KR20070064891A - Mechanical valve system and wall climbing robot with same - Google Patents

Abstract

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical valve system having a simple configuration of a mechanism and easy to control and light weight, and an efficient wall transfer robot having a simple configuration and reduced weight. To this end, the present invention, a crawler wheel having a plurality of adsorption pads; A mechanical valve for opening and closing the air pressure provided to the suction pad; And a guide for guiding the movement of the suction pad moving according to the rotation of the crawler wheel, and controlling the opening and closing of the mechanical valve according to the rotation of the crawler wheel, and a wall transfer robot having the same. to provide.

Description

Mechanical valve system and robot apparatus that can climb on the vertical wall}

1 is a view schematically showing the configuration of an embodiment of a wall climbing robot according to the present invention.

2a and 2b show the opening and closing operation of the mechanical valve shown in FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1 showing the principle of operation of a mechanical valve system.

FIG. 4 is a schematic showing the construction of another embodiment of the mechanical valve system shown in FIG. 3. FIG.

5 is a view showing the configuration of a rotary joint assembly used in the wall climbing robot according to the invention shown in FIG.

6 is a view schematically showing the configuration of another embodiment of a wall climbing robot according to the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

1: wall surface 10: adsorption pad

20: valve 100: track wheel

140, 240: Guide 400: Rotary Joint

500, 600: wall transfer robot

The present invention relates to a climbing robot that can move along an inclined surface or wall, and more particularly, to the wall climbing robot and the mechanical valve system used in the wall climbing robot, which is easy to control and reduced in weight due to the simple configuration of the mechanism. It is about.

Various kinds of robots are being developed for special purposes. For example, it can perform deep seabed exploration, walking on complex terrain, painting and welding large vessel surfaces, inspecting various industrial tanks, exploring rough terrain, inspecting large aircraft surfaces, and cleaning exterior walls of buildings. Robots are being developed and each robot is equipped with a transfer mechanism to suit its purpose and purpose.

In particular, wall transfer robots developed for painting and welding vessels, inspection of various industrial tanks, inspection of large aircraft surfaces, and cleaning exterior walls of buildings include caterpillar and walking types. The pedestrian type requires a pedestrian drive mechanism that is complex, relatively slow, and a complex control system. The caterpillar has the advantage of being generally fast, but this also has the disadvantage of not being easy to control.

In addition, there are methods such as adsorption pad type, electromagnet type, and propulsion force type depending on the way of climbing the wall surface. The electromagnet type is limited to the magnetic surface of the slope or wall that can be climbed using electromagnetic force, and has a disadvantage in that a complicated control unit is required to control the magnetic force of the electromagnet. The disadvantage is that a large fuel storage container must be mounted for continuous operation.

In addition, there is a need to develop an efficient wall transfer robot that is simpler in structure, easier to control, and lighter in weight.

The present invention is to solve a variety of problems, including the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical valve system and a configuration that is easy to control and easy to weight and easy to configure the mechanism portion This simple and reduced weight provides an efficient wall transfer robot.

An object of the present invention as described above, the crawler wheel having a plurality of suction pads; A mechanical valve for opening and closing the air pressure provided to the suction pad; And a guide for guiding the movement of the suction pad moving in accordance with the rotation of the crawler wheel and controlling the opening and closing of the mechanical valve according to the rotation of the crawler wheel.

In addition, the object of the present invention as described above, the main body; A caterpillar wheel having a plurality of adsorption pads and installed in at least one of the main body; A mechanical valve for opening and closing the air pressure provided to the suction pad; And controlling the opening and closing of the mechanical valve according to the rotation of the crawler wheel and providing a guide for guiding the movement of the suction pad moving according to the rotation of the crawler wheel.

Here, the crawler wheel, the drive wheel connected to the rotation axis of the motor, and the suction pads are mounted, it is preferable to have a caterpillar so that the suction pads sequentially contact the wall while moving in accordance with the rotation of the drive wheel.

