JP6822371B2 - Bed transfer device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bed transfer device.

As a bed transfer device, for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. In the bed transport device described in Patent Document 1, a drive device is attached to one end side in the front-rear direction of the bed, and an operation device for an operator to operate is attached to the other end side.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-008189

However, in the bed transport device as described above, since it is necessary to provide the devices at both ends in the front-rear direction of the bed, there is a problem that the total length in the front-rear direction becomes large. If the total length of the bed with the bed transport device is increased in this way, there is a problem that sufficient space cannot be secured when riding in an elevator having a narrow depth, for example. In order to solve such a problem, a structure in which the bed transfer device is connected to the side surface of the bed can be adopted. However, such a bed transfer device is connected to one side surface of the bed. Therefore, when the bed transport device swivels the bed in this state, the bed may not move as intended by the operator. Therefore, it is required to improve the operability of the bed transport device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a bed transfer device capable of improving operability.

The bed transport device according to the present invention is a bed transport device that transports a bed, and is provided on one side surface of the main body portion and the main body portion, and is connected to the bed on the side surface of the bed. The drive control unit includes a drive unit that moves the main body unit, a drive control unit that controls the drive unit, and a dimensional information acquisition unit that acquires dimensional information related to the bed dimensions. The drive control unit is used when the bed transport device is swiveled. Based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit, the drive unit is controlled so that the turning radius of the bed is the same in both turning directions.

The bed transport device according to the present invention is provided on one side of the main body, and includes a connecting portion that connects to the bed on the side of the bed. Therefore, the bed transport device transports the bed in a state of being connected to one side surface of the bed. For example, when the bed transport device is swiveled so that the swivel radius of the bed transport device is the same in both swivel directions when performing a swivel operation in such a state, the swivel radius of the bed differs depending on the swivel direction. It becomes. In such a case, it may not be possible to move according to the intention of the operator who wants to move the bed as a reference. On the other hand, in the bed transport device according to the present invention, the drive control unit has the same swivel radius of the bed in both swivel directions based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimension information acquisition unit during the swivel operation of the bed transport device. The drive unit is controlled so as to be. By performing the swivel operation with reference to the bed in this way, the bed can be moved according to the intention of the operator. As described above, the operability of the bed transport device can be improved.

Further, in the bed transport device according to the present invention, the drive control unit may set the speed of the drive unit so that the swivel speed of the bed is the same in both swivel directions. As a result, the bed can be swiveled at the same swivel speed in both swivel directions, so that the bed can be moved according to the intention of the operator.

Further, in the bed transport device according to the present invention, the dimensional information acquisition unit may acquire dimensional information by reading the information associated with the dimensional information of the bed. As a result, the dimensional information acquisition unit can acquire dimensional information via the associated information without directly reading the dimensional of the bed.

The bed transport device according to the present invention is a bed transport device that transports a bed, and is provided on one side surface of the main body portion and the main body portion, and is connected to the bed on the side surface of the bed. The drive control unit includes a drive unit that moves the main body unit, a drive control unit that controls the drive unit, and a dimensional information acquisition unit that acquires dimensional information related to the bed dimensions. The drive control unit is used when the bed transport device is swiveled. , The drive unit is controlled so that the bed rotates about the reference position set with respect to the bed based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit.

The bed transport device according to the present invention is provided on one side of the main body, and includes a connecting portion that connects to the bed on the side of the bed. Therefore, the bed transport device transports the bed in a state of being connected to one side surface of the bed. For example, when the bed transport device itself makes a turn on the spot when performing a turning operation (turning on the spot) such as rotating the bed on the spot in such a state, the bed itself turns with a predetermined turning radius. It will be. In such a case, it may not be possible to move according to the intention of the operator who wants to move the bed as a reference. On the other hand, in the bed transfer device according to the present invention, the drive control unit sets a reference position set with respect to the bed based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit during the turning operation of the bed transfer device. As the center, the drive unit is controlled so that the bed rotates. In this way, by performing the in-situ turning with respect to the bed, the bed can be moved according to the intention of the operator. As described above, the operability of the bed transport device can be improved.

Further, in the bed transport device according to the present invention, the drive control unit may control the drive unit so that the bed rotates in the opposite direction when receiving operation information indicating that the bed rotates in the opposite direction. As a result, the turning direction of the bed can be switched according to the intention of the operator.

