CN213116907U

CN213116907U - Flexible driving device and flexible device with same

Info

Publication number: CN213116907U
Application number: CN202022064743.9U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 江楠; 张弘; 张学成; 曲绍兴
Original assignee: Institute of Flexible Electronics Technology of THU Zhejiang
Current assignee: Institute of Flexible Electronics Technology of THU Zhejiang
Priority date: 2020-09-18
Filing date: 2020-09-18
Publication date: 2021-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 2030-09-18

Abstract

The flexible driving device comprises a plurality of corrugated hoses and a control system, wherein the corrugated hoses are arranged along the circumferential direction of the flexible driving device by taking the same axis as the center, a connecting hole is formed in each corrugated hose, the inner cavities of the corrugated hoses are connected with the control system through the connecting holes, the control system controls the pressure in the inner cavities of the corrugated hoses, and the width of the corrugated hoses close to the axis direction is smaller than that of the corrugated hoses far away from the axis direction when viewed from the cross section perpendicular to the axis direction of the flexible driving device. The flexible driving device can be well adapted to the degree of freedom in any direction, and the loss of the output acting force is small.

Description

Flexible driving device and flexible device with same

Technical Field

The utility model belongs to the technical field of flexible technique and specifically relates to a flexible drive arrangement and have its flexible device.

Background

With the maturity of the robot technology, the application of the robot has started to be developed from a single repetitive operation mode to flexibility and high compatibility, and the driving device of each component in the robot is also developed to high flexibility, high adaptability and high reliability.

Most of flexible driving devices on the existing robot are formed by circumferentially and parallelly arranging a plurality of circular corrugated pipe flexible pipelines on the same axis, and the motions with super redundancy and infinite degrees of freedom are realized through pull wires, pressure control and other modes. When the motion, bellows flexible line can be through producing different deformation everywhere to make flexible drive arrangement produce the motion of axial or different side directions, however, when the motion, bellows flexible line different positions, as the effort that receives and the deformation that produces are all inequality towards the one side of the common axis of a plurality of bellows flexible line and the one side of keeping away from common axis, and the effort that circular shape bellows flexible line can't adapt to flexible drive arrangement production betterly, with deformation sooner.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of this, the utility model provides a flexible drive arrangement and have its flexible device, this flexible drive arrangement can adapt to the degree of freedom of arbitrary direction betterly, and the effort loss of output is less.

The utility model provides a flexible driving device, including a plurality of corrugated tube and control system, it is a plurality of corrugated tube uses same axis as the center, follows flexible driving device's circumference is arranged, every all be provided with a communicating hole on the corrugated tube, corrugated tube's inner chamber pass through the intercommunicating pore with control system links to each other, control system is right corrugated tube inner chamber's pressure is controlled, from the perpendicular to flexible driving device's axis direction sees, is close to the axis direction corrugated tube's width is less than and keeps away from the axis direction corrugated tube's width.

Furthermore, a plurality of corrugated hoses jointly enclose an accommodating channel, and the control system is arranged in the accommodating channel.

Furthermore, the corrugated hoses comprise an outer side surface far away from the axis of the flexible driving device, an inner side surface close to the axis of the flexible driving device and a connecting surface connected between the outer side surface and the inner side surface, the outer side surfaces of the corrugated hoses are all formed on the circumference of a circle with the circle center positioned on the axis of the flexible driving device, and the inner side surfaces of the corrugated hoses are all formed on the circumference of another circle with the circle center positioned on the axis of the flexible driving device.

Further, the corrugated hose has a fan shape in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the flexible driving device.

Furthermore, the corrugated hose comprises an outer side face far away from the axis of the flexible driving device, an inner side face close to the axis of the flexible driving device, and a connecting face connected between the outer side face and the inner side face, and each connecting face of the corrugated hose is contacted with the adjacent connecting face of the corrugated hose.

Further, flexible drive arrangement's both ends all are provided with first fixed plate and second fixed plate, be formed with interior snap ring on the first fixed plate, be formed with outer snap ring on the second fixed plate, outer snap ring cover is located on the lateral wall of corrugated pipe, interior snap ring support lean on in on the inside wall of corrugated pipe, corrugated pipe's tip clamp is located outer snap ring with between the interior snap ring.

Further, the control system is a hydraulic control system or a pneumatic control system.

