CN117863209A - Linear motion actuator, multi-mode miniature brake and robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a linear motion actuator, a multi-mode miniature brake and a robot. The linear motion actuator comprises a plurality of motion actuating bodies and a plurality of actuating bodies, wherein the plurality of motion actuating bodies are sequentially stacked along a first direction, each motion actuating body is provided with a first end part and a second end part which are oppositely arranged along a second direction, and the first end part of one of the two adjacent motion actuating bodies is connected with the second end part of the other one of the two adjacent motion actuating bodies through the actuating bodies; the actuator body can generate recoverable deformation under external stimulus, and the motion actuator body connected with the actuator body can move along the second direction under the driving of the deformation generated by the actuator body. The multi-mode miniature brake provided by the invention can replace a plurality of groups of series connection link mechanisms and executing mechanisms of the electrically-variable intelligent material combination, and solves the problems of small output stroke, poor maintenance and expansibility, single function, difficult control and the like of the intelligent material brake.

Description

Linear motion actuators, multi-modal micro brakes and robots

Technical Field

The present invention particularly relates to a linear motion actuator, a multi-modal micro brake and a robot, and belongs to the technical field of micro brakes, rotators and aircraft actuators.

Background technique

Micro brakes are mostly used in the field of micro robots. They are the terminal actuators of robots, and their performance quality directly determines the system capabilities of micro robots. Traditional motor brakes and pneumatic brakes have complex structures due to their actuation principles and need to be matched with corresponding control circuits or modules, making it difficult to achieve miniaturization and lightweight.

In recent years, in order to solve the lightweight and large-load micro-driving capabilities of intelligent micro-robots, a number of new intelligent materials that meet the requirements of electrodeformation, such as electroexpansion type deformation, electrothermal deformation, electropiezoelectric deformation, and electromagnetism deformation, have gradually been applied. Among them, electroexpansion type deformation materials mainly include electroexpansion ceramics (PZT), electrocontractile composite materials (SMA), etc.; electrothermal deformation materials mainly include thermally controllable potentiometers (TEC), thermally controllable resistors (TR), thermally controllable insulators (TIR), etc.; electropiezoelectric deformation materials mainly include electropiezoelectric deformation materials (EDM), electropiezoelectric composite materials (ECM), etc.; electromagnetism deformation materials mainly include electromagnetically controllable insulators (EMIR), electromagnetically controllable ferrites (EMM), and electromagnetically controllable composites (EMC). They ultimately generate driving force through electrodeformation, thereby driving the mechanism to achieve braking, rotation, and other capabilities.

However, in actual use, it is found that although the actuators of the existing technical solutions have made great progress in volume and mass compared with traditional motors and pneumatic brakes, they are still difficult to meet the requirements of miniaturization, lightness, large drive, and fast response of micro-robots in terms of travel, driving ability, response time, etc., and the driving function is single. Therefore, the existing smart material micro-brakes still face many challenges in the application of micro-bionic robots (especially bionic flapping-wing aircraft, etc.).

For example, the pulley traction method: memory alloy wire is used to drive the gear plate to drive multi-stage gears, trying to replace the motor/servo with a smaller space to obtain a larger rotation angle. Problems: The laminated structure is complex, maintenance is difficult, and the output load capacity is weak; limited by the length of the memory alloy wire, the actual rotation angle is also difficult to guarantee. Multi-strand smart material series-parallel traction method: A single combination of smart materials such as memory alloy wire is used to connect, and a larger driving force and driving stroke are achieved through multi-strand deformation conduction. Problems: The brake response time is long. This type of solution exchanges the number of smart materials for driving force and driving stroke, and the required power consumption is large.

In summary, most of the existing lightweight micro-actuators are designed with motor braking solutions, which are driven by gears and have complex structures, large energy losses, and are difficult to miniaturize. The rotation angle can be increased through a speed change mechanism, but the rotation torque is small, the output torque is low, the load capacity is weak, and an additional mechanism is required to realize the rotation function; and the solution using memory alloy wire as the power source makes the actuator respond slowly due to the thermal deformation mechanism, the change range is single, and the load capacity is weak, which makes it difficult to meet the needs of higher frequency multi-point or multi-angle use.

Summary of the invention

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a linear motion actuator, a multi-modal micro brake and a robot, thereby overcoming the deficiencies in the prior art.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned invention object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention includes:

In one aspect, the present invention provides a linear motion actuator, comprising a plurality of motion execution bodies and a plurality of actuating bodies.