Further, in the bed transport device according to the present invention, the dimensional information acquisition unit may acquire dimensional information by reading the information associated with the dimensional information of the bed. As a result, the dimensional information acquisition unit can acquire dimensional information via the associated information without directly reading the dimensional of the bed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bed transfer device capable of improving operability.

It is a perspective view of the bed transfer apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the drive mechanism and the turning mechanism of a wheel. It is a figure which shows the state when the bed transporting apparatus transports a bed. It is a figure which shows the structure of a remote controller. It is a block diagram which shows the system configuration of a bed transfer apparatus. It is the schematic plan view for demonstrating the swing operation of a bed transfer device. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the steering angle. It is the schematic plan view for demonstrating the swing operation of a bed transfer device. It is the schematic plan view for demonstrating the swing operation of a bed transfer device. It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the turning operation of the bed transporting apparatus which concerns on a comparative example.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the bed transfer device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bed transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The bed transport device 100 is a device for one operator to transport a bed when transporting the bed in a hospital, a nursing care facility, or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the bed transfer device 100 includes a main body portion 1, wheels 3, and a connecting portion 4.

The main body 1 is a member extending in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the main body 1 includes an upper member 1A extending in the front-rear direction at the upper part and a lower member 1B extending in the front-rear direction at the lower part. The upper member 1A extends outward from the lower member 1B on both end sides in the front-rear direction. As a result, a space for providing the wheel 3 is secured outside both ends of the lower member 1B. A control device such as a control unit 50 (see FIG. 5), a drive mechanism, or the like may be housed inside the main body 1. Unless otherwise specified, the expression "front-back direction" used for the bed transport device 100 indicates the front-back direction when the bed transport device 100 moves in parallel. However, the bed transport device 100 can switch which of the both ends of the main body 1 in the front-rear direction is "front" and which is "rear" (details will be described later).

The wheel 3 is for moving the main body 1. At least one wheel 3 is provided on one side and the other side in the front-rear direction of the main body 1. In the following description, the wheel 3 provided on one side in the front-rear direction will be referred to as a wheel (drive unit) 3A. The wheel 3 provided on the other side in the front-rear direction is referred to as a wheel (drive unit) 3B. The wheel 3A is provided below the one end 1a of the upper member 1A. The wheel 3B is provided below the other end 1b of the upper member 1A. With such an arrangement, the wheels 3A and the wheels 3B are arranged at positions separated from each other so as to face each other in the front-rear direction.

The wheel 3A on one side and the wheel 3B on the other side are drive wheels, respectively. That is, both the wheel 3A and the wheel 3B have a drive mechanism. Further, the wheel 3A on one side and the wheel 3B on the other side can turn independently. That is, both the wheels 3A and the wheels 3B have a turning mechanism (steering mechanism).

An example of the drive mechanism and the turning mechanism of the wheel 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a view of the wheel 3 when viewed from the front-rear direction. FIG. 2B is a view of the wheel 3 when viewed from above. These drive mechanisms and turning mechanisms are provided on both the wheels 3A and the wheels 3B. The configuration shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and the detailed configuration can be changed as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 2, one end of the rotating shaft 17 of the wheel 3 is supported by the support member 11, and a drive motor 12 is provided at the tip. The support member 11 has an opposing portion 11b extending in the vertical direction facing the end surface of the wheel 3 and a horizontal portion 11a extending in the horizontal direction on the upper side of the wheel 3. The rotating shaft 17 is supported by the facing portion 11b of the supporting member 11. The horizontal portion 11a of the support member 11 extends upward and is connected to the swivel shaft 19 supported by the fixing member 13. A pulley 14 is provided at the upper end of the swivel shaft 19, and the pulley 14 is connected to the steering motor 16 via a belt 18. The fixing member 13 is fixed to the main body 1, while the support member 11 is separated from the fixing member 13. Therefore, according to the rotation of the steering motor 16, the support member 11, the rotating shaft 17, the drive motor 12, and the wheel 3 rotate 360 ° around the turning shaft 19.

