KR20150053396A - Underwater cleaning robot - Google Patents

Abstract

An underwater cleaning robot is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the underwater cleaning robot comprises: a frame; two driving units which have a driving wheel to come in contact with a cleaning target surface and a traveling driving part to drive the driving wheel and are separately installed on both sides of the frame; a steering unit including a steering wheel to control the moving direction of the frame and a steering driving part to drive the steering wheel; a cleaning unit which is installed on the frame between the steering unit and the two driving units to be elevated and includes a cleaning brush to clean the outer side of the cleaning target surface by rotating; a cover member which is elevated along with the cleaning brush and covers the top and the circumference of the cleaning brush to cover a front circumferential part traveling forward; a distance detection sensor to detect a distance from the cover member to the cleaning target surface; an electromagnet which adjusts the magnetic force and is installed on one side of the cover member to make the cover member come in contact with the cleaning target surface; and a control unit to adjust the height of the cover member and the cleaning brush by adjusting the magnetic force of the electromagnet on the basis of the distance detected by the distance detection sensor.

Description

UNDERWATER CLEANING ROBOT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an underwater cleaning robot capable of cleaning foreign matter on the outer surface while traveling along the bottom or side of a ship in water.

Since the ship is operated with the lower side being immersed in water, aquatic organisms such as water moss, barnacle, etc. may be attached to the bottom or side of the water. As such, foreign matter adhering to the hulls acts as a resistance when the ship is operating, thereby lowering the speed and increasing the fuel consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to remove it through periodic cleaning.

Conventionally, in order to remove foreign matter adhered to the hull, the ship was moved to a dock on the land, and the operator then cleaned the hull by spraying high-pressure washing water on the outer surface of the hull. This method, however, not only took a long time due to the process of transferring the hull to the dock, but also had to mobilize a lot of personnel during the cleaning process.

Alternatively, the diver directly went into the water to operate the cleaning equipment and clean the hull. However, this method also requires a lot of work because the diver has to work in the water. Due to the foreign substances in the cleaning process, it is difficult to secure the watch in the work area, and there was a burden on the safety accident due to the poor sea environment.

In consideration of these points, recently, an underwater cleaning robot has been proposed which can perform cleaning of the outer surface of the hull while traveling along the hull in water. Such an underwater cleaning robot may refer to an example of Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2011-0062248 (published on Jun. 10, 2011).

However, such an underwater cleaning robot is difficult to stably run the outer surface of the hull having many curved surfaces, and the brush device is maintained at the same height irrespective of the change of the outer surface of the hull, so that it is difficult to obtain a uniform cleaning effect as a whole. In addition, since the foreign substances that leave the hull during the cleaning process are scattered in the water, they have also caused pollution in the water.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0062248 (published on Jun. 10, 2011)

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide an underwater cleaning robot capable of stably traveling along an upper surface of a work surface having a curved surface and capable of adjusting the attitude of the cleaning unit in response to a state change of the upper surface of the work surface during traveling.

The present invention also provides an underwater cleaning robot capable of minimizing marine pollution while ensuring a clock in a work area by collecting foreign substances that are separated from the upper surface of the workpiece during a cleaning process.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including: a frame; two driving units disposed on both sides of the frame, each having a driving wheel contacting the upper surface of the work surface and a driving driving unit driving the driving wheel; A steering unit including a steering wheel and a steering driving unit for operating the steering wheel; a cleaning unit installed on the frame so as to be able to move up and down and including a cleaning brush for cleaning an outer surface of the work surface; A distance detection sensor for detecting a distance of the cover member to the upper surface of the work table; and a sensor for detecting a distance between the upper surface and the periphery of the brush, And a distance value measured by the distance sensor, Seat can control the magnetic force to the cover member and underwater cleaning robot comprising a control unit configured to perform height adjustment of the cleaning brush may be provided.

And a foreign object collecting device for collecting foreign objects separated from the upper surface of the work bench by the operation of the cleaning unit, wherein the foreign object collecting device comprises: a foreign object collecting pump for discharging foreign matter inside the cover member together with water; And a suction pipe connecting the pump and the cover member and having a corrugated pipe of a stretchable material on one side.

Further, the control unit increases the magnetic force of the electromagnet when the distance between the cover member and the upper surface of the work surface is increased, and reduces the magnetic force of the electromagnet when the distance between the cover member and the upper surface of the work surface becomes closer.

