US 11,965,620 B2
Pipeline patrol inspection robot having variable tracks and control method therefor
Aiguo Song, Nanjing (CN); Tianyuan Miao, Nanjing (CN); Bincheng Shao, Nanjing (CN); Baoguo Xu, Nanjing (CN); Guangming Song, Nanjing (CN); Bo Xu, Nanjing (CN); Shuang Liu, Nanjing (CN); and Jihai Min, Nanjing (CN)
Assigned to SOUTHEAST UNIVERSITY, Nanjing (CN)
Appl. No. 17/635,967
Filed by SOUTHEAST UNIVERSITY, Nanjing (CN)
PCT Filed Jan. 4, 2021, PCT No. PCT/CN2021/084851
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 16, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/198714, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 29, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 202110312255.1 (CN), filed on Mar. 24, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0373122 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. F16L 55/28 (2006.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01); F16L 101/30 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 55/28 (2013.01) [B25J 11/008 (2013.01); F16L 2101/30 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pipeline patrol inspection robot having variable tracks for moving through a pipeline, comprising:
a robot body;
track assemblies symmetrically disposed on a left side and a right side of the robot body; and
two movement driving mechanisms,
wherein the robot body is connected to the track assemblies on the left side and the right side by track fixtures, and track angle adjusting mechanisms are respectively connected between the robot body and the track assemblies on the left side and the right side,
wherein each of the track angle adjusting mechanisms comprises:
a sliding rail connected to the robot body,
a push rod motor mounted to the sliding rail,
a power output shaft of the push rod motor driving a slidable block movable back and forth on the sliding rail,
a four-link mechanism mounted to the slidable block,
wherein the four-link mechanism of each of the track angle adjusting mechanisms comprises a lower link, an upper link, and two side links,
wherein a first end of the lower link of each four-link mechanism is mounted to a lower pin shaft by using a revolute pair,
wherein a second end of the lower link of each four-link mechanism is mated with a ball head of one of the track assemblies,
wherein lower parts of the two side links of each four-link mechanism are connected to a corresponding lower pin shaft by a corresponding revolute pair, and upper parts of the two side links of each four-link mechanism are connected to an upper pin shaft by the corresponding revolute pair,
wherein the two movement driving mechanisms are symmetrically disposed on a front of the robot body, and each of the two movement driving mechanisms comprises a servo motor, a reinforcing link, and a universal joint,
wherein the servo motor of each of the two movement driving mechanisms is fixed to an inner bottom plate of the robot body and is connected to the reinforcing link of the corresponding one of the two movement driving mechanisms,
wherein a first end of the universal joint of each of the two movement driving mechanisms is connected to the reinforcing link of the corresponding one of the two movement driving mechanisms, and a second end of the universal joint of each of the two movement driving mechanisms is connected to a driving wheel of the corresponding one of the track assemblies, such that the pipeline patrol inspection robot automatically adjusts the mechanisms to adapt to varying pipe diameters.