The control system further comprises a controller, a positive pressure source, a negative pressure source and a plurality of reversing valves, each corrugated hose corresponds to one reversing valve, a communication hole of each corrugated hose is connected with the positive pressure source and the negative pressure source through one reversing valve, each reversing valve comprises a first working position and a second working position, when the reversing valve is in the first working position, the communication hole of the corrugated hose is communicated with the negative pressure source through the reversing valve, when the reversing valve is in the second working position, the communication hole of the corrugated hose is communicated with the positive pressure source through the reversing valve, and the controller changes the pressure in the corrugated hose by switching the working positions of the reversing valves and controlling the switching frequency.

Furthermore, each corrugated hose is internally provided with a pressure sensor connected with the controller, a positive pressure regulating valve connected with the controller is arranged between the positive pressure source and each reversing valve, a negative pressure regulating valve connected with the controller is arranged between the negative pressure source and the reversing valve, and the controller controls the positive pressure regulating valve and/or the negative pressure regulating valve according to the real-time pressure and the target pressure in the corrugated hose transmitted by the pressure sensor.

The utility model also provides a flexible device is established ties by a plurality of foretell flexible drive arrangement and is formed.

The utility model also provides a flexible device, including foretell flexible drive arrangement and set up in the base of flexible drive arrangement tip, flexible device is test platform.

The utility model also provides a flexible device, including foretell flexible drive arrangement, still be provided with base and holding surface at flexible drive arrangement's both ends, the holding surface supports the object of placing on it.

In summary, in the present invention, through the arrangement of the corrugated hose with the special shape, the width of the corrugated hose close to the axis direction is smaller than the width of the corrugated hose far away from the axis direction, i.e. seen from the axis direction perpendicular to the flexible driving device. The arrangement enables the corrugated hose far away from the axial direction to have a larger variation range under the same acting force, and not to offset too much acting force due to the deformation of the corrugated hose during the force application process.

The foregoing description is only an overview of the technical solutions of the present invention, and in order to make the technical means of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention may be implemented according to the content of the description, and in order to make the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following preferred embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible driving device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the flexible driving device in fig. 1 along the axial direction.

Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the flexible driving device in fig. 1, taken along a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the flexible driving device of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the flexible driving device of fig. 1 moving in an axial direction.

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural view of the flexible driving device in fig. 1 moving towards the side direction.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the control system in fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention adopted to achieve the intended purpose of the invention, the following detailed description is given with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

The utility model provides a flexible drive arrangement and have its flexible device, this flexible drive arrangement can adapt to the degree of freedom of arbitrary direction betterly, and the effort loss of output is less.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible driving device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a cross section of the flexible driving device in fig. 1 along an axial direction, fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a cross section of the flexible driving device in fig. 1 along a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, fig. 4 is an exploded structural diagram of the flexible driving device in fig. 1, fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the flexible driving device in fig. 1 during axial movement, fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the flexible driving device in fig. 1 during lateral movement, and fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a control system in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 1 to 7, the flexible driving device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of corrugated hoses 11 and a control system 12 for controlling the plurality of corrugated hoses 11, the plurality of corrugated hoses 11 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the flexible driving device 10 with the same axis as the center, each corrugated hose 11 is provided with a communication hole 111, the inner cavity of each corrugated hose 11 is connected to the control system 12 through the communication hole 111, the control system 12 controls the pressure in the inner cavity of the corrugated hose 11, and when viewed from the axis direction perpendicular to the flexible driving device 10, the width of the corrugated hose 11 close to the axis direction is smaller than the width of the corrugated hose 11 far away from the axis direction.

In the present embodiment, the control system 12 controls the pressure in the inner cavities of the corrugated hoses 11, so that the flexible driving device 10 provides a force in the axial direction or in the lateral direction, when the flexible driving device 10 provides a force in the lateral direction, such as in fig. 6, the right corrugated hose 11 contracts, the left corrugated hose 11 extends, and the whole flexible driving device 10 forms an arc shape. It is understood that, in order to form the above state, in the bellows hose 11 on the left side, the tube wall on the side away from the axis of the flexible driving unit 10 is extended, and the tube wall on the side close to the axis is compressed; in contrast, in the bellows tube 11 on the right side, the tube wall on the side away from the axis is compressed, and the tube wall on the side close to the axis is extended. Due to the different positions of the corrugated hoses 11 in the flexible driving device 10, the deformation amount of the pipe wall of the corrugated hose 11 close to the axis is smaller when the flexible driving device 10 changes the force application direction, and the deformation amount of the pipe wall of the corrugated pipe far from the axis is larger when the flexible driving device 10 changes the force application direction. The utility model discloses a setting of the corrugated tube 11 of dysmorphism, also see from the axis direction of perpendicular to flexible drive arrangement 10, from keeping away from the axis direction to being close to the axis direction, the width of the corrugated tube 11 that is close to the axis direction is less than the width of the corrugated tube 11 that keeps away from the axis direction. Such an arrangement enables the bellows 11 away from the axial direction to have a greater range of variation under the same applied force without offsetting much of the applied force due to deformation of the bellows 11 itself during the application of force.