Further, the cover member may include a skirt portion of an elastic material at a lower portion thereof. When the magnetic force of the electromagnet is reduced, the cover member may move away from the upper surface of the work surface due to the elastic force of the skirt portion.

The cleaning unit includes a cleaning unit frame mounted on the frame, two cleaning motors mounted on both sides of the cleaning unit frame, and an elevation guide unit for guiding the elevation motions of the two cleaning motors, The cleaning brush may be coupled to the shafts of the two cleaning motors, respectively.

And the two cleaning motors are rotatably supported in the front, rear, left, and right directions with respect to the frame for tilting the cleaning brush.

The cleaning unit includes a first rotation supporting member rotatably installed in the cleaning unit frame in a state of supporting the elevating guide unit, and a second rotation supporting member rotatably installed in the elevating guide unit in a state of supporting the cleaning motor, And a second rotation support member disposed so that the direction of the rotation center axis crosses the direction of the rotation center axis of the first rotation support member.

The elevation guide unit includes a slide bar provided on the first rotation support member, an elevation member that moves up and down along the slide bar and rotatably supports the second rotation support member, Includes bushes.

A vertical thruster installed on both sides of the frame at both sides of the frame and generating a driving force in a vertical direction of the frame, a lateral thruster installed at both sides of the frame, .

The foreign body collecting apparatus further includes a foreign matter collecting unit connected to an outlet of the foreign body collecting pump and having a filtering member for filtering out foreign matter.

Further, the driving wheel and the steering wheel can be attached to the upper surface of the work table by the magnetic force of the built-in magnet.

Since the underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention realizes the three-point support of the two driving wheels and the steering wheel when traveling on the top surface of the work table, the top surface of the work table having the curved surface is stably traveling, The height of the cleaning unit is adjusted in accordance with the height or tilt of the upper surface of the workbench and the cleaning brush can be tilted so that the optimum cleaning condition can be maintained at all times.

Since the underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention can collect foreign objects separated from the upper surface of the workbench in the cleaning process, it is possible to secure a clock in the working area and to minimize marine pollution.

FIG. 1 shows an example of cleaning foreign matter adhered to the outer surface of a ship using an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view illustrating a bottom portion of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a plan view of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a bottom view of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view of a driving unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an exploded perspective view of a driving unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 shows a tilting operation of the driving unit in the underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a perspective view of a steering unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a perspective view of a cleaning unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a side view of a cleaning unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a front view of a cleaning unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a foreign body collecting apparatus of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
15 is a perspective view illustrating a control unit of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a view illustrating a state where the cover member of the underwater cleaning robot according to the embodiment of the present invention is away from the upper surface of the work bench.
17 is a control block diagram for controlling the height of a cover member of an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
18 is an operational state view showing a state in which the cover member of the underwater cleaning robot moves toward the upper surface of the work bench according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are provided to fully convey the spirit of the present invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but may be embodied in other forms. For the sake of clarity, the drawings are not drawn to scale, and the size of the elements may be slightly exaggerated to facilitate understanding.

FIG. 1 shows an example of cleaning foreign matters (moss, barn, etc.) attached to an outer surface of a ship using an underwater cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the underwater cleaning robot 100 of the present embodiment can clean the outer surface of the hull 10 while traveling on the outer surface of the hull 10 immersed in water. In other words, the cleaning robot 100 can approach the work area of the vessel anchored in the water through the underwater swim, and moves to the work area to be attached to the outer surface of the hull 10, travels along the outer surface of the hull 10, .

Although not shown in the drawing, the underwater cleaning robot 100 may be connected to a cable 20 extending from a separate manipulation facility and a power supply facility. Maneuvering equipment and power supply facilities may be operated on the ground or on the deck of the ship or on the deck of another ship which is being cleaned. FIG. 1 illustrates a case where an underwater cleaning robot cleans the outer surface of the hull 10, but the use range of the cleaning robot 100 is not limited thereto. It can also be used to clean the outer surfaces of various offshore plants and floating structures that float on the sea.

2 to 6, the submersible cleaning robot 100 includes a frame 110 constituting an overall external shape and a skeleton, two drive units 120 provided on both sides of the frame 110 on both sides of the frame 110, A cleaning unit 150 for cleaning the upper surface of the workbench, a foreign matter collecting device for collecting and collecting foreign substances separated from the upper surface of the workbench during the cleaning process, a plurality of thruster (181 to 186), and a control unit (190) for operation control. Here, the expression " forward " means the direction in which the cleaning robot 100 travels, and the rear indicates the opposite side.