As described above, since the wheels 3A and the wheels 3B are provided with a drive mechanism and a turning mechanism, they can be driven and turned independently of each other. Therefore, by combining the rotation and turning of the two wheels, the main body 1 can perform operations such as parallel movement in an arbitrary direction, a curve, and in-situ turning. The turning angle of the wheel 3 does not have to be 360 °, as long as it can turn at least 180 °.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting portion 4 is provided on the lower member 1B of the main body portion 1. The connecting portion 4 is connected to the bed 20 at the side surface 20a of the bed 20. Specifically, it is provided so as to protrude from the side surface 1Ba of the lower member 1B. As a result, the bed transport device 100 sneaks the connecting portion 4 into the lower horizontal frame 23 of the bed 20 and connects the connecting portion 4 to each other by supporting the lower horizontal frame 23 (see FIG. 3).

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a state when the bed transport device 100 is transporting the bed 20 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the bed 20 corresponds to the upper plate 22, the pillar portion 24 extending downward from the four corners of the upper plate 22, the wheels 21 provided at the lower end of the pillar portion 24, and the vicinity of the lower end of the pillar portion 24. A lower horizontal frame 23 that connects the vicinity of the pillar portion 24 to each other is provided. At the time of bed transfer, the bed transfer device 100 is arranged so as to be adjacent to each other at a position facing the side surface 20a of the bed 20. At this time, the direction in which the main body 1 of the bed transport device 100 extends and the direction in which the upper plate 22 of the bed 20 extends are parallel to each other. Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the bed is the "front-back direction". In this state, the connecting portion 4 is connected to the lower horizontal frame 23. As a result, the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 are in a state of being connected to each other. Therefore, as the bed transport device 100 moves, the bed 20 can move in the same manner.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bed transfer device 100 can be operated by the remote controller 30. The remote controller 30 can operate the bed transfer device 100 by wireless communication. However, the remote controller 30 may operate the bed transfer device 100 by wire communication. As shown in FIG. 4, the remote controller 30 includes a joystick 31 that operates the moving direction of the bed transport device 100, a traveling mode switching switch 32 that switches the traveling mode, and a traveling direction switching switch 33 that switches the traveling direction. It is provided with an elevating switch 34 for raising and lowering the connecting portion 4. The travel mode changeover switch 32 is a switch capable of switching travel modes such as "parallel movement mode", "curve mode", "lateral movement mode", and "in-situ turning mode".

The traveling direction changeover switch 33 is a switch for switching the traveling direction of the bed transfer device 100 when the joystick 31 is operated "front" and "rear". As a result, the operator can switch between the front side and the rear side in the traveling direction between one side and the other side in the front-rear direction. For example, when the operator stands on the end 1a side of the main body 1 and faces the end 1b side, the end 1b side of the main body 1 is "front" for the operator, and the end 1a The side is "after". Therefore, if the operator sets the end 1b side to "front" with the traveling direction changeover switch 33 and presses "front" with the joystick 31, the bed transport device 100 travels to the end 1b side. On the other hand, when the operator stands on the end 1b side of the main body 1 and faces the end 1a side, the end 1a side of the main body 1 is "front" for the operator, and the end 1b The side is "after". Therefore, the operator switches the traveling direction by operating the traveling direction switching switch 33. As a result, if the "front" is pressed with the joystick 31, the bed transfer device 100 travels toward the end portion 1a. However, the direction of the remote controller 30 itself may be changed by changing the orientation of holding the remote controller 30, to cope with the change of the traveling direction of the main body 1. The main body 1 may be provided with a traveling direction display unit or the like to indicate which is "front" in the current setting. The traveling direction display unit may indicate the front and back of the traveling direction by, for example, lighting or blinking a color or displaying an arrow on a liquid crystal display.

Next, the system configuration of the bed transfer device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The bed transfer device 100 includes a control unit 50 that controls the wheels 3A and 3B. The control unit 50 is an electronic control unit having a CPU [Central Processing Unit], a ROM [Read Only Memory], a RAM [Random Access Memory], and the like. The control unit 50 realizes various functions by, for example, loading the program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing the program loaded in the RAM in the CPU. The control unit 50 may be composed of a plurality of electronic units. The control unit 50 receives the operation information from the remote controller 30. The control unit 50 transmits a control signal to the drive motor 12 and the steering motor 16. The control unit 50 transmits / receives data to / from the storage unit. The control unit 50 includes a mode setting unit 51 for setting the mode of the bed transfer device 100, a drive control unit 52 for controlling the wheels 3A and 3B, a reception unit 53 for receiving operation information from the remote controller 30, and a bed 20. It includes a dimensional information acquisition unit 54 for acquiring dimensional information related to dimensions, and a calculation unit 55 for calculating a turning radius at the time of turning.

