CN109732555B - A robotic system with a mechanical arm end effector for twisting and plugging - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiment of the present invention discloses a robot system with a mechanical arm end effector for twisting and plugging leaks, including a robot end effector for twisting and plugging leaks, a robot chassis, a crawler running mechanism, a control cabinet, and a robotic arm. The pan/tilt mechanism and camera, the crawler running mechanism is arranged on both sides of the robot chassis, the control cabinet is installed at the rear end of the robot chassis, and the camera is installed on the pan/tilt mechanism located in the middle of the robot chassis, The mechanical arm is disposed at the front end of the robot chassis, and the end of the mechanical arm is connected to the end effector of the mechanical arm, and is used to twist and plug the leakage point of the leakage equipment. Using the present invention, the mechanical arm end effector can be used to plug leaks in pipelines of different sizes. The robot system composed of the mechanical arm end effector has autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance functions, and can perform leak plugging accurately, flexibly and efficiently. operate.

Description

A robotic system with a mechanical arm end effector for twisting and plugging

Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of robotic technology, and in particular to a robot system having a mechanical arm end effector for twisting and plugging leakage.

Background technique

Pressure plugging is a technology used to repair pipeline leaks while the equipment is working under pressure in order not to affect production in industrial industries with continuous production requirements. This technology originated in the UK, and non-stop pressure leakage plugging technology has been used in China since 1984. Nowadays, this technology is widely used in electric power and chemical enterprises, becoming an important means for enterprises to achieve long-term, no leakage, while avoiding the discharge of materials during shutdowns. It not only brings huge economic benefits to the enterprise, but also has huge environmental significance.

Generally, leakage plugging under pressure usually requires specially made and installed fixtures, and most of the leakage defects are plugged manually. In common pipeline leaks, the pipe network is filled with high-temperature steam, and the direction of the pipe network is changeable, making leakage plugging more difficult and prone to danger. The leakage plugging efficiency is not high, and many technicians with rich experience in pressure plugging operations are required. The labor cost of jointly completing the leak plugging work is high.

Although some leakage plugging tools have been developed at home and abroad to target leakage defects that occur during the production process, most leakage plugging work still requires manual work. With the continuous development of industrial automation, more and more industries are using robots to replace manual labor in some arduous, time-consuming and dangerous tasks to improve the production efficiency of enterprises. In order to improve the efficiency and safety of leakage plugging work, it is necessary to design a pressurized leakage plugging robot suitable for high temperature and high pressure environments to assist workers in plugging leakage pipelines.

Contents of the invention

The technical problem to be solved by embodiments of the present invention is to provide a robot system with a mechanical arm end effector for twisting and plugging leakage. It can replace manual efforts to plug leaking pipelines and assist staff in determining pipeline leakage conditions.

In order to solve the above technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a robot system with a mechanical arm end effector for twisting and plugging leaks, including a robot end effector for twisting and plugging leaks, a robot chassis, and a crawler running mechanism. A control cabinet, a mechanical arm, a pan/tilt mechanism and a camera. The crawler running mechanism is arranged on both sides of the robot chassis. The control cabinet is installed at the rear end of the robot chassis. The camera is installed in the middle of the robot chassis. On the pan-tilt mechanism, the robotic arm is arranged at the front end of the robot chassis, and the end of the robotic arm is connected to the end effector of the robotic arm, which is used to twist and plug the leakage point of the leaking equipment.

Among them, the control cabinet is equipped with a power supply, an industrial computer and a robotic arm control host. The power supply can supply power to the crawler walking mechanism, pan/tilt, camera, industrial computer, robotic arm control host and robotic arm. The industrial computer is connected to the crawler walking mechanism respectively. The mechanism, pan/tilt, camera, and robotic arm control host are electrically connected, and the robotic arm is controlled by communicating with the robotic arm control host.

Further, a protective frame is provided at the edges of the front and rear ends of the robot chassis, and two laser radars are provided at diagonal angles on the protective frame.

Furthermore, a steering motor is installed at the connection between the pan-tilt and the robot chassis, through which the pan-tilt can rotate 360°.

Furthermore, an antenna is provided on the upper end of the control cabinet. The antenna is electrically connected to the industrial control machine and is used to send and receive signals so that the industrial control machine can interact with external control equipment and control the mechanical arm to complete the leaking point of the leaking equipment. Leak plugging task.