Here, the guide is preferably manufactured in the form of a rail formed with a rail groove for receiving and guide the stamped end of the mechanical valve.

Here, the protruding end is formed on the inner side of the rail groove, it is preferable that a step for preventing the adsorption pad from interfering with the wall surface is formed on the outer side of the rail groove.

Here, the mechanical valve, the housing having a hollow formed with a predetermined stage therein; A stem that is received to be movable in the housing and opens and closes an air flow path using a stage formed in the hollow part; And a spring for applying a force to the stamp in a direction in which the stamp closes the air passage.

Here, it is preferable that a protruding end is formed at one side of the guide to press the stamp of the valve so that the front surface of the adsorption pad maintains vacuum when the adsorption pad is in the position where the adsorption pad is adsorbed on the wall surface.

Here, the rotary joint having a rotary joint for connecting the pneumatic tubes connected to the mechanical valve, respectively, and a rotary joint rotation axis for rotating the rotary joint, the rotary joint to rotate together as the crawler wheel to prevent the pneumatic tubes twisted It is desirable to further have an assembly.

An air pump that sucks air to maintain the suction pad in a vacuum; A motor for rotating the crawler wheel; A control unit controlling the operation of the motor and the air pump; And a power source for providing power to the motor and the air pump.

Here, it is preferable that a roller is attached to the part where the said adsorption pad starts to contact with a wall surface by the rotation of the caterpillar wheel.

In addition, the object of the present invention as described above is achieved by providing a wall transfer robot is formed by connecting a plurality of unit wall transfer robot to each other by using any one of the above-mentioned wall transfer robot as a constituent unit.

Here, the connection between the unit wall transfer robots constituting the wall transfer robot is connected to a pin joint installed between the main bodies so as to allow a predetermined angle rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the wall surface and substantially perpendicular to the travel direction. It is preferable that it is made by.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described an embodiment of the present invention in more detail.

1 is a view schematically showing the configuration of an embodiment of a wall climbing robot according to the present invention.

As shown in Figure 1, the wall climbing robot 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the main body 200, the crawler wheel 100 disposed on both sides of the main body, the motor for driving the crawler wheel 300 and a plurality of adsorption pads 10 disposed on the crawler wheel to adsorb the wall surface.

The main body 200 includes a power supply unit (not shown) for supplying electric power to the motor and the motor, an air pump (not shown) for maintaining a front surface of a suction pad mounted on the crawler wheel, the motor, the power supply unit, A control unit (not shown) for controlling the operation of the air pump, the power transmission means for connecting between the crawler wheel and the motor, the bearing 104 for supporting the drive shaft 103 of the crawler wheel may be mounted. Of course, in order to reduce the weight of the wall transfer robot according to the present invention, the power supply unit or the air pump may be disposed separately and connected to the wall transfer robot by wires and tubes.

The crawler wheel 100 includes a caterpillar 102 connected to a plurality of adsorption pads so that the adsorption pads sequentially contact a wall, and one or more driving wheels 101 driving the caterpillar. Although two crawler wheels are installed, one on each side of the main body, one may be attached or two or more may be installed as necessary. The caterpillar furnace 102 may use various power transmission means such as a belt, a timing belt, a wire-reinforced belt, a chain, and the like.

A plurality of suction pads 10 are disposed along the crawler wheel and sequentially contact the wall as the crawler wheel rotates. An air pressure valve 20 is connected to each of the suction pads, and the air pressure valve 20 is connected to an air pump by an air pressure tube (FIG. 5). When the adsorption pad contacts the wall, the air pump drops the front of the adsorption pad to a vacuum, more precisely to a low pressure below atmospheric pressure, so that the adsorption pad is attached to the wall. The valve connected to the suction pad may consist of a solenoid valve so that the operation of the suction pad is electrically controlled, but in the present invention, the valve is connected to the suction pad mechanically. The control method of the valve will be described after referring to the configuration of the valve with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

2A and 2B are views showing an operation of mechanically opening and closing the valve shown in FIG. 1.