The mode setting unit 51 switches the traveling mode based on the operation information of the traveling mode changeover switch 32 of the remote controller 30 received by the receiving unit 53, and switches the traveling mode, "parallel movement mode", "curve mode", "horizontal movement mode" and Set a driving mode such as "turning mode". The mode setting unit 51 may set which of the ends 1a and 1b of the bed transfer device 100 is set to "front" and "rear" in the traveling direction based on the switching operation of the traveling direction switching switch 33.

The dimensional information acquisition unit 54 acquires dimensional information regarding the size of the bed. The dimensional information acquisition unit 54 may acquire dimensional information from, for example, the dimensional data table of the bed 20 stored in advance in the storage unit 56. The size data table of the bed 20 stored in the storage unit 56 includes the types of the bed 20 that can be used and the dimensional information of each part of the bed corresponding to these types. The dimensional information acquisition unit 54 acquires the model information of the bed 20 input by the operator (for example, via the remote controller 30) and compares it with the dimensional data table stored in the storage unit 56 to obtain the information of the bed 20. Get dimensional information. Alternatively, the bed transfer device 100 may be provided with a sensor unit or the like for measuring the dimensions of the bed 20, and the dimensional information acquisition unit 54 may acquire the dimensions of the bed 20 based on the detection information from the sensor unit. Alternatively, the dimensional information acquisition unit 54 may acquire the dimensional information based on the direct input of the dimensional information of the bed 20 by the operator. In this way, the bed transfer device 100 can correspond to a plurality of types of beds 20 to correct differences in width, length, and mounting position depending on the types of beds 20, and set the reference point SP of the bed 20. Various parameters can be set to perform the turning operation as a reference.

The calculation unit 55 calculates the turning radius of the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 at the time of turning based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit 54. In addition, the calculation unit 55 performs various calculations and settings necessary for controlling the turning operation of the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20. The calculation unit 55 sets the turning center CP at the time of turning. Further, the calculation unit 55 calculates the turning radius R1 of the bed transfer device 100 by calculating the distance between the turning center CP and the wheels 3A and 3B. The calculation unit 55 sets the reference point SP of the bed 20 at an arbitrary position of the bed 20. The calculation unit 55 calculates the turning radius R2 of the bed 20 by calculating the distance between the turning center CP and the reference point SP. The calculation unit 55 calculates the turning radii R1 and R2 for both the left turning and the right turning directions. The specific calculation / setting contents of the calculation unit 55 will be described later.

The drive control unit 52 acquires the setting contents set by the mode setting unit 51 and the operation information by the remote controller 30 received by the reception unit 53, and based on the setting contents and the operation information, drives the drive motor 12 and the steering motor 16. Control. For example, when the "translation mode" is set by the mode setting unit 51 and the front-back setting in the traveling direction is made, the drive control unit 52 responds to the operation of the joystick 31 of the remote controller in the front-back direction. The drive motor 12 and the steering motor 16 are controlled so that the 100 moves in parallel back and forth.

Further, the drive control unit 52 has the wheels 3A so that the turning radii of the bed 20 are the same in both turning directions based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit 54 during the turning operation of the bed transport device 100. , 3B is controlled. The drive control unit 52 controls the wheels 3A and 3B based on the calculation result calculated by the calculation unit 55 from the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit 54. It should be noted that "the same turning radius" does not have to be completely the same, and when the operator turns the bed transport device 100 in both turning directions, the sameness within a range that does not cause a sense of discomfort. It suffices if it is maintained, or it is sufficient that the identity is maintained within an allowable range of errors and deviations in calculation and operation. The drive control unit 52 is centered on the reference point (reference position) SP set for the bed 20 based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit 54 during the turning operation of the bed transfer device 100. Wheels 3A and 3B are controlled so that 20 rotates. In addition, such a turning operation may be referred to as "in-situ turning" in which the bed 20 turns on the spot.

