CN116477299B - Flexible transmission unit for flexible manipulator and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a flexible transmission unit and control method for a flexible manipulator. The flexible transmission unit module is connected by a spherical pair, and has a groove wheel mechanism with an adjustable diameter inside, and an adjustable belt conveyor manipulator module. The groove wheel mechanism is used to change the gripping diameter of the manipulator, and the motor drives the roller to convey and store materials. The present invention is powerful and can realize the transportation and storage of canned beverages of different sizes, convey multiple materials at a time, and has the advantages of storability, high efficiency, high adaptability, etc.

Description

A flexible transmission unit and control method for a flexible manipulator

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of robotic arms, and in particular to a flexible transmission unit and a control method for a flexible robotic arm.

Background technique

Today's highly intelligent factories can achieve fully automated unmanned operation. This high level of intelligence places extremely high demands on equipment. In addition, some intelligent factory production lines have different products on one production line, and different processes are used for different products. This operation is a flexible processing method that is no longer constrained by the product's structure, shape, size, processing requirements, etc. It can adopt a suitable processing path. It is an excellent processing method for each product, and the manufacturing cost for the factory is relatively small.

After a series of evolutions, flexible manipulators have gradually entered people's field of vision. Compared with rigid manipulators, flexible manipulators have a more flexible movement mode, similar to the trunk of an elephant, the tentacles of an octopus, and the body of a snake. They are manipulators with infinite joints superimposed on each other. Rigid manipulators are similar to human arms. They are manipulators composed of rigid joints. During the movement process, they are restricted by the movement of joints and need to be programmed to achieve related movements. In its engineering, it is also necessary to consider whether there will be movement interference between joints.

Usually, a rigid manipulator is used to perform alternating grabbing actions. This operation mode is relatively time-consuming. Since only one material can be transported at a time, the manipulator needs to swing back and forth, which is a kind of wear and tear on the machine body. It is more complicated and time-consuming to transport materials multiple times or grab materials in multiple positions.

The patent number currently published is "CN103753524A", and the name is "an adaptive grasping soft manipulator imitating octopus hands and grasping method thereof". The manipulator mainly includes tentacles, air pipes, electrical proportional valves, strain gauges and solenoid valves. The tentacles imitate the shape of octopus tentacles and are irregular long conical strips. There are tentacles with larger diameter protrusions at the ends of the tentacles. There are groups of ellipsoidal pressure regulating cavities evenly distributed inside the tentacles. There are main air paths along the axial direction inside the tentacles. Through the feedback of the strain gauge signal and the coordination between the solenoid valve and the electrical proportional valve, the spherical pressure regulating cavity can produce different shape changes, thereby controlling the bending of the tentacles. By controlling multiple groups of pressure regulating cavities, the object can be wound. The invention has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, has high adaptability, and can grasp objects of various shapes. Since the invention can only grasp objects one by one and cannot transport multiple objects at a time, the transportation efficiency is low, and the operation is cumbersome and inconvenient.

The patent number currently published is "CN110405804A" and the name is "Bionic squid tentacles to achieve food sorting function of the manipulator". The manipulator includes a skeleton support structure, a shell, a mechanical tail, a bionic suction cup and a control system. The skeleton support structure includes a number of base plates and a number of spherical universal joint couplings. The spherical universal joint couplings are embedded in the center of the corresponding base plate. The tip of the mechanical structure frame is provided with a camera. The shell includes the tail end of the shell and the head end of the shell. The tail end of the shell is provided with a conical hole, and the head end of the shell is provided with a circular through hole. The skeleton support structure is embedded in the circular through hole, and the mechanical tail is embedded in the conical hole. The mechanical tail and the skeleton support structure are connected in the form of a rotating pair through a spherical universal joint coupling. It has the advantages of high sensitivity, high precision, high adaptability and reliability. The invention also grabs materials one by one through external transmission, and the transmission efficiency is low. And its grabbing method uses a suction cup type, which has high requirements for the working environment.

Summary of the invention

Purpose of the invention: The present invention is to solve the problem of the transmission of bottled and canned materials of different sizes between different production lines, and propose a flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator. In addition, in view of the low transmission efficiency of existing manipulators, a manipulator with internal transmission is proposed to greatly improve the transmission efficiency.