A plurality of the motion executing bodies are stacked in sequence along a first direction, each of the motion executing bodies has a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other along a second direction, and the first end of one of two adjacent motion executing bodies and the second end of the other are connected via the actuating body;

The actuating body can generate a restorable deformation under external stimulation, and the motion execution body connected thereto can move along a second direction driven by the deformation generated by the actuating body, and the second direction intersects with the first direction.

On the other hand, the present invention also provides a multi-modal micro brake, comprising: a linear output mechanism, a rotary output mechanism, a transmission mechanism and the linear motion actuator, wherein the linear motion actuator is simultaneously connected to the linear output mechanism and the rotary output mechanism via the transmission mechanism, and when the linear motion actuator moves along the second direction, the linear output mechanism can be driven to perform linear motion, and at the same time, the rotary output mechanism is driven to perform rotary motion.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a robot, wherein the terminal actuator of the robot includes the linear motion actuator or the multi-modal micro brake.

Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention include:

A multimodal micro brake provided by the present invention overcomes the contradiction between the low energy efficiency ratio, output force and repeated response frequency of electrotropic smart materials through ingenious structural design. Under the low-voltage (5V-12V) power supply at the rear end, it drives several actuators formed by electrotropic smart materials to contract together, thereby increasing the rotation angle and linear displacement distance and having excellent output torque.

The present invention provides a multi-modal micro brake, which replaces the motor and other braking devices in the traditional rotator with an actuator body formed of a plurality of adjustable and controllable electrotropic smart materials. The force output by the linear motion actuator is directly transmitted to the output shaft, avoiding the energy loss caused by the transmission system such as gears, and greatly saving physical space and weight.

The control of a multi-modal micro brake provided by the present invention is simple and convenient. When power is on, the actuator contracts and the rotary motion output mechanism rotates forward. When power is off, the coil spring does work and the rotary motion output mechanism reverses. In actual use, a pulse width modulation signal is input to realize the switching of the electronic circuit through the driving circuit board, thereby driving the brake to perform rotation and linear motion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a multi-modal micro brake provided in a typical implementation case of the present invention;

FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a multi-modal micro brake provided in a typical implementation case of the present invention;

FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an exploded structure of a multi-modal micro brake provided in a typical implementation case of the present invention;

FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a rotating body in a multi-modal micro brake provided in a typical implementation case of the present invention;

FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a transmission mechanism in a multi-modal micro brake provided in a typical implementation case of the present invention;

FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a rotating output shaft in a multi-modal micro brake provided in a typical implementation case of the present invention;

FIG7 is a side view of a core structure of a linear motion actuator provided in a typical embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of A-A in Fig. 7;

9a and 9b are respectively a bottom view and a top view of a core structure of a linear motion actuator provided in a typical implementation case of the present invention.

Detailed ways

In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the inventor of this case has proposed the technical solution of the present invention after long-term research and extensive practice. The technical solution, its implementation process and principle will be further explained as follows.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a linear motion actuator, comprising a plurality of motion execution bodies and a plurality of actuating bodies.

A plurality of the motion executing bodies are stacked in sequence along a first direction, each of the motion executing bodies has a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other along a second direction, and the first end of one of two adjacent motion executing bodies and the second end of the other are connected via the actuating body;

The actuating body can generate a restorable deformation under external stimulation, and the motion execution body connected thereto can move along a second direction driven by the deformation generated by the actuating body, and the second direction intersects with the first direction.

Furthermore, the directions of deformation of the actuating bodies between any two of the motion executing bodies are the same.

Furthermore, the plurality of actuating bodies are arranged in parallel.

Furthermore, two adjacent motion execution bodies are connected via one actuating body.

Furthermore, the first end or the second end of each of the motion executing bodies is connected to only one of the actuating bodies.

Furthermore, the plurality of motion executing bodies and the plurality of actuating bodies are alternately arranged in sequence along the first direction, and the plurality of motion executing bodies are sequentially connected end to end via the plurality of actuating bodies to form a folding structure.

Furthermore, the actuator is formed of electrotropic, thermotropic, phototropic or mechanotropic smart materials.

Furthermore, the linear motion actuator also includes an excitation source, which is used to apply stimulation to the actuator to cause the actuator to produce the deformation. Exemplarily, when the actuator is formed of an electrotropic smart material, the excitation source is a power source.