Here, the steering angles θA and θB of the wheels 3A and 3B will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The line that passes through the center point TP of the wheels 3A and 3B and extends in the front-rear direction is defined as the reference line CL1. When traveling straight, the direction line DL indicating the traveling direction of the wheels 3A and 3B coincides with the reference line CL1. When the wheels 3A and 3B are steered, the direction line DL indicating the traveling direction of the wheels 3A and 3B and passing through the center point TP is inclined with respect to the reference line CL1. The inclination angles of the direction line DL with respect to the reference line CL1 at this time are the steering angles θA and θB. In the present embodiment, the turning trajectory drawn by the wheel 3A and the turning track drawn by the wheel 3B will be described below assuming that they coincide with each other in the turning track TL1. In this case, the steering angle θA of the wheel 3A is opposite to the steering angle θB of the wheel 3B (inclines in the opposite direction to the reference line CL1), and the absolute values are equal. The direction line DL is a tangent line that is in contact with the turning track TR1 drawn by the wheels 3A and 3B at the time of turning at the center point TP. The straight line perpendicular to the direction line DL (tangent to the turning trajectory TR1) at the center point TP is defined as the normal LR. The intersection of the normal LR set for the wheel 3A and the normal LR set for the wheel 3B is the turning center CP (see FIG. 6).

Next, the turning operation of the bed transport device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, the left and right words are used with the wheel 3B as the front side and the wheel 3A as the rear side, based on the state when the rear side is viewed from the front side. FIG. 6A is a schematic view showing a state in which the bed transport device 100 turns to the right. FIG. 6B is a schematic view showing a state in which the bed transport device 100 turns to the left. FIG. 6C is a schematic view showing a state in which the bed transport device 100 turns on the spot. In the description of the present embodiment, "right turn" means that the bed transport device 100 makes a turn from the left side to the right side with reference to the front-rear direction. The “left turn” means that the bed transport device 100 makes a turn from the right side to the left side with reference to the front-rear direction. However, if the front-rear directions of the wheels 3A and 3B are interchanged, the left and right sides are reversed.

First, various calculation / setting contents of the calculation unit 55 for performing the operations shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C will be described. The calculation unit 55 may perform calculations and settings in advance when the dimensional information of the bed 20 to be transported is obtained. In this case, the calculation unit 55 may store various calculation / setting contents in the storage unit 56. When the bed transfer device 100 is actually operated, the control unit 50 reads out various calculation / setting contents stored in the storage unit 56. Alternatively, the calculation unit 55 may perform various calculations and settings in real time according to the operation of the remote controller 30 while the bed transfer device 100 is operating.

As shown in FIG. 6A, when the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 make a right turn, the calculation unit 55 sets the turn center CP at a position on the bed 20 side with respect to the bed transfer device 100. The calculation unit 55 positions the turning center CP at the center position between the wheels 3A and the wheels 3B in the front-rear direction. The turning center CP is set at the normal line set at the position of the wheel 3A with respect to the turning track TR1 and at the position of the wheel 3B with respect to the turning track TR1 when the turning track of the wheel 3A and the wheel 3B is TR1. It is set at the intersection with the normal. Therefore, the calculation unit 55 can set the steering angles of the wheels 3A and 3B corresponding to the position of the desired turning center CP. The calculation unit 55 calculates the turning radius R1 of the bed transfer device 100 by calculating the distance between the wheels 3A and 3B and the turning center CP. The calculation unit 55 sets the reference point SP of the bed 20 at a substantially central position of the bed 20. The calculation unit 55 calculates the turning radius R2 of the bed 20 by calculating the distance between the reference point SP of the bed 20 and the turning center CP. When the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 make a right turn, the bed transfer device 100 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the bed 20 with respect to the turning center CP. Therefore, the turning radius R1 of the bed transport device 100 is larger than the turning radius R2 of the bed 20.

The calculation unit 55 may perform various calculations so that the size of the turning radius R2 of the bed 20 changes according to the size of the operation angle θ1 of the joystick 31 of the remote controller 30. When a line extending straight to the front side of the joystick 31 is used as a reference line, the angle formed by the direction in which the joystick 31 is tilted with respect to the reference line is defined as the operating angle θ1. The area on the right side of the reference line is the area where "0 ° <operation angle θ1 <180 °". Of these, in the region of "0 ° <operation angle θ1 <90 °", a right turn is performed toward the front side of the bed transfer device 100. Further, in the region of "0 ° <operation angle θ1 <90 °", the turning radius R2 decreases as the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 increases (that is, as it approaches 90 °). Further, in the region of "90 ° <operation angle θ1 <180 °", a right turn is performed toward the rear side of the bed transfer device 100. Further, in the region of "90 ° <operation angle θ1 <180 °", the turning radius R2 decreases as the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 decreases (that is, as it approaches 90 °).