Technical solution: A flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator of the present invention comprises a plurality of flexible transmission unit modules, a plurality of roller conveying mechanisms, and a pull rope driving module; the flexible transmission unit module comprises a ball bearing, a flexible unit support frame, a large spur gear, a small spur gear roller meshing with the large spur gear, a guide plate, and a micro reduction motor for driving the small spur gear to rotate; the ball bearing is connected between the ball bearing mounting rings, and the flexible unit support frame is located between the ball bearing mounting rings; the large spur gear and the small spur gear are installed on the flexible unit support frame, and a circular groove plate is fixed on the large spur gear, a circular through opening is provided in the center of the groove plate, and a plurality of arc grooves gradually approaching the circular through opening from the outside to the inside are also provided on the groove plate, the roller conveying mechanism and the large spur gear are respectively located on the front and back sides of the groove plate, and the roller conveying mechanism is located between the groove plate and the guide plate; a straight groove cooperating with the roller conveying mechanism is provided on the guide plate, and the straight groove extends outward from the center of the guide plate in the radial direction;

The roller conveying mechanism includes a protective sheet metal, a roller installed in the protective sheet metal, a roller driving device for driving the roller to rotate, a first guide column located on one surface of the protective sheet metal and passing through the arc groove, and a second guide column located on the other surface of the protective sheet metal and passing through the straight groove; the rollers of the plurality of roller conveying mechanisms all face the center and are distributed around the circular through opening; when the large spur gear is driven to rotate by the small spur gear, the groove plate rotates forward or reversely with the large spur gear to guide the roller conveying mechanism to move inward or outward along the arc groove;

The pull-rope drive module is installed behind the flexible transmission unit module. The pull-rope drive module and the servo motor are connected via a diaphragm coupling, and the servo motor drives the pull-rope drive module to achieve movement.

Preferably, the roller conveying mechanism further includes a micro motor, roller fixing plates are provided on both sides of the protective sheet metal, the roller is located between the roller fixing plates, and the micro motor drives the roller to rotate.

Preferably, the flexible unit support frame is a triangular plate, wherein the three corners thereof pass through the spherical bearings respectively, and the flexible unit support frame is located as a whole between the spherical bearing mounting rings and is not connected to the spherical bearing mounting rings.

Preferably, six rope friction mechanisms are provided on the flexible unit support frame, and two of the rope friction mechanisms are evenly distributed at three corners of the flexible unit support frame; the rope friction mechanism includes a friction wheel, a friction mechanism bracket, and a roller bracket; the friction wheel is installed on the roller bracket through a bearing, and the roller bracket is installed on the friction mechanism bracket through a screw; the flexible transmission unit modules are connected into an integral rope drive structure by ropes that are sequentially sleeved on each rope friction mechanism; and the rope drive module is driven by a servo motor to realize movement.

Preferably, the conveying structure includes the micro motor, a motor fixing plate, a plum blossom coupling, a guide block, a roller fixing plate, and a gear; the micro motor is mounted on the motor fixing plate by screws, and the motor fixing plate, the roller fixing plate and the protective sheet metal are connected by screws; the plum blossom coupling connects the micro motor and the gear transmission shaft; the gear is located between the rollers, and the micro motor drives the gear to rotate, thereby driving the roller to rotate.

Preferably, the guide block is welded to the protective sheet metal.

Preferably, the guide blocks are connected via screws and washers.

Preferably, each flexible unit module is connected at adjacent ball shoe mounting rings by screws.

Preferably, the servo motor is connected to a ball screw.

Preferably, when the material is transported to the flexible transmission unit module, the micro reduction motor drives the groove plate to move to adjust the appropriate conveying diameter; then the micro motor drives the roller to realize material transportation; finally, the rope is passed through each rope friction mechanism and finally connected to the rope head mounting plate of the rope drive module, and the support plate of the rope drive module is moved through the movement of different servo motors to realize rope pulling, so that the ball shell is deformed to drive the entire robotic arm to swing in multiple directions.

Beneficial effects:

(1) The present invention can transport materials to the flexible transmission unit and store them by the forward rotation of the motor in the unit conveying mechanism. The material transmission direction can be determined by controlling the forward or reverse rotation of the motor to achieve internal transportation, which greatly improves the transportation efficiency and can be used for material transportation of different production lines. The manipulator is equipped with multiple rope friction mechanisms, which have great friction and ensure the safety and accuracy of the operation of the manipulator.