In a more specific embodiment, the actuator is formed of an electrovariable smart material, the motion actuator is a conductive structure, the motion actuator is electrically connected to the actuator, and an insulator is provided on at least one side surface of the motion actuator, and two adjacent motion actuators are electrically isolated by the insulator.

Furthermore, in the first direction, the first motion actuator and the last motion actuator are electrically connected to a driving circuit board, and the driving circuit board is electrically connected to an external power source. More specifically, in the first direction, the first motion actuator and the last motion actuator are respectively connected to the driving circuit board through flexible wires, and then connected to an external power source. The driving circuit board can be configured with different driving circuits according to the number of motion actuators and the electrical properties of the actuators, so as to realize the conversion of external power and signals to the power required by the actuators.

Furthermore, the linear motion actuator also includes: a substrate, a positioning pin is provided on the substrate, a guide hole extending along the second direction is provided on the motion actuator, the positioning pin is arranged in the guide hole of the motion actuator, the diameter of the positioning pin is smaller than the width of the guide hole, and the positioning pin is also electrically connected to the driving circuit board, when the positioning pin and the motion actuator move relative to each other along the second direction, the positioning pin can electrically contact the first side wall and the second side wall of the guide hole, and the first side wall and the second side wall are relatively arranged along the second direction.

Furthermore, the second direction is the length direction of the motion execution body.

On the other hand, the present invention also provides a multi-modal micro brake, comprising: a linear output mechanism, a rotary output mechanism, a transmission mechanism and the linear motion actuator, wherein the linear motion actuator is simultaneously connected to the linear output mechanism and the rotary output mechanism via the transmission mechanism, and when the linear motion actuator moves along the second direction, the linear output mechanism can be driven to perform linear motion, and at the same time, the rotary output mechanism is driven to perform rotary motion.

Furthermore, the transmission mechanism includes a linear connection component and a rotational connection component, one end of the linear connection component is connected to the linear motion actuator, and the other end is connected to the linear output mechanism, one end of the rotational connection component is connected to the linear motion actuator, and the other end is connected to the rotational output mechanism, and the rotational output mechanism can rotate around its own axis.

Furthermore, the rotating connection component is fixedly connected to the linear connection component, and the linear connection component is fixedly connected to at least one of the motion execution bodies.

Furthermore, the linear connection component is fixedly connected to the first motion execution body or the last motion execution body.

Furthermore, the rotational output mechanism includes a rotational output shaft and a reset mechanism, the rotational connection component and the reset mechanism are respectively connected to the rotational output shaft, and the rotational output shaft can rotate around its own axis, wherein the rotational connection component and the linear motion actuator are used to provide a first force that causes the rotational output shaft to rotate toward a first rotational direction, and the reset mechanism is used to provide a second force that causes the rotational output shaft to rotate toward a second rotational direction, and the first rotational direction and the second rotational direction are opposite.

Furthermore, the reset mechanism is an elastic mechanism, and the second force is an elastic force provided by the reset mechanism itself.

Furthermore, the reset mechanism includes a coil spring.

Furthermore, the rotating connection component is a flexible connection component.

Furthermore, the linear connecting component is a rigid connecting component.

Furthermore, the linear output mechanism includes a linear output shaft.

Furthermore, the multi-modal micro brake also includes a housing, the transmission mechanism and the linear motion actuator are encapsulated in the housing, and at least a portion of the linear output mechanism and the rotary output mechanism extends out of the housing.

Furthermore, a baffle is provided inside the shell, and the linear output mechanism and the rotary output mechanism are isolated in two different spaces by the baffle.

Furthermore, one end of the reset mechanism is fixedly connected to the housing, and the other end is fixedly connected to the rotation output shaft.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a robot, wherein the terminal actuator of the robot includes the linear motion actuator or the multi-modal micro brake.

Furthermore, the terminal actuator includes a plurality of the multi-modal micro-brakes, and the plurality of the multi-modal micro-brakes are connected in series and/or in parallel and/or in cascade.

Furthermore, the terminal actuator has a single degree of freedom or multiple degrees of freedom.

Furthermore, the robot includes a bionic robot, and the terminal actuator is any one of the hands, feet, wings, and wing parts of the bionic robot.

Furthermore, the linear motion actuator or the multi-modal micro brake serves as a joint structure of the terminal actuator.

Furthermore, the robot is a bionic flapping-wing aircraft.

Furthermore, the robot is a micro robot.