Furthermore, the robotic arm end effector includes a pneumatic hammer, a self-centering module and a clamping module. The clamping module includes a pair of claws. The claws include a curved arm, a cylinder, and a roller. The cylinder The piston rod is installed on the lower side of the upper end of the curved arm, the roller is installed on the upper side of the lower end of the curved arm, the self-centering module is arranged between the pair of claws, the self-centering module Cooperating with the roller to clamp the leaking equipment, the self-centering module has a vertical through hole, the air hammer is passed through the through hole, and a striker is installed at the lower end of the air hammer. Used to plug leaks on leaking equipment.

Further, the upper end of the self-centering module is a connector with a circular through hole, and the lower end is a V-shaped block with a through hole in the middle. The connector is fixedly connected to the air hammer. ; The lower end of the V-shaped block is provided with an inverted "V"-shaped opening; the lower end of the V-shaped block is also provided with an inverted "U"-shaped opening.

Furthermore, one side of the V-shaped block is also provided with a connection hole for connecting to the end of the robotic arm.

Furthermore, a camera is provided on the opposite side of the side where the V-shaped block is connected to the robotic arm, and the camera is aligned with the through opening.

Furthermore, the pair of claws are symmetrically installed on both sides of the V-shaped block.

Furthermore, each of the claws includes two C-shaped thin arms.

Furthermore, the claw is equipped with two rollers and is horizontally installed between two C-shaped thin arms through the rollers.

Furthermore, the cylinders are all guide rod cylinders. The guide rod cylinder is connected to the V-shaped block of the self-centering module through a spiral hole provided on one side of the cylinder. The V-shaped block is connected to the guide rod cylinder. The connected side is provided with a threaded hole matching the guide rod cylinder.

Implementing the embodiments of the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The structural design of the present invention is novel and reasonable. Since the end of the robotic arm is equipped with an end effector for twisting and plugging, it can flexibly plug pipes with different diameters. At the same time, , the end effector used for twisting and plugging is equipped with a camera, which can accurately locate the location of the leak and provide the operator with image information of the plugging point. In addition, because the robot system is equipped with a camera, it can observe the surrounding situation and initially confirm the location of the leak. At the same time, there are two laser radars at diagonal corners on the protective frame, which can navigate and avoid obstacles autonomously. The invention has a compact overall structure, good stability and strong functionality, and can be used to plug leakage defects in pipelines of different sizes, which is conducive to widespread promotion and application.

Description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the end effector of the robotic arm used for twisting and plugging;

Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the self-centering module in the end effector of the robotic arm used for twisting and plugging shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the claw structure of the clamping module in the end effector of the robotic arm used for twisting and plugging shown in Figure 2.

Detailed ways

In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more fully below with reference to the relevant drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete.

It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "mounted" on another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. When an element is said to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may also be intervening elements present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right" and similar expressions are used herein for illustrative purposes only.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the invention belongs. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Referring to Figure 1, the embodiment of the present invention includes a robot chassis 101, a crawler running mechanism 103, a control cabinet 105, a six-axis robotic arm 1010, a pan/tilt mechanism 107 and a camera 109. The crawler running mechanism 103 is provided on both sides of the robot chassis 101. On the other hand, the control cabinet 105 is installed at the rear of the robot chassis 101, and the pan/tilt mechanism 107 is installed in the middle of the robot chassis 101 to adjust the angle of the camera 109. The camera 109 is installed on the pan/tilt mechanism 107 to initially locate the leak point. , the six-axis robotic arm 1010 is installed on the head of the robot chassis 101, and is equipped with a robotic arm end effector 20 for twisting and plugging.

The crawler walking structure 103 is arranged on both sides of the robot chassis 101, and there is a shock absorbing device in the crawler. The shock absorbing device includes two connecting arms 1013, a pulley 1012 and a spring 1014. The two connecting arms 1013 are hinged together. , the upper ends of the two connecting arms 1013 are connected with springs 1014 to play a shock-absorbing role; the lower ends of the two connecting arms 1013 are equipped with pulleys 1012 to reduce friction with the crawler tracks.