In order to maintain the front surface of the adsorption pad 10 at a low pressure, the valve 20 must be opened so that air at the front of the adsorption pad can be exhausted by the air pump.

The valve 20 has a housing 21 having a hollow portion having a predetermined stage formed therein, and a stamp 22 that is received to be movable within the housing and opens and closes an air flow path using a stage formed at the hollow portion. ) And a spring 23 for exerting a force on the stamp in a direction in which the stamp closes the air flow path.

The housing 21 is divided into a portion 21b having a hollow portion having a small inner diameter and a portion 21a having a hollow portion having a large inner diameter, and a predetermined stage is formed therein. The stem 22 may be provided with an O-ring 26 having a larger outer diameter than an inner diameter of a portion having a smaller inner diameter of the housing. Alternatively, the protrusion may be formed on the stamp itself instead of the O-ring, or the O-ring may be seated on the protrusion of the stamp itself. The hollow part of the housing is in communication with an air tube connection 25 which is connected with the air pump. The valve is urged in a direction opposite to the front of the adsorption pad with a stamp disposed therein by a spring as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. 2A is a closed state where the stamp is blocking the flow path inside the valve housing by the force of the spring, and the state shown in FIG. 2B is the open state. As shown in FIG. 2B, a force acts on the upper end of the stamp to open the valve when the stamp descends while compressing the spring. When the valve is opened, the front of the adsorption pad and the air pump are connected, and the air in the front of the adsorption pad is discharged by the air pump, and the adsorption pad is adsorbed on the wall on the front side.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1 showing the principle of mechanically controlling a valve connected to an adsorption pad. In FIG. 3, the coupling part 142 on the guide to which the rotation axis of the driving wheel is rotatably coupled is indicated, and the driving wheel is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the mechanical valve system includes a guide 140. The stem end of the valve 20 moves in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the guide 140. The roller 24 is preferably disposed at the end of the stem for smooth movement. A protruding end 140a is formed at a predetermined height d2 at a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the guide where the adsorption pad 10 abuts the wall surface 1 at a position where the stem end abuts. That is, the distance from the center of the rotational track of the crawler wheel to the end of the stem in the place where the protruding end is not formed is d1, and the distance from the rotational track of the crawler wheel to the stem end is d1 + d2 where the protruding end is formed. do. In the position where the adsorption pad 10 abuts on the wall by the protruding end 140a, the end of the stamp 22 is pressed by the height of the protruding end 140a. The valve 20 connected to the adsorption pad is normally in a state of blocking the low pressure from the air pump as shown in FIG. 2A, but when the end of the stem 22 is pressed by the protruding end, it is similar to that shown in FIG. 2B. Likewise, it is connected to the air pump so that a low pressure is formed on the front of the suction pad. The spring 20 is disposed inside the valve 20 so that the valve 20 is closed again when the stamp end is not in contact with the protruding end 140a. It is lost and naturally falls off the wall.

If the solenoid valve is opened and closed, a heavy solenoid valve should be arranged for each suction pad, and additional sensors may be used to inform the controller of the solenoid valve of the solenoid valve when the solenoid valve is opened and closed. The configuration of the entire robot is complicated, such as to be installed, there may be a problem that the weight increases. However, mechanical control as shown in FIG. 3 can simplify the configuration and greatly reduce the weight of the robot.