The technical solution, its implementation process and principle will be further explained below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the electrotropic, thermotropic, phototropic or mechanotropic smart materials used in the present invention are known to those skilled in the art and can be purchased commercially without limitation to their specific product models.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 3, a multi-modal micro brake includes a shell and a linear output mechanism 8, a rotary output mechanism, a transmission mechanism 5 and a linear motion actuator 6 encapsulated in the shell, wherein a portion of the linear output mechanism 8 and the rotary output mechanism are exposed to the outside of the shell or extend from the shell, and the linear motion actuator 6 is simultaneously connected to the linear output mechanism 8 and the rotary output mechanism through the transmission mechanism 5. When the linear motion actuator 6 outputs a linear motion drive, the linear output mechanism 8 and the rotary output mechanism can be driven by the linear motion actuator 6 at the same time, wherein the linear output mechanism 8 is driven to perform a linear motion, and the rotary output mechanism is driven to perform a rotary motion.

Specifically, the linear output mechanism 8, the rotary output mechanism and the housing are all movably matched. Specifically, the linear output mechanism 8 can make a linear motion along its own axial direction (i.e., axial direction) relative to the housing, and the rotary output mechanism can make a rotational motion around its own axis relative to the housing. More specifically, the linear motion direction of the linear output mechanism 8 is parallel to the direction of the linear motion drive output by the linear motion actuator 6, and the rotation axis direction of the rotary motion of the rotary output mechanism intersects with the direction of the linear motion drive output by the linear motion actuator 6. In particular, the rotation axis direction of the rotary motion of the rotary output mechanism is perpendicular to the direction of the linear motion drive output by the linear motion actuator 6.

Specifically, the linear output mechanism 8 includes a linear output shaft, a portion of which extends out from the housing, and the other portion of which is transmission-connected to the linear motion actuator 6 via the transmission mechanism 5 .

Specifically, the rotary output mechanism includes a rotary body 3, a rotary output shaft 4 and a reset mechanism 7. The rotary body 3 is fixedly matched with the rotary output shaft 4, and the rotary output shaft 4 is rotationally matched with the housing. The rotary body 3 is not directly connected to the housing, and the rotary body 3 can rotate around the rotary output shaft 4. The reset mechanism 7 is fixedly connected to the housing and the rotary body 3 respectively. The rotary body 3 is also transmission-connected to the linear motion actuator 6 via the transmission mechanism 5. The rotary body 3 can rotate under the joint action of the reset mechanism 7 and the linear motion actuator 6; more specifically, the linear motion actuator 6 is used to provide a first force to rotate the rotary body 3 toward a first rotation direction through the rotary connection component 501, and the reset mechanism 7 is used to provide a second force to rotate the rotary body 3 toward a second rotation direction. The first rotation direction and the second rotation direction are opposite. It should be noted that the rotary body 3 and the rotary output shaft 4 are fixedly connected, and the two can move synchronously. Therefore, the force applied to the rotary body 3 is equivalent to the force applied to the rotary output shaft 4.

Specifically, the reset mechanism is an elastic mechanism, and the second force is the elastic force provided by the reset mechanism itself. Exemplarily, the reset mechanism includes a coil spring, which can be sleeved on the rotating output shaft 4, and a positioning hole 302 for connecting the coil spring to the rotating body 3 is provided.

Specifically, the rotary output shaft 7 and the rotating body 3 may be integrally formed, or they may be combined by a fixed connection. More specifically, taking the combination of the rotary output shaft 7 and the rotating body 3 by a fixed connection as an example, a mounting hole matching the rotary output shaft 7 is provided on the rotating body 3, a part of the rotary output shaft 7 is provided in the mounting hole of the rotating body 3, a plurality of bosses distributed at intervals are provided on the circumferential side surface of the rotary output shaft 7, a plurality of slots 303 distributed at intervals are provided on the hole wall of the mounting hole, and the bosses on the rotary output shaft 7 can be correspondingly embedded in the slots 303 on the hole wall of the mounting hole, so that the rotary output shaft 7 and the rotating body 3 can rotate synchronously. Of course, the bosses may also be provided on the hole wall of the mounting hole, and the slots may also be provided on the circumferential side surface of the rotary output shaft 7.

Specifically, an axial hole is also provided on the shell, and both ends of the rotary output shaft 7 are correspondingly arranged in the axial holes of the shell and maintain rotational cooperation with the axial holes. The axial hole can position/limit the rotary output shaft 7 to prevent the rotary output shaft 7 from being offset or tilted during rotation. In order to better achieve rotational cooperation between the rotary output shaft 7 and the shell, a bearing or other structure can be further provided between the rotary output shaft 7 and the axial hole to reduce the friction between the rotary output shaft 7 and the shell.

