscle module is simple and convenient to install and easy to disassemble; can change pneumatic artificial muscle according to the demand of difference, when the inside gas leakage condition that appears of pneumatic artificial muscle, can detect and repair rapidly.

In addition, the air inlet head and the first matching end cover in the air inlet module adopt a thread matching mode, and the sealing degree of the pneumatic muscle module can be adjusted by adjusting the degree of the thread matching.

Preferably, the air inlet end cover comprises an air pipe connecting part and a first annular matching part, a first annular groove for the first annular matching part to extend into and a first threaded hole matched with the air inlet head are formed in the first matching end cover, and the air inlet head comprises a first head part matched with the pneumatic muscle module and a first threaded rod part matched with the first threaded hole.

The fixed knot between inlet end cover and first cooperation end cover constructs the effect that prevents the inlet end cover and drops.

Preferably, the closed module comprises a closed end cover, a second matching end cover detachably matched with the closed end cover in a sealing mode, and a closed head, wherein one end of the closed head is in threaded sealing fit with the second matching end cover, and the other end of the closed head is in sealing fit with the pneumatic muscle module.

The sealing head and the second matching end cover in the sealing module also adopt a thread matching mode, and the sealing degree of the pneumatic muscle module can be adjusted by adjusting the thread matching degree of the sealing head.

Preferably, the closed end cover comprises a second annular matching portion, a second annular groove for the second annular matching portion to extend into and a second threaded hole matched with the closed head are formed in the second matching end cover, and the closed head comprises a second head portion matched with the pneumatic muscle module and a second threaded rod portion matched with the second threaded hole.

The fixing structure between the closed end cover and the second matching end cover also plays a role in preventing the closed end cover from falling off.

Preferably, the first matching end cover and the second matching end cover are circumferentially provided with a plurality of clamping claws used for clamping the corresponding first annular matching part and the second annular matching part.

Preferably, the bottoms of the first annular groove and the second annular groove are provided with sealing gaskets, so that the air inlet end cover is in sealing fit with the first matching end cover and the closed end cover 1 is in sealing fit with the second matching end cover.

Preferably, the first head and the second head are both umbrella-shaped structures, so that the installation is convenient.

Preferably, the pneumatic muscle module comprises a silicone tube and a woven mesh woven on the outer wall of the silicone tube.

The invention has the beneficial effects that:

(1) The pneumatic muscle module is sealed by arranging the air inlet module and the sealing module at two ends, so that the pneumatic muscle module is simple and convenient to install and easy to disassemble; can change pneumatic artificial muscle according to the demand of difference, when the gas leakage condition appears in pneumatic artificial muscle inside, can detect and repair rapidly.

(2) The air inlet head in the air inlet module and the first matching end cover and the sealing head in the sealing module and the second matching end cover are in threaded matching, and the sealing degree of the pneumatic muscle module can be adjusted by adjusting the degree of threaded matching.

(3) Different types of media can be introduced into the pneumatic muscle module with high sealing performance according to different driving requirements, and the application range is wider

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the structure of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the air intake module;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the intake module assembly;

fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of the enclosure module.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 1-4, an artificial muscle with a physical sealing structure comprises a pneumatic muscle module 1, and an air inlet module 2 and a sealing module 3 respectively arranged at two ends of the pneumatic muscle module 1, wherein the pneumatic muscle module 1 comprises a silicone tube and a mesh grid woven on the outer wall of the silicone tube.

The air inlet module 2 comprises an air inlet end cover 21, a first matching end cover 22 and an air inlet head 23; specifically, the air inlet end cover 21 includes an air pipe connecting portion 211 and a first annular matching portion 212, a first annular groove 221 into which the first annular matching portion 212 extends and a first threaded hole 222 matched with the air inlet head 23 are provided on the first matching end cover 22, and the air inlet end cover 21 and the first matching end cover 22 are matched with the first annular groove 221 through the first annular matching portion 212 to realize detachable sealing connection; the air inlet head 23 comprises a first head part 231 matched with the pneumatic muscle module 1 and a first threaded rod part 232 matched with the first threaded hole 222, and the air inlet head 23 and the first matching end cover 22 are matched through the first threaded rod part 232 and the first threaded hole 222 to realize threaded sealing matching.