Further, as shown in fig. 3, in the present embodiment, in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the flexible driving device 10, each of the corrugated hoses 11 includes an outer side surface 131 away from the axis of the flexible driving device 10, an inner side surface 132 close to the axis of the flexible driving device 10, and two connection surfaces 133 connecting between the outer side surface 131 and the inner side surface 132. It will be appreciated that the length of lateral side 131 is greater than the length of medial side 132.

The inner side surfaces 132 of the corrugated hoses 11 together define a receiving channel 14, and the related circuits of the control system 12 of the flexible driving device 10 are arranged in the receiving channel 14.

Further, the outer side surfaces 131 of the plurality of corrugated hoses 11 are all formed on the same circumference with the center located on the axis of the flexible driving unit 10, and the inner side surfaces 132 of the plurality of corrugated hoses 11 are also formed on the same circumference with the center located on the axis of the flexible driving unit 10.

In the present embodiment, each corrugated hose 11 has a substantially fan-shaped cross section perpendicular to the axis of the flexible driving unit 10. The number of the corrugated hoses 11 in the flexible driving device 10 may be 2, 3, 4 or more as required, while the number of the corrugated hoses 11 in the flexible driving device 10 shown in fig. 3 is 4.

The connecting surface 133 of each corrugated hose 11 is in contact with the connecting surface 133 of the adjacent corrugated hose 11, that is, the connecting surfaces 133 of a plurality of corrugated hoses 11 are in contact with each other to form a closed accommodating passage 14. In the present embodiment, the connecting surfaces 133 of two adjacent corrugated hoses 11 may be bonded to each other by an adhesive. While in other embodiments the plurality of corrugated hoses 11 may be one piece.

As shown in fig. 2 and 4, a first fixing plate 15 and a second fixing plate 16 are provided at both ends of the flexible drive device 10, an inner snap ring 151 is formed on the first fixing plate 15, and an outer snap ring 161 is formed on the second fixing plate 16. When the flexible driving device 10 is assembled, the end portion of the corrugated hose 11 extends into the outer snap ring 161, that is, the outer snap ring 161 is sleeved on the outer side wall of the end portion of the corrugated hose 11, the inner snap ring 151 abuts against the inner side wall of the end portion of the corrugated hose 11, and the end portion of the corrugated hose 11 is clamped between the outer snap ring 161 and the inner snap ring 151. The communication hole 111 communicates with a through hole 152 of an inner snap ring 151 at one of both ends of the bellows tube 11.

In the present embodiment, the inner snap rings 151 corresponding to all the corrugated hoses 11 are formed on the same first fixing plate 15, and the outer snap rings 161 corresponding to all the corrugated hoses 11 are formed on the same second fixing plate 16, so that when the first fixing plate 15 and the second fixing plate 16 are assembled on the corrugated hoses 11, the first fixing plate 15 and the second fixing plate 16 can combine all the corrugated hoses 11, and the driving direction of the flexible driving device 10 can be controlled by controlling the pressure in each of the corrugated hoses 11.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the control system in fig. 1, and as shown in fig. 7, in the present embodiment, the flexible driving device 10 can be driven by a hydraulic control system. At this time, the control system 12 includes a controller 121, a positive pressure source 122, a negative pressure source 123 and a plurality of directional control valves 124, each corrugated hose 11 corresponds to one directional control valve 124, the communication hole 111 of each corrugated hose 11 is connected to the positive pressure source 122 and the negative pressure source 123 through one directional control valve 124, that is, one end of the directional control valve 124 is connected to the communication hole 111 of the corresponding corrugated hose 11, and the other end is connected to the positive pressure source 122 and the negative pressure source 123, the directional control valve 124 has at least two working positions, when the directional control valve 124 is in the first working position, the communication hole 111 of the corrugated hose 11 is connected to the negative pressure source 123 through the directional control valve 124, and at this time, the liquid in the corrugated hose 11 can flow out from the corrugated hose 11; when the switching valve 124 is in the second operating position, the communication hole 111 of the bellows hose 11 is in communication with the positive pressure source 122 via the switching valve 124, and liquid can enter the bellows hose 11.