On the other hand, when the adsorption pad is in contact with the wall surface in accordance with the rotation of the caterpillar, the adsorption pad may be in contact with the wall and may not be folded or smoothly contacted, which may interfere with the transfer of the robot. As a countermeasure against this, a small roller 11 may be further attached to a portion at which the suction pad starts to contact the wall surface.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of another embodiment of the mechanical valve system shown in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, a rail groove 241 is formed in the guide 240 of another embodiment, and the stem end of the valve is moved in a state accommodated in the rail. A roller wheel 224 and a roller coupling part 222 may be further installed at the stamp end to facilitate movement along the rail groove. The inside of the rail groove 241 is formed with a protruding end 240a similar to the surface shown in FIG. 3, so that when the adsorption pad is in a position to be adsorbed, the adsorption pad may be automatically pressed by pressing the stem end of the valve. To be. When the rail groove 241 is formed as described above, the stem end of the valve is stably guided, and thus, strength may be less considered when selecting a material of the caterpillar. In addition, a step 211 may be formed on the outer side of the rail groove 241 similarly to the protruding end 240a. The step 211 is formed longer than the protruding end 240a, so that the suction pad is disposed in parallel with the wall surface before the stem end of the valve moving along the crawler wheel contacts the protruding end 240a. Function. As a result, interference between the wall surface and the suction pad can be avoided, so that the movement of the suction pad is not disturbed even without a component such as the roller 11 shown in FIG. 3.

5 is a view showing a configuration in which the air tube connecting the respective valves and the air pump in the wall climbing robot according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1 does not get tangled during the operation of the wall climbing robot.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the wall climbing robot according to the present invention, air tubes 420 connecting respective valves 20 and air pumps (not shown) are connected to the rotary joint assembly. The rotary joint assembly is a rotary joint 400 to which a plurality of air tubes 420 are connected, and is connected to the rotary joint 400 to rotate the rotary joint 400 in accordance with the rotation of the crawler wheel 100. Rotary joint rotation shaft 430 is included.

The rotary joint 400 has a polygonal cross section and has a coupling portion 410 to which an air tube 420 is connected at a position corresponding to each side of the polygon. The rotary joint rotation shaft 430 may be connected to the rotation shaft of the drive wheel 101 of the crawler wheel and a power transmission means (not shown), such as a gear, and may be made to be fixed to the rotary joint 400 at the same time. If the crawler wheel rotates once when the drive wheel of the crawler wheel rotates three times, the rotary shaft of the drive wheel and the rotary joint rotated shaft rotate such that the rotary joint rotation shaft rotates one rotation when the crawler wheel rotates once. Adjust the gear ratio of the power transmission gear that connects to 3: 1. In this way, if the rotary joint axis of rotation rotates according to the rotation of the crawler wheel, the air tubes are not tangled even if the crawler wheel is continuously rotated.

In addition, when the rotary joint rotation shaft 430 is rotatably fixed to the guide 140 (FIG. 3), as the caterpillar 102 of the crawler wheel 100 rotates and the rotary joint 400 Together, the tubes 420 move together to prevent tangling of the tubes without a separate gear or belt.

As the crawler wheel rotates, the air tubes connected to the multiple valves along the crawler wheel can get tangled with each other, which can prevent or prevent the wall feed mechanism from moving continuously. have. However, in the present invention, when the crawler wheel rotates, the air tubes are connected to the rotary joint rotating shaft rotating together with the driving wheel of the crawler wheel and the rotary joint body installed at one side of the rotary joint rotating shaft so that the air tubes are not tangled. Can be.

In addition, the rotary joint rotation shaft 430 may be composed of a hollow shaft so that the low pressure provided to the pneumatic tube can be connected to the hollow portion of the rotary joint rotation shaft.

6 is a view schematically showing the configuration of another embodiment of a wall climbing robot according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, the wall transfer robot 600 to which the plurality of unit wall transfer robots 610 and 620 are connected may be manufactured using the wall transfer robot according to the present invention as one component unit. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the unit wall transfer robots 610 and 620 having a larger number of adsorption pads than the example described above, and the main body are formed with a wider width, are easily coupled with other unit wall transfer robots. The unit wall transfer robot 620 is shown. On the other hand, in Figure 6 to omit the arrangement of the wire or the pneumatic tube to show the configuration of the wall transfer robot.