An air inlet channel is further arranged inside the air inlet module 2, and specifically, an air inlet 2111 is arranged on the air pipe connecting part 211; the first annular matching part 212 and the first matching end cover 22 are provided with hollow passages and are communicated with each other; the air inlet head 23 is also provided with a hollow channel; the intake ports 2111 communicate with the respective hollow passages described above to form intake passages.

The closing module 3 comprises a closing end cap 31, a second mating end cap 32 and a closing head 33; specifically, the end cap 31 includes a second annular matching portion 311, the second matching end cap 32 is provided with a second annular groove 321 into which the second annular matching portion 311 extends and a second threaded hole 322 matched with the sealing head 33, and the end cap 31 and the second matching end cap 32 are matched with each other through the second annular matching portion 311 and the second annular groove 321 to realize detachable sealing connection; the closing head 33 comprises a second head part 331 matched with the pneumatic muscle module 1 and a second threaded rod part 332 matched with the second threaded hole 322, and the closing head 33 and the second matching end cover 32 are matched through the second threaded rod part 332 and the second threaded hole 322 to realize threaded sealing matching.

In this embodiment, four jaws 223 distributed in a circumferential array are disposed on each of the first mating end cap 22 and the second mating end cap 32 in the circumferential direction, when the air inlet end cap 21 is assembled with the first mating end cap 22 and the closed end cap 31 is assembled with the second mating end cap 32, the first annular mating portion 212 and the second annular mating portion 311 penetrate through the centers of the four jaws 223, and the four jaws 223 are deformed outward, and after the first annular mating portion 212 and the second annular mating portion 311 are assembled, the four jaws 223 are reset and clamped on the end bosses of the first annular mating portion 212 and the second annular mating portion 311.

In this embodiment, the bottoms of the first annular groove 221 and the second annular groove 321 are provided with sealing gaskets, so as to ensure the sealing engagement between the air inlet end cover 21 and the first mating end cover 22, and between the closing end cover 31 and the second mating end cover 32.

In this embodiment, the first head 231 of the intake head 23 and the second head 331 of the closing head 33 are both umbrella-shaped structures, which is convenient for installation.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in the embodiments and/or modifications of the invention can be made, and equivalents and modifications of some features of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An artificial muscle having a physical seal, comprising: the pneumatic muscle module comprises a pneumatic muscle module, and an air inlet module and a sealing module which are respectively arranged at two ends of the pneumatic muscle module;

the air inlet module comprises an air inlet end cover, a first matching end cover in detachable sealing fit with the air inlet end cover and an air inlet head, one end of the air inlet head is in threaded sealing fit with the first matching end cover, the other end of the air inlet head is in sealing fit with the pneumatic muscle module, and an air inlet channel is arranged in the air inlet module;

the air inlet end cover comprises an air pipe connecting part and a first annular matching part, a first annular groove for the first annular matching part to extend into and a first threaded hole matched with the air inlet head are formed in the first matching end cover, and the air inlet head comprises a first head part matched with the pneumatic muscle module and a first threaded rod part matched with the first threaded hole.

2. The artificial muscle having a physical sealing structure according to claim 1, wherein: the closed module comprises a closed end cover, a second matched end cover which is detachably matched with the closed end cover in a sealing mode, and a closed head, wherein one end of the closed head is in threaded sealing fit with the second matched end cover, and the other end of the closed head is in sealing fit with the pneumatic muscle module.

3. The artificial muscle having a physical sealing structure according to claim 2, wherein: the closed end cover includes the annular cooperation portion of second, be provided with the confession on the second cooperation end cover the annular recess of second that the annular cooperation portion of second stretched into and with closed head complex second screw hole, the closed head include with pneumatic muscle module complex second head and with second screw hole complex second screw thread pole portion.

4. An artificial muscle having a physical sealing structure according to claim 3, wherein: first cooperation end cover and second cooperation end cover all set up a plurality of jack catchs that are used for blocking corresponding first annular cooperation portion and the annular cooperation portion of second in the week.

5. An artificial muscle having a physical sealing structure according to claim 3, wherein: and sealing gaskets are arranged at the bottoms of the first annular groove and the second annular groove.

6. An artificial muscle having a physical sealing structure according to claim 3, wherein: the first head and the second head are both umbrella-shaped structures.

7. The artificial muscle having a physical sealing structure according to claim 1, wherein: the pneumatic muscle module comprises a silicone tube and a woven mesh woven on the outer wall of the silicone tube.