More specifically, the housing may include a first shell 1 and a second shell 2, the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 are connected by a detachable structure, the linear output mechanism 8, the rotary output mechanism, the transmission mechanism 5 and the linear motion actuator 6 are encapsulated between the first shell 1 and the second shell 2, and in order to avoid motion interference between the linear output mechanism 8 and the rotary output mechanism, a baffle is also provided on the first shell 1 and/or the second shell 2, and the baffle isolates the linear output mechanism 8 and the rotary output mechanism in two independent spaces; more specifically, the baffle and the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 are enclosed to form a first driving space and a second driving space isolated from each other, and the linear output mechanism 8 and the rotary output mechanism are respectively encapsulated in the first driving space and the second driving space, thereby preventing external debris from entering the interior of the device and interfering with the movement.

Specifically, please refer to Figures 4 to 6. The transmission mechanism 5 is mainly used to transmit the drive provided by the linear motion actuator 6 to the linear output mechanism 8 and the rotary output mechanism. Accordingly, the transmission mechanism 5 includes a rotary connection component 501 and a linear connection component 502. One end of the linear connection component 502 is connected to the linear motion actuator 6, and the other end is fixedly connected to the linear output shaft of the linear output mechanism 8. One end of the rotary connection component 501 is connected to the linear motion actuator 6, and the other end is fixedly connected to the rotating body 3 of the rotary output mechanism.

It can be understood that the rotating connection component 501 and the linear connection component 502 can be connected to the linear motion actuator 6 independently of each other. Of course, the rotating connection component 501 and the linear connection component 502 can also be fixedly connected. The rotating connection component 501 and the linear connection component 502 respectively correspond to the rotating connection part and the linear connection part of the transmission mechanism. That is, it can be understood that the rotating connection component 501 and the linear connection component 502 are fixedly connected, and the fixedly connected parts of the two are directly fixedly connected to the linear motion actuator 6.

Specifically, a connecting through hole is provided on the rotating connection component 501, and a column 301 is provided on the circumferential rotating surface of the rotating body 3. The column 301 is arranged in the connecting through hole, and at least the radial dimension of the end of the column 301 away from the rotating body 3 is larger than the aperture of the first connecting through hole, so as to ensure that the column 301 will not escape from the connecting through hole and cause the rotating connection component 501 to be separated from the rotating body 3; of course, the rotating connection component 501 can also be fixedly connected with the rotating body 3 through other connecting structures. Specifically, the connecting structure/method of the linear connecting component 502 and the linear motion output shaft can be the same as the connecting structure/method of the rotating connection component 501 and the rotating body 3.

Specifically, the rotating connection component 501 is a flexible connection component formed of a soft material to achieve the purpose of driving the rotating body 3 to rotate, and the linear connection component 502 is a rigid connection component formed of a hard material to directly drive the linear output shaft to move.

Specifically, please refer to FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 9a, and FIG. 9b. The linear motion actuator 6 includes a driving circuit board (i.e., the aforementioned substrate) 604, a fixing plate 605, a plurality of motion actuators 606, and a plurality of actuating bodies 601. The substrate 605 is fixedly disposed on the driving circuit board 604. The plurality of motion actuators 606 and the plurality of actuating bodies 601 are alternately stacked on the driving circuit board 604 in sequence along a first direction. Each motion actuator 606 has a first end and a second end that are disposed opposite to each other along a second direction. The first end of one of the two adjacent motion actuators 606 and the second end of the other are connected to each other through the actuating body 601. Connection, that is, multiple motion actuators 606 and multiple actuators 601 are alternately stacked in sequence along a first direction and connected end to end to form a folded structure, the actuator 601 can produce a recoverable deformation under external stimulation, and the motion actuator 606 connected thereto can move along a second direction driven by the deformation generated by the actuator 601, wherein the last/topmost motion actuator of the principle driving circuit board is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism 5, the first direction is the stacking direction of the multiple motion actuators 606 and the multiple actuators 601, the second direction is the length direction of the motion actuator 606, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other.

It should be noted that since the driving circuit board 604 has electronic components at a certain height, the fixing plate 605 is mainly used to electrically isolate the driving circuit board 604 and the motion actuator, and to smoothly contact the motion actuator and the insulator, so that the stacked motion actuators can achieve parallel movement when contracted. In addition, the fixing plate 605 is also mounted on the positioning pin 602, which can increase the structural strength of the positioning pin 602 to a certain extent, and buffer the inertial force during actuation overshoot, etc.