At this time, the connection of the unit wall transfer robot may be used to connect the body parts to each other. In this case, the joint 621 used for the connection is preferably a pin joint type joint that can be rotated about an axis parallel to the wall. In the case of using such a pin joint, it is possible not only to move along the same surface as the outer wall of a vertically towering building, but also to move along a curved surface such as the outer surface of a large aircraft.

Meanwhile, while the configuration and operation of the wall transfer robot according to the present invention have been described so far, mainly the steep wall surface has been described as an example. However, the wall transfer robot according to the present invention can be used only by using it to move on a wall. The present invention is not limited thereto, and may move along a curved surface such as the surface of a large aircraft or the inside and outside surfaces of a large industrial tank. In addition, it can be equipped with exploration equipment, cleaning equipment, etc., depending on the application and can be used to perform a variety of tasks that are dangerous to direct human. In particular, the wall transfer robot according to the present invention can be used for cleaning or painting the outer wall of a building, cleaning the inner and outer walls of a large aircraft or ship, painting, welding and the like.

The wall transfer robot of the present invention has a simpler structure than the case of employing a walking-type base port, and the movement speed is greatly improved. In addition, by utilizing a plurality of valves that are mechanically simple and robustly controlled, the weight can be greatly reduced and excellent in energy efficiency compared with the case of controlling the valves using the solenoid method.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims (12)

A crawler wheel having a plurality of suction pads; A mechanical valve for opening and closing the air pressure provided to the suction pad; And And a guide for controlling opening and closing of the mechanical valve according to the rotation of the crawler wheel and guiding movement of the suction pad moving according to the rotation of the crawler wheel. main body; A caterpillar wheel having a plurality of adsorption pads and installed in at least one of the main body; A mechanical valve for opening and closing the air pressure provided to the suction pad; And And a guide for controlling opening and closing of the mechanical valve according to rotation of the crawler wheel and guiding movement of the suction pad moving according to rotation of the crawler wheel. The method of claim 2, The crawler wheel, A drive wheel connected to the rotating shaft of the motor, And a caterpillar on which suction pads are mounted, and the suction pads sequentially contact the wall while moving in accordance with the rotation of the driving wheel. The method of claim 2, The guide is a wall transfer robot, characterized in that the rail groove is received is received guided by the stamped end of the mechanical valve. The method of claim 4, wherein The protruding end is formed on the inside of the rail groove, And a step for preventing the suction pad from interfering with the wall surface is formed on the outside of the rail groove. The method of claim 2, The mechanical valve, A housing having a hollow having a predetermined stage formed therein; A stem that is received to be movable in the housing and opens and closes an air flow path using a stage formed in the hollow part; And And said spring includes a spring for applying a force to said stamp in a direction to close said air passage. The method of claim 2, A projection is formed on one side of the guide to press the stamp of the valve so that the front surface of the suction pad to maintain the vacuum when the suction pad is in the position where the suction pad is adsorbed on the wall in the crawler type wheel robot. The method of claim 2, Rotary joints to which pneumatic tubes connected to mechanical valves are connected, A rotary joint rotating shaft for rotating the rotary joint, And a rotary joint assembly which rotates together as the crawler wheel rotates to prevent the pneumatic tubes from being twisted. The method of claim 2, An air pump that sucks air to maintain the suction pad in a vacuum; A motor for rotating the crawler wheel; A control unit controlling the operation of the motor and the air pump; And And a power source for providing power to the motor and the air pump. The method of claim 2, And a roller is attached to a portion at which the suction pad starts to contact the wall surface as the caterpillar wheel rotates. A wall transfer robot, wherein a plurality of unit wall transfer robots are connected to each other using the wall transfer robot according to any one of claims 2 to 10 as a constituent unit. The connection between the unit wall transfer robot constituting the wall transfer robot of claim 11, And a pin joint installed between the main bodies so as to be able to rotate a predetermined angle about an axis substantially parallel to the wall surface and substantially perpendicular to the travel direction.

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