The frame 110 may be a rectangular parallelepiped structure as shown in Fig. A plurality of vertical frame portions 113 and a plurality of reinforcing frame portions 114 connecting the upper frame portion 111 and the lower frame portion 112 are connected to the upper frame portion 111, the lower frame portion 112, So that a rectangular parallelepiped shape can be formed as a whole. The four corners of the frame 110 may be provided in a curved shape for reducing resistance and impact reduction during underwater swim.

Here, the rectangular frame 110 is shown as an example, but the shape of the frame 110 is not limited thereto. The frame may be variously modified to facilitate supporting the devices and to reduce the resistance of the fluid. The frame 110 may be made of a metal material such as steel or aluminum, or may be made of a composite resin material having high rigidity such as engineering plastic.

The two drive units 120 are installed to be symmetrical on both sides of the rear side of the frame 110, respectively. 7 and 8, each of the driving units 120 includes a driving wheel 121 which rolls in contact with the upper surface of the work table, and a driving wheel 121 which is disposed outside the driving wheel 121 A wheel housing 122 to be installed, and a driving driving part for driving the driving wheel 121. [

The wheel housing 122 includes a wheel receiving portion 122a having a lower surface and a side surface opened. The driving wheel 121 is received in the wheel receiving portion 122a and partially rotatably supported on the side surface of the wheel housing 122 so that the driving wheel 121 is in contact with the upper surface of the work surface.

The traveling driving unit includes a driving motor 123 mounted on the upper portion of the wheel housing 122 and a power transmitting device for transmitting the rotational force of the driving motor 123 to the driving wheel 121. The power transmission device is provided with a drive bevel gear 124a coupled to the shaft of the drive motor 123 while being accommodated in the upper space 122b of the wheel housing 122, A driven bevel gear 124b which is accommodated in the upper space 122b and whose shaft 124c is rotatably supported on the side surface of the wheel housing 122 and a driven bevel gear 124b which penetrates the side surface of the wheel housing 122 outside the wheel housing 122 A driving pulley 124d coupled to the shaft 124c of the driven bevel gear 124b engaged with the shaft 121a of the driving wheel 121 through the side of the wheel housing 122 outside the wheel housing 122, A driven belt 124f connecting the drive pulley 124d and the driven pulley 124e and a tensioner 124g adjusting the tension of the drive belt 124f. A belt cover 125 is provided on the side surface of the wheel housing 122 to cover and protect the drive belt 124f.

This drive unit 120 is configured such that the rotational force of the drive motor 123 is transmitted to the drive wheel 124a via the drive bevel gear 124a, the driven bevel gear 124b, the drive pulley 124d, the drive belt 124f, (121). Therefore, the driving wheel 121 contacting the upper surface of the work table can be moved forward and reverse by the forward rotation and the reverse rotation of the driving motor 123, thereby realizing the movement of the cleaning robot 100.

Although not shown in the drawing, the driving wheel 121 can perform rolling motion in a state where it is attached to the upper surface of the work bench by the magnetic force of the built-in magnet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning robot 100 from being separated from the work surface during operation. The magnet incorporated in the driving wheel 121 may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

Since the two drive units 120 are disposed symmetrically on both sides of the frame 110, the rotation or turning of the cleaning robot 100 can be realized in a manner that the rotation direction or rotation speed of the both-side drive wheels 121 is different .

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the wheel housing 122 of the drive unit 120 may be inclined by a predetermined interval about the X axis (running direction axis) with respect to the frame 110. A support bracket 126 for supporting the front and rear side surfaces of the wheel housing 122 is mounted on the frame 110 and a support shaft 127 for engaging with the wheel housing 122 is attached to the support bracket 126, Respectively.

Accordingly, the driving unit 120 can be tilted about the X axis in response to a change in the curved surface of the working surface 11 contacting the driving wheel 121 as shown in FIG. When the driving unit 120 is tilted as described above, the driving wheel 121 can perform the rolling motion in a state in which the driving wheel 121 stably attaches to the top surface 11 of the work table 11 despite the slope change of the top surface 11 of the work surface.