(2) The conveying mechanism is composed of a micro-reduction motor, a plum blossom coupling, a spur gear, and a roller. The grooved wheel mechanism is a two-stage gear set structure. The micro-reduction motor and the gear transmission drive the roller to rotate to complete the material conveying. The roller is a friction wheel with an aluminum alloy as the base. A layer of silicone is wrapped on the outer layer of the wheel to increase the friction force, so as to realize the material conveying inside the robot arm and improve the efficiency.

(3) The rope drive module consists of a servo motor, a diaphragm coupling, a ball screw, a flanged linear bearing, a guide shaft, and a rope connecting plate. The ball screw has higher precision, speed, and efficiency than the trapezoidal screw, and moves by rolling friction, ensuring smooth movement of the entire mechanism. The ball screw is driven by the servo motor to rotate, and the linear direction is driven by the guide shaft and linear bearing, which drives the rope connecting plate to control the length of the rope to make the entire robot arm swing and achieve flexible control.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a bionic flexible manipulator with internal conveying function according to the present invention;

FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator according to the present invention;

FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a grooved wheel mechanism of a flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator according to the present invention;

FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible transmission unit conveying mechanism for a flexible manipulator of the present invention;

FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a rope friction mechanism of a flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator according to the present invention.

Detailed ways

In order to further understand the content of the present invention, the present invention is described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

First embodiment:

In conjunction with Figures 1, 2 and 3, a flexible transmission unit module of a bionic flexible manipulator with an internal conveying function in this embodiment, the ball shoe 9 is connected between the ball shoe mounting ring 2-1 by screws, the groove plate 2-2 is welded on the large spur gear 2-3, the guide block 11-5 is stuck between the guide plate 2-8 and the groove plate 2-2 to form a groove wheel mechanism, the guide plate 2-8 and the flexible unit support frame 2-4 are connected by screws, the large spur gear 2-3 and the small spur gear 2-5 form a gear transmission, and the small spur gear 2-5 is driven by the micro motor 2-9 at the gear to make the groove wheel mechanism operate. The unit conveying mechanism is moved under the restriction of the guide plate 2-8 through the groove wheel mechanism to control the diameter of the conveying in the manipulator. Each flexible transmission unit module 2 is connected by screws.

Continuing with FIG4, the micro motor 11-1 is mounted on the motor fixing plate 11-2 by screws, and the motor fixing plate 11-2, the roller fixing plate 11-6 and the protective sheet metal 11-4 are connected by screws. The plum blossom coupling 11-3 connects the micro motor 11-1 and the gear transmission shaft, and the guide block 11-5 is welded on the protective sheet metal 11-4. The micro motor 11-1 rotates to drive the gear system so that the roller 2-7 rotates to realize the transportation of materials, and the roller 2-7 provides a large friction force to ensure the transportation and storage of materials.

Continuing with FIG5 , the rope friction mechanism 10 is composed of a friction mechanism frame 12-1, a friction wheel 12-2, and a roller bracket 12-3. The rope friction mechanism 10 is mounted on the flexible unit bracket 2-4 by screws, the friction wheel 12-2 is mounted on the roller bracket 12-3 by bearings, and the roller bracket 12-3 is mounted on the friction mechanism frame 12-1 by screws. The rope friction mechanism 10 is in contact with three sides of the rope, providing greater stability and safety. Six rope friction mechanisms 10 are evenly distributed on each flexible transmission unit module 2 to ensure greater friction.

Installation method of flexible transmission unit:

S1. The flexible unit bracket 2-4 and the ball bearing mounting ring 2-1 are connected by screws, the flexible unit support frame 2-4 and the guide plate 2-8 are connected by screws, the gasket 2-6 is connected to the guide block 11-5 by screws, the guide block 11-5 is stuck between the guide plate 2-8 and the groove plate 2-2, the groove plate 2-2 is welded on the large spur gear 2-3, the small spur gear 2-5 is connected to the micro motor 2-9, the large spur gear 2-3 and the small spur gear 2-5 form a gear transmission, and the micro motor 2-9 at the gear drives the small gear to make the groove wheel mechanism run.