Since the flow rate of the liquid is high, during operation, the controller 121 may switch the operation positions of the reversing valves 124 corresponding to the respective corrugated hoses 11 at different frequencies, so as to allow the fluid in each corrugated hose 11 to flow in or out at the respective frequency, change the amount of the liquid stored in the corrugated hose 11, or keep the amount of the liquid stored in the corrugated hose 11 stable, which may cause the flexible driving apparatus 10 to generate high-frequency operation.

When the corrugated hoses 11 are not deflected and do not reach the extension limit, the flexible driving device 10 can be axially extended when the same amount of liquid flows into all the corrugated hoses 11; when the corrugated hoses 11 are in an extended state and in an undeflected state, the flexible driving device 10 can be contracted in the axial direction when the same amount of liquid flows out of all the corrugated hoses 11; in the state that the corrugated hoses 11 are not deflected, that is, in the state that the corrugated hoses 11 are expanded or contracted in the axial direction, when the amount of liquid flowing into or out of each corrugated hose 11 is different, the flexible driving device 10 can be deflected to different directions and exert force in different directions. By controlling the flow rate differently in each bellows 11, the flexible drive can be made to provide a specific direction of force as required.

Further, in this embodiment, the negative pressure source 123 may be connected to a normally open inlet of each directional valve 124, that is, when the flexible drive device 10 is not in any operation, the directional valve 124 is always in the first working position, and the liquid in the bellows hose 11 may flow out through the directional valve 124.

It is understood that various circuits and pipes within the control system 12 may be disposed within the receiving channel 14.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment of the present invention is substantially the same as the first embodiment, and has a difference in that, in this embodiment, the flexible driving device 10 can be controlled by the air pressure control system 12, and when the air pressure driving is performed, the structure of the control system 12 can be substantially the same as that of the hydraulic driving.

The positive pressure source 122 and the negative pressure source 123 are also connected to one of the bellows hoses 11 through a switching valve 124, and the movement state of the flexible drive device 10 is controlled by controlling the air pressure in each of the bellows hoses 11. In order to ensure the accuracy of the control, in the present embodiment, a pressure sensor 125 connected to the controller 121 is provided in each bellows tube 11, preferably at the communication hole 111 of each bellows tube 11, and the pressure sensor 125 detects the actual air pressure in the bellows tube 11 and transmits the air pressure information to the controller 121; a positive pressure regulating valve 126 is communicated between the positive pressure source 122 and each bellows tube 11, a negative pressure regulating valve 127 is communicated between the negative pressure source 123 and each bellows tube 11, and both the positive pressure regulating valve 126 and the negative pressure regulating valve 127 are connected to the controller 121. The controller 121 controls the corresponding positive pressure regulating valve 126 and/or negative pressure regulating valve 127 based on the actual air pressure in each bellows hose 11 and the target air pressure in each bellows hose 11 when the control is performed, so that the actual air pressure in the bellows hose 11 approaches the target air pressure more closely, thereby enabling the flexible drive device 10 to perform the movement more precisely.

It is understood that the related devices such as the pressure sensor 125, the positive pressure regulating valve 126 and the negative pressure regulating valve 127 can also be applied to the hydraulic control system.

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 9, the third embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible device, which is formed by connecting a plurality of flexible driving devices 10 in series, and the accommodating channels 14 of the flexible driving devices 10 are communicated with each other, so as to arrange components such as the electrical circuit, the gas-liquid pipeline, the sensor, the reversing valve 124, the pressure source and the controller 121 related to the flexible driving devices 10. By controlling the plurality of flexible driving means 10 individually, the flexible device can be made to obtain freedom of movement in any direction. The flexible device may be a robotic arm.