The support bracket 126 and the wheel housing 122 may be provided with a tilting range limiting device for limiting the tilting of the wheel housing 122 to a predetermined range to prevent the drive unit 120 from being sideways. The tilting range limiting device includes an arcuate tilting restriction hole 128a formed in the support bracket 126 and a locking pin 128b that enters the tilting restriction hole 128a while being coupled to the wheel housing 122 . Such a configuration can be achieved by limiting the tilting range of the drive unit 120 by moving the engaging pin 128b within the range of the tilting limit hole 128a so that the weight of the drive motor 123 mounted on the wheel housing 122 It is possible to prevent the drive unit 120 from falling sideways.

The support bracket 126 and the wheel housing 122 may be provided with tilting preventing means for restricting the wheel housing 122 and preventing tilting, if necessary. The tilting prevention means may include a pin or a bolt-shaped restraining member 129 that is fastened to penetrate the support bracket 126 and the wheel housing 122 as needed. In general, since the tilting of the drive unit 120 should be possible, such a restricting member 129 is operated in a separated state.

3 and 5, the steering unit 130 is installed at a front central portion of the frame 110 in a state of being separated from the driving wheels 121 of the two driving units 120. [ 10, the steering unit 130 includes two steering wheels 131 disposed adjacent to each other on the same axis, a wheel housing 132 for rotatably supporting the two steering wheels 131, And a steering driver that rotates the steering wheel 132 to implement the steering.

The steering driving unit includes a steering motor 133 whose axis is arranged to face up and down and whose axis is coupled to the upper part of the wheel housing 132 and a steering motor 133 which is fixed to the frame 110, And a bracket 134.

The steering unit 130 can control the moving direction of the frame 110 by rotating the wheel housing 132 in the forward or reverse direction by the operation of the steering motor 133. [ Also, two steering wheels 131, which are in contact with the upper surface of the work table, are mounted on both sides of the wheel housing 132, thereby operating in such a manner that the mutual rotation speed is changed instantaneously as the wheel housing 132 is rotated for steering. Therefore, smooth steering can be realized in a state where friction and slip between the upper surface of the work bench and the steering wheel 131 are minimized.

The steering wheel 131 can also perform rolling motion in a state where it is attached to the upper surface of the work bench by the magnetic force of the built-in magnet, like the driving wheel 121. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning robot 100 from being separated from the work surface during operation. In FIG. 10, reference numeral 135 denotes a rotation sensing device for sensing the rotation of the steering wheel 131. The rotation sensing device 135 may be a means for sensing a rotation angle, such as a rotary encoder, and may be used to determine whether the steering wheel 131 is slipping or not, in comparison with the operation of the driving wheel 121.

The steering unit 130 implements three-point support of the frame 110 together with two drive units 120 disposed on both sides of the rear side of the frame 110, as shown in Fig. That is, the steering wheel 131 is arranged in a triangular configuration maintaining the same distance as the driving wheels 121, thereby realizing the three-point support of the frame 110. Such a configuration can keep the driving wheels 121 and the steering wheel 131 always attached to the upper surface of the work surface even when the top surface of the work surface is curved like the outer surface of the hull 10. Therefore, the cleaning robot 100 of the present embodiment can be stably attached to the upper surface of the workbench even when there is a curved surface or an irregular surface on the upper surface of the workbench.

The cleaning unit 150 is installed in the frame 110 between the steering unit 130 and the two drive units 120, as shown in Figs. That is, the cleaning unit 150 is disposed so as to be symmetrical on both sides between the steering unit 130 and the two drive units 120 so that the cleaning robot 100 can maintain the overall balance and can run or swim underwater can do.

11 to 13, the cleaning unit 150 includes a cleaning unit frame 151 to which both ends of the cleaning unit 150 are attached to the frame 110, two cleaning motors 152 installed on both sides of the cleaning unit frame 151, And two cleaning brushes 153 that are respectively coupled to the axes of the two cleaning motors 152 and clean the top surface 11 of the work surface while being rotated by the operation of each cleaning motor 152. The cleaning brush 153 includes a rotating plate 153a coupled to the shaft of each cleaning motor 152 and a brush portion 153b extending from the lower surface of the rotating plate 153a toward the work surface upper surface 11 side.

The cleaning unit 150 can adjust the height of the two cleaning brushes 153 in response to the change of the curved surface or the height of the upper surface 11 of the work bench during the traveling of the cleaning robot 100, And can be tilted in various directions. That is, the posture of the cleaning brush 153 can be adjusted in response to a change in the state of the upper surface of the work bench during traveling.