S2. The guide block 11-5 is welded on the protective sheet metal 11-4, the motor fixing plate 11-2, the roller fixing plate 11-6 and the protective sheet metal 11-4 are connected by screws, the plum blossom coupling 11-3 connects the micro motor 11-1 and the gear transmission shaft, and the roller 2-7 is clamped on the gear 11-7. The rope friction mechanism 10 is installed on the flexible unit bracket 2-4 by screws, the friction wheel 12-2 is installed on the roller bracket 12-3 through a bearing, and the roller bracket 12-3 is installed on the friction mechanism frame 12-1 by screws. The ball bearing 9 is connected between the ball bearing mounting rings 2-1 by screws, and each flexible transmission unit module 2 is installed with 6 rope friction mechanisms 10, and each flexible unit module 2 is connected at the adjacent ball bearing mounting rings 2-1 by screws.

S3. The pull rope drive module is installed behind the flexible transmission unit module 2, and the flexible transmission unit module 2 is connected through ropes and various rope friction mechanisms 10. The entire pull-up drive module is installed on the pull rope drive module support plate 4 by screws, and the pull rope drive module 3 is driven by the servo motor 5 to achieve movement. The pull rope drive module 3 and the servo motor 5 are connected by a diaphragm coupling.

The method of use of this embodiment is as follows: the material is transported to the flexible transmission unit module 2, and the micro reduction motor 2-9 at the gear drives the groove plate 2-2 to move to adjust the conveying diameter in the mechanical arm. The micro motor 11-1 drives the roller 2-7 to realize the material conveying in the mechanical arm.

The rope driving module mainly controls the swing of the entire robot arm by pulling up the rope. The rope passes through each rope friction mechanism 10 from the adjustable belt conveyor robot module and is finally connected to the rope head mounting plate. The rope is pulled up by controlling the movement of different servo motors to control the operation of the rope driving module support plate. The ball shoe 9 is deformed by the stretching of the rope, so that the entire robot arm swings in multiple directions.

The flexible transmission unit of this embodiment is mainly installed vertically on the top mounting plate, and is driven by a rope to realize the overall bending and swinging motion. After swinging to the required conveying position, the adjustable belt conveyor flexible transmission unit module starts to operate to convey the canned materials. Material handling of upper and lower production lines and two production lines in a small range can be realized. For the handling of upper and lower production lines, the flexible transmission unit can directly transfer the materials to the required position through the forward rotation of the motor. For the handling of two production lines in a small range, the materials can be first stored in the flexible transmission unit through the forward rotation of the motor, and the forward rotation of the motor transports the materials to the required position, which greatly improves the conveying efficiency.

A flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator of the present invention has a simple structure, high efficiency, and powerful functions. It can realize the transportation of canned beverages of different sizes and convey multiple materials at a time. The materials pass through the manipulator and have the advantages of storability, high efficiency, and high adaptability.

The above is a schematic description of the present invention and its implementation methods, which is not restrictive. The drawings show only one implementation method of the present invention, and the actual structure is not limited thereto. Therefore, if a person skilled in the art is inspired by it and does not deviate from the purpose of the invention, he or she can design a structure and an embodiment similar to the technical solution without creativity, which should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (8)