The rotation angle of the pan/tilt mechanism 107 is 360°. Adjusting the appropriate height allows the camera 109 to obtain more image information of the surrounding environment, thereby facilitating the autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance of the twisting and plugging robot system. The image acquired by the camera 109 is defogged, and the processed image is displayed on the display screen of the control cabinet, allowing the operator to observe the leakage situation and decide how to plug the leakage.

The end of the six-axis robotic arm 1010 is provided with a robotic arm end effector 20 for twisting and plugging, which can flexibly plug leaks in pipelines of different diameters. The robotic arm end effector 20 for twisting and plugging is installed. It has a camera that accurately locates the leakage point and gives the operator image information of the leakage point.

For safety reasons, in the embodiment of the present invention, the robot system for twisting and plugging is also equipped with a protective frame 102. Two laser radars 104 are provided at diagonal corners on the protective frame for obstacle avoidance and to prevent important structures and equipment of the robot from being damaged. to destruction. Furthermore, when the six-axis robotic arm 1010 is hindered by excessive resistance torque, the robotic arm will give an alarm and shut down.

Please refer to Figure 2. The mechanical arm end effector of the present invention includes a pneumatic hammer 211, a self-centering module 213, and a clamping module 215. The clamping module 215 is composed of two claws 2151. The claws 2151 include a C-shaped Thin arm 21511, cylinder 21513 and roller 21515. The cylinder 21513 is located at the upper end of the claw 2151 and is connected to one end of the C-shaped thin arm 21511. The roller 21515 is located at the lower end of the claw 2151 and is connected to the C-shaped thin arm. 21511 is connected to the other end. The self-centering module 213 is located between the two claws 2151 and cooperates with the roller 21515 on the clamping module 215 for clamping the leaking equipment. The air hammer 211 is fixed On the self-centering module 213, the leakage point 219 on the leakage equipment is twisted and plugged through the striker 217 installed at the lower end of the air hammer 211.

Please refer to Figures 2 and 3. The two claws 2151 of the clamping module 215 in the first embodiment of the present invention include a C-shaped thin arm 21511, a cylinder 21513 and a roller 21515. Each claw 2151 has three cylinders 21513. , assembled on the upper part of the claw 2151. There are 4 threaded holes 21517 on the side of the cylinder 21513 to be fixed with the self-centering module 213 in the middle. When the electronic valve cylinder 21513 is extended, the claw 2151 and the self-centering module 213 can be connected. To clamp the pipe, two rolling shafts can be obtained through the holes in the lower part of the two C-shaped thin arms 21511. The two rollers 21515 can be assembled on these two shafts. When the rollers 21515 are installed on the claws 2151, the end effector can Spin around the leaking pipe.

It can be understood that in other embodiments, the shape of the claw 2151 may be a "C" shape, a semicircle, or other shapes.

It can be understood that in other embodiments, the number of cylinders 21513 may also be 3, or several other numbers besides 3.

Please refer to Figures 3 and 4. The self-centering module 213 in the first embodiment of the present invention includes an upper connector 2131 and a lower V-shaped block 2133. The connector 2131 is threadedly connected to the V-shaped block 2133. There are inverted "V"-shaped openings on both sides of the lower end of the V-shaped block 2133, which can be used to clamp and fix leaking equipment; the lower end of the V-shaped block 2133 is also provided with two inverted "U"-shaped openings, which can be used In order to observe the leakage plugging situation, the V-shaped 2133 block is also provided with 4 connection holes 21331 on one side for connecting to the end of the robotic arm for fixing with the end of the robotic arm. At the same time, there are 4 connection holes 21331 on the opposite side of the mounting surface of the robotic arm end There is a micro camera 21335, which can be used to find leaks and observe leaks.

The working principle of a mechanical arm end effector for twisting and plugging leaks of the present invention is: when a leak occurs in a pipeline, the end effector is adjusted to an appropriate position by the mechanical arm, and then the leak is found according to the micro camera 21335 on the end effector. Point 219, at this time, the guide rod cylinder 21513 extends, and the lower part of the C-shaped block 2151 rises until the V-shaped groove of the roller 21515 and the V-shaped block 213 can perfectly clamp the leaking pipe. At this time, the micro camera 21335 further observes the leaking point. 219. After observing the specific position of the leakage point 219, adjust the air hammer striker 217 to above the leakage point 219, and start using the air hammer 211 to twist the leakage point 219. When the twisting angle needs to be changed, the roller 21515 can be used to roll it. The entire clamping module can adjust the end effector at the end of the robotic arm to rotate without having to loosen it again until the twisting and plugging is completed.