The cleaning unit 150 is provided with two cleaning motors 152 connected to the two cleaning brushes 153 to the first rotation support member 154, the elevation guide unit 155 and the second rotation support member 156 And is rotatably supported by the frame 110.

The first rotation support member 154 is rotatably supported on the shaft support members 151a provided on both sides of the cleaning unit frame 151 so that the rotation axis 154a extending from both ends thereof in the Z axis direction . Accordingly, the first rotating member 154 can rotate about the Z axis.

Two elevation guide units 155 are installed on both sides of the upper surface of both sides of the first rotation support member 154 and two elevation guide units 155 are installed on the opposite sides of each cleaning motor 152, 152 to be movable up and down. A total of four elevation guide units 155 are installed on the upper portion of the first rotation supporting member 154.

Each lifting guide unit 155 includes two slide bars 155a vertically installed on the first rotation support member 154, a lifting member 155b lifting and lowering along the two slide bars 155a, two slide bars 155a And a linear bush 155c provided between the lift member 155b and guiding the stable linear movement of the lift member 155b. The linear bush 155c has an outer cylinder whose lower end is fixed to the first rotary support member 154 and has a load ball for reducing frictional resistance therein and an upper end of a shaft inserted into the outer cylinder and linearly moving by point contact with the load ball, And is coupled to the member 155b, thereby guiding the stable elevation movement of the elevation member 155b.

As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the second rotation supporting member 156 has a connecting shaft 156a (axes in the X-axis direction) provided before and after the cleaning motor 152 in the center thereof, And is rotatably coupled to the elevating member 155b. Therefore, the second rotation support member 156 can rotate around the X-axis (longitudinal axis of the frame) crossing the Z-axis.

Since the cleaning unit 150 is rotatably supported by the first rotation support member 154 rotating about the Z axis and the second rotation support member 156 rotating about the X axis, And can be tilted in the front, rear, left, and right directions. That is, the rotation center axis direction of the first rotation support member 154 and the rotation center axis direction of the second rotation support member 156 intersect. Therefore, each cleaning brush 153 connected to the axis of each cleaning motor 152 can be tilted in various directions corresponding to the curved surface or inclination of the work surface upper surface 11, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

5, the two cleaning brushes 153 are disposed between the steering wheel 131 and the two driving wheels 121 so that the upper surface of the workbench to which the two driving wheels 121 are attached when the cleaning robot 100 travels It can be cleaned in advance. That is, the maximum width (W, the distance from the outer end of one cleaning brush to the outer end of the other cleaning brush) formed by the two cleaning brushes 153 is larger than the separation distance L between the two driving wheels 121 The upper surface of the work bench on which the driving wheel 121 passes can be cleaned in advance. Therefore, since the driving wheel 121 travels in a state of being attached to the upper surface of the work table, which is always cleaned, the driving wheel 121 can be stably attached to the upper surface of the work table, thereby minimizing the slip of the driving wheel 121, have.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 14, the foreign matter collecting device includes a cover member 161 which covers the upper surface and the periphery of the two cleaning brushes 153 and is installed so as to move up and down together with the cleaning brushes 153, A foreign matter collecting pump 162 installed between the two cleaning motors 152 for sucking and discharging the foreign matter inside the water collecting pump 161 and water, Unit 163. < / RTI >

The cover member 161 has an upper cover 161a covering the upper side of the two cleaning brushes 153 and a lower cover 161a connected to the upper cover 161a and a lower end of the cleaning brush 153, And a skirt portion 161b that forms an opening 161c in front of the cleaning robot 100 in a direction in which the cleaning robot 100 travels. The skirt portion 161b may be made of an elastic material such as rubber or soft resin to prevent damage to the upper surface of the work surface.

The foreign matter collecting pump 162 includes a pump section 162a for pumping fluid and a motor section 162b for driving the impeller in the pump section 162a, as shown in Fig. The foreign matter collecting pump 162 is designed to rotate at a constant number of revolutions to meet a predetermined use condition. The suction side of the pump part 162a is connected to the inside of the cover member 161 through the suction pipe 162d and the discharge side of the pump part 162a is connected to the foreign matter collecting unit 163 through the discharge pipe 162e do. One side of the suction pipe 162d may be formed of a bellows pipe 162f made of a stretchable material so as to allow the movement of the cover member 161 installed to move up and down together with the cleaning brush 153. [ This foreign matter collecting pump 162 is disposed at the center between the two cleaning motors 152 so that the cleaning robot 100 can be balanced as shown in Fig.