Specifically, the direction of deformation produced by the actuator 601 between any two motion actuators 606 is the same, and the plurality of actuators 601 are preferably arranged in parallel; more specifically, two adjacent motion actuators 606 are connected via one actuator 601, that is, the first end or the second end of each motion actuator 606 is connected to only one actuator 601. It can be understood that any two adjacent motion actuators 606 and an actuator 601 located between the two motion actuators 606 are connected to form a Z-shaped structure. When the actuator 601 is stimulated and deformed, the motion actuator 606 can be pulled to translate along its own length direction. When multiple actuators 601 are stimulated and deformed at the same time, multiple motion actuators 606 can be pulled to translate along their own length direction at the same time. The displacement produced by each motion actuator 606 along the second direction is very small, but the displacements of multiple motion actuators 606 will be superimposed, so that the linear motion actuator 6 outputs the required displacement output.

Specifically, the linear motion actuator 6 is arranged in the shell along the first direction, and positioning holes are provided at the four top corners of the driving circuit board 604. Studs are provided in the positioning holes. The driving circuit board 604 is fixedly connected to the shell via the studs to limit the movement of the driving circuit board in the parallel direction. In the first direction, the folding structure formed by multiple motion execution bodies 606 and multiple actuators 601 is restricted between the shells.

Specifically, the actuator 601 is formed of an electro-variable intelligent material, the motion actuator 606 is a conductive structure, and the motion actuator 606 is electrically connected to the actuator 601, wherein the first motion actuator among the multiple motion actuators 606, a motion actuator in the middle area, and the last/topmost motion actuator are electrically connected to the driving circuit board 604 via a flexible electrical connection line (such as a copper wire) 603, and the driving circuit board 604 is electrically connected to a power supply. Specifically, the first motion actuator is electrically connected to the positive connection terminal on the driving circuit board 604, the last motion actuator is electrically connected to the negative connection terminal on the driving circuit board 604, and a motion actuator in the middle area is electrically connected to the detection terminal on the driving circuit board 604. The power supply can apply electrical excitation to the multiple actuators 601 via the driving circuit board 604, and the detection terminal on the driving circuit board 604 can detect whether the actuator 601 is retracted into place.

It should be noted that the motion actuator 606 and the actuator 601 are both sheet-like components. The first motion actuator refers to the one closest to the driving circuit board, and the last motion actuator is the one farthest from the driving circuit board. In addition, the actuator can also be formed of thermotropic, phototropic or mechanotropic smart materials.

Specifically, at least one side surface of the motion actuator 606 is further provided with an insulator 607 , and two adjacent motion actuators 606 are electrically isolated by the insulator 607 . It should be noted that the insulator 607 can be regarded as an insulating layer fixedly bonded to the surface of the motion actuator 606 .

Specifically, a positioning pin 602 is provided on the substrate 605 or the driving circuit board 604, and a guide hole extending along the second direction is provided on the motion execution body 606 and the actuator 601. The positioning pin 602 is arranged in the guide hole, and the diameter of the positioning pin 602 is smaller than the width of the guide hole. In addition, the positioning pin is also electrically connected to the driving circuit board 604. When the positioning pin and the motion execution body 606 move relative to each other along the second direction, the positioning pin 602 can electrically contact the first side wall and the second side wall of the guide hole. The first side wall and the second side wall are arranged relatively to each other along the second direction. When multiple motion execution bodies 606 are retracted into place, the positioning pin 602 electrically contacts the first side wall or the second side wall of the guide hole of the actuator 601 and the motion execution body 606, so that the motion execution body 606, the actuator 601 and the detection resistor/circuit on the driving circuit board 604 are connected, and the receipt of the in-place prompt is triggered (the circuit outputs a voltage signal to the outside for the detection point, and a chip LED diode can also be set).