Fig. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 10, a fourth embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible device, which can be a testing platform, and includes a flexible driving device 10 and a base 21 disposed at an end of the flexible driving device 10. In testing, an object to be tested, such as a pressure sensor, may be placed on the end surface of the flexible driving device 10 or in the accommodating duct. By controlling the ripple driving device, the object to be measured can obtain pressure in any direction.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 11, in the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the flexible device can be a supporting platform, the supporting platform includes a plurality of parallel flexible driving devices 10, a base 21 and a supporting surface 22 are respectively connected to two ends of the parallel flexible driving devices 10, and the supporting surface 22 can support an object placed thereon. By controlling each flexible drive means 10, the support surface 22 can be tilted in any direction and has a large load capacity.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and although the present invention has been disclosed with the preferred embodiments, it is not limited to the present invention, and any skilled person in the art can make some modifications or equivalent changes without departing from the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible drive device, characterized by: the flexible driving device comprises a plurality of corrugated hoses and a control system, wherein the corrugated hoses are distributed along the circumferential direction of the flexible driving device by taking the same axis as the center, each corrugated hose is provided with a communicating hole, the inner cavity of each corrugated hose is connected with the control system through the communicating hole, the control system controls the pressure in the inner cavity of each corrugated hose, and the width of the corrugated hose close to the axis direction is smaller than the width of the corrugated hose far away from the axis direction when viewed from the cross section perpendicular to the axis direction of the flexible driving device.

2. The flexible drive of claim 1, wherein: the corrugated hoses jointly enclose an accommodating channel, and the control system is arranged in the accommodating channel.

3. The flexible drive of claim 1, wherein: the corrugated hose comprises an outer side face, an inner side face and a connecting face, wherein the outer side face is far away from the axis of the flexible driving device, the inner side face is close to the axis of the flexible driving device, the connecting face is connected between the outer side face and the inner side face, on the cross section perpendicular to the axis direction of the flexible driving device, the outer side faces of the corrugated hoses are formed on the circumference of a first circle, the circle center of the first circle is located on the axis of the flexible driving device, the inner side faces of the corrugated hoses are formed on the circumference of a second circle, and the circle center of the second circle is located on the axis of the flexible driving device.

4. The flexible drive of claim 1, wherein: the corrugated hose is fan-shaped in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the flexible driving device.

5. The flexible drive of claim 1, wherein: corrugated hose is including keeping away from the lateral surface of flexible drive arrangement's axis, being close to the medial surface of flexible drive arrangement's axis, and connect in the lateral surface with be connected the face between the medial surface, every corrugated hose's connection face all with adjacent corrugated hose's connection face contact.

6. The flexible drive of claim 1, wherein: the flexible driving device is characterized in that a first fixing plate and a second fixing plate are arranged at two ends of the flexible driving device, an inner snap ring is formed on the first fixing plate, an outer snap ring is formed on the second fixing plate, the outer snap ring is sleeved on the outer side wall of the end portion of the corrugated hose, the inner snap ring is abutted against the inner side wall of the end portion of the corrugated hose, and the end portion of the corrugated hose is clamped between the outer snap ring and the inner snap ring.

7. The flexible drive of claim 1, wherein: the control system is a hydraulic control system or a pneumatic control system.

8. The flexible drive of claim 7, wherein: the control system comprises a controller, a positive pressure source, a negative pressure source and a plurality of reversing valves, wherein each corrugated hose corresponds to one reversing valve, a communication hole of each corrugated hose is connected with the positive pressure source and the negative pressure source through one reversing valve, each reversing valve comprises a first working position and a second working position, when the reversing valve is positioned at the first working position, the communication hole of the corrugated hose is communicated with the negative pressure source through the reversing valve, when the reversing valve is positioned at the second working position, the communication hole of the corrugated hose is communicated with the positive pressure source through the reversing valve, and the controller controls the switching of the working positions and the switching frequency of the reversing valve.

9. The flexible drive of claim 8, wherein: each still be provided with in the bellows with the pressure sensor that the controller links to each other positive pressure source with each communicate between the switching-over valve have with the malleation governing valve that the controller links to each other negative pressure source with communicate between the switching-over valve have with the negative pressure governing valve that the controller links to each other, the controller is according to pressure sensor transmits real-time pressure and target pressure in the bellows are right malleation governing valve and/or negative pressure governing valve control.

10. A flexible device, characterized by: a plurality of the flexible driving devices of any one of claims 1 to 9 connected in series.

11. A flexible device, characterized by: the flexible driving device comprises the flexible driving device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 and a base arranged at the end of the flexible driving device, wherein the flexible device is a testing platform.

12. A flexible device, characterized by: the flexible driving device comprises a plurality of flexible driving devices connected in parallel and according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a base and a supporting surface are further arranged at two ends of each flexible driving device, and the supporting surface supports an object placed on the supporting surface.