The foreign matter collecting unit 163 can be mounted on the upper part of the frame 110, as shown in Figs. The foreign matter collecting unit 163 includes a collecting case 163a mounted on the frame 110 and at least one collecting case 163a for collecting and collecting foreign matter contained in the fluid discharged from the foreign object collecting pump 162, And a filter member 163b. A discharge port through which water is discharged may be provided on the rear surface of the collecting case. The filtration member 163b separates the foreign matter in the process of discharging the fluid discharged through the interior of the filtration member 163b together with the foreign matter, thereby collecting the foreign matter and discharging only the water to the outside. The filter member 163b can be replaced when foreign matter is accumulated therein.

Since the foreign matter collecting apparatus collects the foreign substances separated from the work surface upper surface 11 when the cleaning unit 150 operates, the foreign matter collecting apparatus collects the foreign matter that is drawn together with the water, and then collects the foreign matter in the foreign collecting unit 163, Can be minimized. In addition, since the foreign object is collected while being cleaned, a clock can be secured in the working area, so that a smooth cleaning operation can be performed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, the cleaning brush 153 and the cover member 161, which are supported by the elevation guide unit 155 so as to be able to ascend and descend, have a curved surface or a step on the upper surface 11 of the work surface, When the height of the work table 11 changes, the height thereof is automatically adjusted so that the contact with the work table top surface 11 can be maintained. To this end, a distance sensor 300 is provided at one side of the cover member 161 to detect the distance d between the work surface upper surface 11 and the cover member 161, At least one electromagnet 310 capable of adjusting the magnetic force for maintaining the cover member 161 at a predetermined distance from the top surface 11 of the work surface may be provided. The distance detection sensor 300 includes at least one of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a linear gauge, and the measured value sensed by the distance sensor 300 is transmitted to the control unit 190.

While the cleaning robot 100 travels along the top surface 11 of the work table, the distance sensor 300 senses the distance from the top surface 11 of the work table to the control unit 190, 190 adjusts the height of the cover member 310 by controlling the magnetic force of the electromagnet 310 on the basis of the distance value measured by the distance sensor 300. 16, when it is determined that the distance d between the cover member 161 and the top surface 11 of the work surface is increased by the value measured by the distance sensor 300, The magnetic force of the electromagnet 310 is increased by adjusting the amount of the supply current to the coil of the electromagnet 310. 18, the cover member 161 and the cleaning brush 153, which are vertically slidably supported by the lifting / lowering guide unit 155, are lifted up and down by the magnetic force of the electromagnet 310, As shown in Fig. The control unit 190 reduces the magnetic force of the electromagnet 310 and the cover member 161 and the cleaning brush 153 are pressed against the upper surface of the work bench (11) by the reaction force of the skirt portion (161b) pressed against the working surface (11).

Referring again to FIG. 2, the plurality of thrusters 181 to 186 are installed on both the front and rear sides of the frame 110 and include four vertical thrusters 181 And two lateral thrusters 185 and 186 which are installed on both sides of the frame 110 and generate propulsive force in the front-rear direction of the frame 110, respectively. Here, four vertical thrusters and two lateral thrusters are illustrated, but the number of these thrusters can be changed according to the design.

The vertical thrusters 181 to 184 generate an upward force or a downward propulsive force so that the cleaning robot 100 can be raised or lowered when swimming in the water, So that the cleaning robot 100 can be rotated around the X-axis. When the cleaning robot 100 is attached to the upper surface of the workbench, the cleaning robot 100 is pushed toward the upper surface of the workbench to help maintain the posture of the cleaning robot 100.

The lateral thrusters 185 and 186 can apply thrust force to the cleaning robot 100 in the forward and backward directions of the frame 110 when the cleaning robot 100 is swimming in water. In addition, the swinging of the cleaning robot 100 can be performed in such a manner that the rotations of the two sides are different from each other or any one of them is selectively driven. Although the present embodiment shows the case where the two lateral thrusters 185 and 186 on both sides are installed on the outside of the frame 110, the two lateral thrusters 185 and 186 may be disposed on the inner side of the frame 110.