The working process of a multi-modal micro brake provided by the present invention at least includes:

At the initial moment (no power is supplied), the actuator 601 is in an extended state. After power is supplied, the multiple actuators 601 contract simultaneously, and the contraction displacement of each actuator 601 is very short, so the response speed is very fast. The actuator 601 formed by the electrotropic smart material contracts when powered on, driving each layer of the motion actuator 606 and the insulator 607 to move. Since a plurality of actuators 601 can be provided, the displacements of the multiple actuators 601 are superimposed, so the rotation angle is further increased, and the rotating body 3 is driven to rotate and the linear output shaft is driven to move through the transmission mechanism 5, and the coil spring 7 is tightened;

During reverse rotation, the actuator 601 is powered off, the coil spring 7 is relaxed to drive the rotating body 3 and the rotating output shaft 4 to rotate in the reverse direction, and the transmission mechanism 5 pushes the linear output shaft to move until the coil spring 7 is completely relaxed.

Reciprocating motion, the detection end can detect the stretching state of the actuator 601. When the detection end detects that the actuator 601 has contracted to the limit, it will disconnect the circuit and relax the actuator 601. When the actuator 601 relaxes to the limit, it will connect the circuit again to achieve reciprocating motion. The reciprocating motion can be turned off by disconnecting the detection end.

The multi-modal micro brake provided by the present invention can be used as a micro rotary servo (brake) or a micro linear servo (brake) separately, and is suitable for the application of various electric-driven thermo-variable, photo-variable, force-variable and other new intelligent materials such as drivers, brakes, rotators, etc., wherein the electro-variable intelligent material part can be replaced by any functional material with controllable and measurable shrinkage deformation. In addition, the multi-modal micro brake provided by the present invention can be connected in series, parallel, and cascaded to become a multi-degree-of-freedom brake of points, lines, and surfaces (including curved surfaces), and can be used as a single or multi-degree-of-freedom joint mechanism such as the hands, feet, and wings of a bionic robot by replacing the brake housing.

A multimodal micro brake provided by the present invention can replace the motor part of traditional servos and rotators, can achieve miniature lightness, and has both rotational drive and linear drive functions. It can be used separately as a micro rotary servo and a micro linear servo, and can be suitable for the application of various electric-driven thermotropic, phototropic, force-induced and other new intelligent material drivers, brakes, rotators, etc. The electrotropic intelligent material part that forms the actuator can be replaced by any functional material with controllable and measurable contraction deformation.

The present invention provides a multimodal micro brake based on smart materials, which can replace several groups of series connecting rod mechanisms and actuators combined with electrotropic smart materials, solves the problems of small output stroke, poor maintenance and scalability, single function (linear/rotational), difficult control, etc. of smart material brakes, and has shape memory effect, superelasticity and high damping.

A multimodal micro brake provided by the present invention overcomes the contradiction between the low energy efficiency ratio, output force and repeated response frequency of electrotropic smart materials through ingenious structural design. Under the low-voltage (5V-12V) power supply at the rear end, it drives several actuators formed by electrotropic smart materials to contract together, thereby increasing the rotation angle and linear displacement distance and having excellent output torque.

The multi-modal micro brake provided by the present invention replaces the motor and other braking devices in the traditional rotator with an actuator formed of a plurality of adjustable and controllable electro-variable smart materials. The force output by the linear motion actuator is directly transmitted to the output shaft, avoiding the energy loss caused by the transmission system such as gears, and greatly saving physical space and weight. At the same time, the control of the multi-modal micro brake provided by the present invention is simple and convenient. When the power is on, the actuator shrinks, and the rotary motion output mechanism rotates forward. When the power is off, the coil spring works, and the rotary motion output mechanism reverses. Therefore, only the on-off control circuit is needed to realize the two braking output forms of rotation and linear.