1. A flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator, comprising a plurality of flexible transmission unit modules (2), a plurality of roller conveying mechanisms, and a pull rope driving module (3); the flexible transmission unit module (2) comprises a ball shoe (9), a flexible unit support frame (2-4), a large spur gear (2-3), a small spur gear (2-5) meshing with the large spur gear (2-3), a roller, a guide plate (2-8), and a micro reduction motor (2-9) for driving the small spur gear (2-5) to rotate; the ball shoe (9) is connected between ball shoe mounting rings (2-1), the flexible unit support frame (2-4) is located between the ball shoe mounting rings (2-1), and each flexible transmission unit module (2) is connected between adjacent ball shoe mounting rings by screws. The large spur gear (2-3) and the small spur gear (2-5) are connected at the mounting ring (2-1); the large spur gear (2-3) and the small spur gear (2-5) are installed on the flexible unit support frame (2-4); the circular groove plate (2-2) is fixed on the large spur gear (2-3); a circular through hole is provided in the center of the groove plate (2-2); the groove plate (2-2) is also provided with a plurality of arc grooves which gradually approach the circular through hole from the outside to the inside; the roller conveying mechanism and the large spur gear (2-3) are respectively located on the front and back sides of the groove plate (2-2); and the roller conveying mechanism is located between the groove plate (2-2) and the guide plate (2-8); the guide plate (2-8) is provided with a straight groove which cooperates with the roller conveying mechanism, and the straight groove extends outward from the center of the guide plate (2-8) along the radial direction; The roller conveying mechanism comprises a protective sheet metal (11-4), a roller (2-7) installed in the protective sheet metal (11-4), a roller driving device for driving the roller to rotate, a first guide column located on one surface of the protective sheet metal (11-4) and passing through the arc groove, and a second guide column located on the other surface of the protective sheet metal (11-4) and passing through the straight groove; the rollers (2-7) of the plurality of roller conveying mechanisms all face the center and are distributed around the circular through opening; when the large straight gear (2-3) is driven to rotate by the small straight gear (2-5), the groove plate (2-2) rotates forward or reversely along with the large straight gear (2-3) so that the roller conveying mechanism moves inward or outward along the arc groove guide; The pull-wire drive module (3) is installed after the flexible transmission unit module (2), and the pull-wire drive module (3) and the servo motor (5) are connected via a diaphragm coupling, and the servo motor (5) drives the pull-wire drive module (3) to move. 2. According to claim 1, the flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator is characterized in that the roller conveying mechanism also includes a micro motor (11-1), roller fixing plates (11-6) are provided on both sides of the protective sheet metal (11-4), the roller (2-7) is located between the roller fixing plates (11-6), and the micro motor (11-1) drives the roller (2-7) to rotate through gear transmission. 3. According to claim 1, the flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator is characterized in that the flexible unit support frame (2-4) is a triangular plate, and the three corners of the triangular plate pass through the ball bearings (9) respectively, and the flexible unit support frame (2-4) is located as a whole between the ball bearing mounting rings (2-1) and is not connected to the ball bearing mounting rings (2-1). 4. The flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator according to claim 3 is characterized in that six rope friction mechanisms (10) are provided on the flexible unit support frame (2-4), and two of the rope friction mechanisms (10) are evenly distributed at three corners of the flexible unit support frame (2-4); the rope friction mechanism (10) includes a friction wheel (12-2), a friction mechanism frame (12-1), and a roller bracket (12-3); the friction wheel (12-2) is installed on the roller bracket (12-3) through a bearing, and the roller bracket (12-3) is installed on the friction mechanism frame (12-1) through screws; the flexible transmission unit module (2) is connected to an integral rope drive structure by ropes sequentially sleeved on each rope friction mechanism (10); and the rope pull drive module (3) is driven by a servo motor (5) to achieve movement. 5. The flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator according to claim 2 is characterized in that the conveying structure includes the micro motor (11-1), a motor fixing plate (11-2), a plum blossom coupling (11-3), a guide block (11-5), a roller fixing plate (11-6), and a gear (11-7); the micro motor (11-1) is mounted on the motor fixing plate (11-2) by screws, and the motor fixing plate (11-2), the roller fixing plate (11-6) and the protective sheet metal (11-4) are connected by screws; the plum blossom coupling (11-3) connects the micro motor (11-1) and the gear transmission shaft; the gear (11-7) is located between the rollers (2-7), and the micro motor (11-1) drives the gear (11-7) to rotate, thereby driving the roller (2-7) to rotate. 6. The flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator according to claim 5, characterized in that the guide block (11-5) is welded on the protective sheet metal (11-4). 7. The flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator according to claim 6, characterized in that the guide block (11-5) is connected by screws and gaskets (2-6). 8. A control method for a flexible transmission unit for a flexible manipulator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that when the material is transported to the flexible transmission unit module (2), the small spur gear (2-5) and the large spur gear (2-3) are driven to rotate by the micro reduction motor (2-9), and the groove plate (2-2) rotates forward or reversely with the large spur gear (2-3) to make the roller conveying mechanism move inward or outward along the arc groove guide to adjust the appropriate conveying diameter; then the micro motor (11-1) drives the roller (2-7) to realize material transportation; finally, a rope is used to pass through each rope friction mechanism (10) and finally connected to the rope head mounting plate of the rope drive module (3), and the rope drive module support plate (4) is moved by the movement of different servo motors (5) to realize rope pulling, so that the ball shoe (9) is deformed to drive the entire manipulator to swing in multiple directions.