The control unit 190 is installed at the center between the two drive units 120 on the rear side of the frame 110, as shown in Figs. 15, the control unit 190 accommodates various control devices 191 including a control panel for controlling the operation of the devices installed in the frame 110, and the peripheral and front surfaces thereof are closed, And a cable connection block 193 sealingly coupled to the rear surface of the control case 192 and having a plurality of cables connected thereto.

A seal 194 capable of maintaining a watertightness can be interposed between the rear surface of the control case 192 and the cable connection block 193. The cable connection block 193 has a plurality of cable terminals 193a associated with various control devices 191 inside the control case 192. [ The cable 20 extending from the external steering and power supply equipment is connected to the rear portion of the cable connection block 193.

This control unit 190 is installed at the center of the rear surface of the frame 110, thereby contributing to maintaining the balance of the entire cleaning robot 100 as well as its inherent functions. Particularly, the cylindrical control case 192 is arranged so that the center line 195 of the cylindrical control case 192 is parallel to the longitudinal center line of the frame 110, so that the weight of both sides of the cleaning robot 100 can be uniform. In addition, since the control case 192 is cylindrical, it is possible to reduce the resistance to fluid when the cleaning robot 100 operates underwater. Therefore, the cleaning robot 100 can stably swim and run.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the cleaning robot 100 of the present embodiment is provided with cameras for monitoring the forward and backward conditions and the conditions of both sides in the process of running underwater swim or traveling on the work surface. A front camera 201 provided at the front of the frame 110, a rear camera 202 provided at the rear of the frame 110 and two side cameras 203 installed at both sides. The front and rear cameras 201 and 202 may be panoramic cameras capable of photographing wide angles. In addition, a plurality of lighting devices 205 are installed in front and rear sides of the frame 110 and both sides thereof.

In addition, a laser vision system is installed in front of the frame 110 to detect an obstacle ahead of the cleaning robot 100. The laser vision system may include at least one irradiating device 211 for irradiating a laser beam toward the front side and a laser vision camera 212 for acquiring an image of the laser beam and reading the existence of an obstacle. If it is determined that an obstacle exists in the path to be traveled through the laser vision system, the cleaning robot 100 may be controlled to bypass the obstacle.

Next, the operation and usage of the underwater cleaning robot will be described.

When cleaning foreign objects such as water moss, barnacle, etc. attached to the outer surface of the vessel, the vessel is moored at the dock. In this state, the cleaning robot 100 is connected to the manipulating equipment and the power supply equipment provided on the deck of the ground or the ship with the cable 20. The length of the cable 20 can be adjusted to be long or short according to the position of the cleaning robot 100 entering the water by keeping the state of being wound on the winding drum. After connecting the cable 20, the cleaning robot 20 is moved into the water. In this case, lifting means such as a ship or a crane on the ground can be used.

The cleansing robot 100 can be remotely controlled by a manager using the control equipment to swim in the water and access the work area of the hull 10. At this time, the cleaning robot 100 can control the flotation and posture by the operation of the vertical thrusters 181 to 184, and can move to a desired position in the water by the operation of the lateral thrusters 185 and 186.

The cleaning robot 100 arriving at the work area is attached to the upper surface of the workbench while being positioned by the operation of the vertical and lateral thrusters 181 to 186. That is, the two driving wheels 121 and the steering wheel 131 are attached to the upper surface of the work surface by a magnetic force. When the influence of algae or waves is large and more stable attachment is required, a plurality of vertical thrusters 181 to 184 are operated and the cleaning robot 100 can be brought into close contact with the upper surface of the work surface.

The cleaning robot 100 attached to the upper surface of the workbench can perform cleaning while traveling on the upper surface of the workbench in accordance with a command from the administrator using the predetermined program or the steering equipment. At this time, the traveling can be performed by the operation of the two driving units 120, and the traveling direction can be controlled by the operation of the steering unit 130. [ In this way, the cleaning unit 150 is operated to clean the upper surface of the workbench, and the foreign substances that are separated during the cleaning process can be collected by the foreign object collecting device.

Since the driving wheel 121 and the steering wheel 131 implement a three-point support in the traveling process, they can always be kept attached to the upper surface of the work table. Therefore, even when the upper surface of the work surface has a curved surface or an uneven surface, the cleaning robot 100 can stably run. In addition, since a curved surface exists on the upper surface of the worktable, the height of the cleaning brush 153 is adjusted and the tilting is performed when the height or slope of the worktable is changed, so that the best cleaning condition can be maintained at all times. In this case, since the driving wheel 121 is also tilted corresponding to the upper surface of the workbench, the vehicle can be stably driven.