It should be understood that the above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable people familiar with the technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and they cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A linear motion actuator, characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of motion execution bodies and a plurality of actuating bodies, A plurality of the motion executing bodies are stacked in sequence along a first direction, each of the motion executing bodies has a first end and a second end arranged opposite to each other along a second direction, and the first end of one of two adjacent motion executing bodies and the second end of the other are connected via the actuating body; The actuating body can generate a restorable deformation under external stimulation, and the motion execution body connected thereto can move along a second direction driven by the deformation generated by the actuating body, and the second direction intersects with the first direction. 2. The linear motion actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that the direction of deformation of the actuating body between any two of the motion actuators is the same; And/or, a plurality of the actuating bodies are arranged in parallel. 3. The linear motion actuator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: two adjacent motion execution bodies are connected via one actuating body; and/or the first end or the second end of each motion execution body is connected to only one actuating body; And/or, the plurality of motion executing bodies and the plurality of actuating bodies are alternately arranged in sequence along the first direction, and the plurality of motion executing bodies are sequentially connected end to end via the plurality of actuating bodies to form a folding structure. 4. The linear motion actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: the actuator body is formed of electrotropic, thermotropic, phototropic or mechanotropic smart materials; And/or, the linear motion actuator further includes an excitation source, and the excitation source is used to apply a stimulus to the actuating body to cause the actuating body to generate the deformation. 5. The linear motion actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: the actuator body is formed of an electrovariable smart material, the motion actuator is a conductive structure, the motion actuator is electrically connected to the actuator body, and at least one side surface of the motion actuator is further provided with an insulator, and two adjacent motion actuators are electrically isolated by the insulator; And/or, in the first direction, the first motion executing body and the last motion executing body are electrically connected to a driving circuit board, and the driving circuit board is electrically connected to an external power supply. 6. The linear motion actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that it further comprises: a substrate, a positioning pin is arranged on the substrate, a guide hole extending along the second direction is arranged on the motion actuator, the positioning pin is arranged in the guide hole of the motion actuator, the diameter of the positioning pin is smaller than the width of the guide hole, and the positioning pin is also electrically connected to the driving circuit board, when the positioning pin and the motion actuator move relative to each other along the second direction, the positioning pin can be in electrical contact with the first side wall and the second side wall of the guide hole, and the first side wall and the second side wall are arranged relatively along the second direction; Preferably, the current output structure and the current input structure are arranged on the substrate; Preferably, the second direction is the length direction of the motion execution body. 7. A multimodal micro brake, characterized in that it comprises: a linear output mechanism, a rotary output mechanism, a transmission mechanism and a linear motion actuator as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the linear motion actuator is simultaneously connected to the linear output mechanism and the rotary output mechanism through the transmission mechanism, and when the linear motion actuator moves along the second direction, the linear output mechanism can be driven to perform linear motion, and at the same time, the rotary output mechanism is driven to perform rotary motion. 8. The multi-modal micro brake according to claim 7, characterized in that: the transmission mechanism comprises a linear connection component and a rotary connection component, one end of the linear connection component is connected to the linear motion actuator, and the other end is connected to the linear output mechanism, one end of the rotary connection component is connected to the linear motion actuator, and the other end is connected to the rotary output mechanism, and the rotary output mechanism can rotate around its own axis; And/or, the rotating connection component is fixedly connected to the linear connection component, and the linear connection component is fixedly connected to at least one of the motion execution bodies; And/or, the linear connection component is fixedly connected to the first motion execution body or the last motion execution body. 9. The multi-modal micro brake according to claim 8, characterized in that: the rotation output mechanism comprises a rotation output shaft and a reset mechanism, the rotation connection component and the reset mechanism are respectively connected to the rotation output shaft, the rotation output shaft can rotate around its own axis, wherein the rotation connection component and the linear motion actuator are used to provide a first force to rotate the rotation output shaft toward a first rotation direction, and the reset mechanism is used to provide a second force to rotate the rotation output shaft toward a second rotation direction, and the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction are opposite; And/or, the reset mechanism is an elastic mechanism, and the second force is the elastic force provided by the reset mechanism itself; and/or, the reset mechanism comprises a coil spring; And/or, the rotating connection component is a flexible connection component; And/or, the linear connecting component is a rigid connecting component; And/or, the linear output mechanism comprises a linear output shaft; And/or, the multi-modal micro brake further comprises a housing, the transmission mechanism and the linear motion actuator are encapsulated in the housing, and at least a portion of the linear output mechanism and the rotary output mechanism extends out of the housing; And/or, a baffle is further provided inside the housing, and the linear output mechanism and the rotary output mechanism are separated into two different spaces by the baffle; And/or, one end of the reset mechanism is fixedly connected to the housing, and the other end is fixedly connected to the rotation output shaft. 10. A robot, characterized in that: the terminal actuator of the robot comprises a linear motion actuator as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 or a multi-modal micro brake as described in any one of claims 7 to 9; Preferably, the terminal actuator comprises a plurality of the multi-modal micro brakes, and the plurality of the multi-modal micro brakes are connected in series and/or in parallel and/or in cascade; Preferably, the terminal actuator has a single degree of freedom or multiple degrees of freedom; Preferably, the robot comprises a bionic robot, and the terminal actuator is any one of the hand, foot, wing, and wing portion of the bionic robot; Preferably, the linear motion actuator or the multi-modal micro brake serves as the joint structure of the terminal actuator; Preferably, the robot is a bionic flapping-wing aircraft; Preferably, the robot is a micro robot.