The structural design of the present invention is novel and reasonable, and it cleverly combines the crawler structure 103 with the six-axis robotic arm 1010. This combined technical solution combines the various advantages of the crawler structure 103 and the six-axis robotic arm 1010, such as The structure 103 and anti-collision frame 102 can make the robot system used for twisting and plugging have good stability during operation; the installed camera 109 can be used to observe the surrounding environment of the leaking equipment, initially locate the leaking point and assist the The robot avoids obstacles; a robot arm end effector 20 for twisting and plugging is provided at the end of the robot arm, and a camera 209 is installed on the robot arm end effector 20 for twisting and plugging. The camera 209 can use This robot system for twisting and plugging has good object visual recognition and visual twisting and plugging functions; compared with a single multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, this robot system for twisting and plugging can achieve large strokes and large Scope work. The invention has a compact overall structure, good stability and strong functionality, and can be adapted to different application environments, which is conducive to widespread promotion and application.

The above embodiment only expresses the preferred implementation mode of the present invention. The description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as limiting the patent scope of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims (7)

1. The robot system is characterized by comprising a mechanical arm end effector for twisting and plugging, a robot chassis, a crawler traveling mechanism, a control cabinet, a mechanical arm, a tripod head mechanism and a camera, wherein the crawler traveling mechanism is arranged on two sides of the robot chassis; the mechanical arm end effector comprises an air impulse hammer, a self-centering module and a clamping module, wherein the clamping module comprises a pair of clamping claws, the clamping claws comprise a bent arm, an air cylinder and a roller, a piston rod of the air cylinder is arranged on the lower side surface of the upper end of the bent arm, the roller is arranged on the upper side surface of the lower end of the bent arm, the self-centering module is arranged between the pair of clamping claws, the self-centering module is matched with the roller to clamp leakage equipment, the self-centering module is provided with a through hole in the vertical direction, the air impulse hammer is arranged through the through hole, and the lower end of the air impulse hammer is provided with a firing pin for twisting leakage points on the leakage equipment; the upper end of the self-centering module is provided with a connector provided with a circular through hole, the lower end of the self-centering module is provided with a V-shaped block provided with a through hole in the middle part, and the connector is fixedly connected with the pneumatic hammer; the lower end of the V-shaped block is provided with an inverted V-shaped opening; the lower end of the V-shaped block is also provided with an inverted U-shaped through hole; and a camera is arranged on the opposite side of one side, connected with the mechanical arm, of the V-shaped block, and the camera is aligned with the through hole.

2. The robotic system with a twisting and plugging mechanical arm end effector according to claim 1, wherein the control cabinet is equipped with a power supply, an industrial personal computer and a mechanical arm control host, wherein the power supply can supply power to the crawler running mechanism, the cradle head, the camera, the industrial personal computer, the mechanical arm control host and the mechanical arm, and the industrial personal computer is electrically connected with the crawler running mechanism, the cradle head, the camera and the mechanical arm control host respectively and controls the mechanical arm by communicating with the mechanical arm control host.

3. The robot system with the mechanical arm end effector for plugging by twisting according to claim 2, wherein the edges of the front and rear ends of the robot chassis are provided with protective frames, and the diagonal angles on the protective frames are provided with laser radars.

4. The robotic system with a twisting and plugging mechanical arm end effector according to claim 3, wherein an antenna is disposed on an upper end surface of the control cabinet, and the antenna is electrically connected with the industrial control computer and is used for receiving and transmitting signals.

5. The robotic system with a twisting and plugging mechanical arm end effector according to claim 1, wherein one side of the V-shaped block is further provided with a connecting hole for connecting with the end of the mechanical arm.

6. The robotic system with a twisting and plugging mechanical arm end effector of claim 1, wherein the pair of jaws are symmetrically mounted on both sides of the V-block.

7. The robotic system with a twisting and plugging mechanical arm end effector according to claim 6, wherein the cylinders are guide rod cylinders, the guide rod cylinders are connected with a V-shaped block of the self-centering module through screw holes formed in one side of the cylinders, and threaded holes matched with the guide rod cylinders are formed in one side of the V-shaped block connected with the guide rod cylinders.