The manager who remotely controls the cleaning robot 100 during the cleaning process can determine the state before cleaning and the state after cleaning while viewing the images obtained through the front and rear cameras 201 and 202 and the both side cameras 203, The traveling path, the operation of the cleaning unit 150, and the like. Particularly, in this embodiment, since the foreign substances which are separated during the cleaning process are collected and collected by the suction method, it is easy to secure the watch area and the surrounding area. Accordingly, the manager can easily confirm the traveling direction of the cleaning robot 100, the cleaning state, and the like through a plurality of cameras.

100: underwater cleaning robot, 110: frame,
120: drive unit, 121: drive wheel,
130: Steering unit, 131: Steering wheel,
150: Cleaning unit, 152: Cleaning motor,
153: Cleaning brush, 161: Cover member,
162: foreign matter collecting pump, 163: foreign matter collecting unit,
181 to 184: vertical thrusters, 185, 186: lateral thrusters,
190: control unit, 192: control case,
201: front camera, 202: rear camera,
203: side camera, 300: distance sensor,
310: Electromagnet.

Claims (11)

frame;
Two drive units provided on both sides of the frame, each drive wheel having a drive wheel in contact with an upper surface of the workbench and a drive unit driving the drive wheel;
A steering unit having a steering wheel for controlling a moving direction of the frame and a steering driving unit for operating the steering wheel;
A cleaning unit installed on the frame so as to be able to move up and down and including a cleaning brush for cleaning an outer surface of the work surface;
A cover member which is movable up and down together with the cleaning brush and covers an upper surface and a peripheral portion of the cleaning brush;
A distance sensing sensor for sensing a distance of the cover member to the upper surface of the workbench;
A magnetic force adjustable electromagnet installed on one side of the cover member to contact the cover member with respect to the upper surface of the work table; And
And a control unit for adjusting a height of the cover member and the cleaning brush by adjusting a magnetic force of the electromagnet based on a distance value measured by the distance sensor. The method according to claim 1,
And a foreign body collecting device for collecting foreign substances separated from the upper surface of the work bench by the operation of the cleaning unit,
Wherein the foreign matter collecting device further comprises a foreign matter collecting pump for discharging foreign matter inside the cover member together with water and a suction pipe connecting the foreign matter collecting pump and the cover member and having a corrugated pipe of a stretchable material on one side, . The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit increases the magnetic force of the electromagnet when the distance between the cover member and the upper surface of the workbench increases, and reduces the magnetic force of the electromagnet when the distance between the cover member and the upper surface of the workbench approaches. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the cover member includes a skirt portion of an elastic material at a lower portion thereof,
Wherein when the magnetic force of the electromagnet is reduced, the cover member is moved away from the upper surface of the work table by the elastic force of the skirt portion. The method according to claim 1,
The cleaning unit
A cleaning unit frame mounted on the frame,
Two cleaning motors mounted on both sides of the cleaning unit frame so as to be able to move up and down,
And an elevation guide unit for guiding the elevation motions of the two cleaning motors,
And the cleaning brushes are respectively coupled to shafts of the two cleaning motors. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the two cleaning motors are rotatably supported in the front, rear, left and right directions with respect to the frame for tilting the cleaning brush. The method according to claim 6,
The cleaning unit
A first rotation supporting member rotatably installed in the cleaning unit frame in a state of supporting the elevation guide unit;
Further comprising a second rotation supporting member rotatably installed in the elevation guiding unit in a state of supporting the cleaning motor, the second rotation supporting member being arranged such that the direction of the rotation center axis crosses the direction of the rotation center axis of the first rotation supporting member Cleaning robot. The method according to claim 6,
The elevation guiding unit includes a slide bar provided on the first rotation support member, an elevation member that moves up and down along the slide bar and rotatably supports the second rotation support member, and a linear bushing In-water cleaning robot. The method according to claim 1,
A vertical thruster installed at both the front and rear sides of the frame and generating a driving force in a vertical direction of the frame,
Further comprising a lateral thruster installed at both sides of the frame and generating thrust in the longitudinal direction of the frame. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the foreign matter collecting apparatus further comprises a foreign matter collecting unit connected to an outlet of the foreign matter collecting pump and having a filtering member for filtering out foreign matter. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the driving wheel and the steering wheel are attached to an upper surface of the work table by a magnetic force of a built-in magnet.

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