As shown in FIG. 6B, when the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 turn left, the calculation unit 55 sets the turn center CP at a position opposite to the bed 20 with respect to the bed transfer device 100. .. The calculation unit 55 positions the turning center CP at the center position between the wheels 3A and the wheels 3B in the front-rear direction. The relationship between the other turning trajectories TR1 and TR2 and the turning radii R1 and R2 is the same as for turning right. When the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 make a left turn, the bed 20 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the bed transfer device 100 with respect to the turning center CP. Therefore, the turning radius R1 of the bed transport device 100 is smaller than the turning radius R2 of the bed 20.

The calculation unit 55 may perform various calculations so that the size of the turning radius R2 of the bed 20 changes according to the size of the operation angle θ1 of the joystick 31 of the remote controller 30. The area on the left side of the reference line is the area where “−180 ° <operation angle θ1 <0 °”. Of these, in the region of “−90 ° <operation angle θ1 <0 °”, a left turn is performed toward the front side of the bed transfer device 100. Further, in the region of “−90 ° <operation angle θ1 <0 °”, the turning radius R2 decreases as the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 increases (that is, as it approaches −90 °). Further, in the region of “−180 ° <operation angle θ1 <−90 °”, a left turn is performed toward the rear side of the bed transport device 100. Further, in the region of “−180 ° <operation angle θ1 <−90 °”, the turning radius R2 decreases as the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 decreases (that is, as it approaches −90 °).

Further, when the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 of the joystick 31 of the remote controller 30 is equal between the left turn and the right turn, the calculation unit 55 sets the turning radius R2 of the bed 20 in the right turn and the bed in the left turn. Various settings are made so that the turning radius R2 of 20 is the same. The turning radius R1 of the bed transport device 100 is larger when turning right than when turning left. Therefore, when the absolute values of the operating angles θ1 are equal, the absolute values of the steering angles of the wheels 3A and 3B when turning right are set smaller than those when turning left. When the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 is equal between the left turn and the right turn, the turning speed at the reference point SP of the bed 20 in the right turn and the reference point SP of the bed 20 in the left turn The rotation speeds of the wheels 3A and 3B may be set so that the turning speeds of the wheels 3A and 3B are the same. Specifically, when the desired turning speed at the reference point SP of the bed 20 in the left turn is "turning speed Vb", the rotation speed of the wheels 3A and 3B in the right turning is "" turning speed Vb "". X (“Swivel radius R1 of wheels 3A and 3B on the outer peripheral side of the bed 20” / “Swivel radius R2 of the reference point SP of the bed 20”) ”is set. The rotation speed of the wheels 3A and 3B in the left turn is "" turning speed Vb "x (" turning radius R1 of the wheels 3A and 3B on the inner peripheral side of the bed 20 "/" turning radius of the reference point SP of the bed 20. R2 ")" is set. The "turning speed Vb" may be set based on the amount of inclination that the operator pushes in and tilts the joystick 31. For example, the larger the tilt amount of the joystick 31, the larger the “turning speed Vb” may be set. The calculation / setting of control parameters such as the steering angles of the wheels 3A and 3B and the rotation speed may be performed by the calculation unit 55. In this case, the drive control unit 52 acquires the control parameters set by the calculation unit 55 and controls the wheels 3A and 3B according to the control parameters. Alternatively, the control parameter may be set by the drive control unit 52 based on various setting information set by the calculation unit 55.

As shown in FIG. 6C, when the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 make an in-situ turn, the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 make a turn about the reference point SP of the bed 20. That is, the calculation unit 55 sets the positions of the turning center CP and the bed 20 so that the turning center CP coincides with the reference point SP of the bed 20. The calculation unit 55 calculates the turning radius R3 for in-situ turning by calculating the distance between the reference point SP (that is, the turning center CP) of the bed 20 and the wheels 3A and 3B.

The in-situ turning is executed when the operating angle θ1 of the joystick 31 is “90 °” or “−90 °” with respect to the reference line. Further, when the "operation angle θ1 = 90 °", the direction in which the bed transport device 100 faces the front side is the rotation direction. When the operating angle θ1 = −90 °, the direction in which the bed transport device 100 faces the rear side is the rotation direction. That is, when the drive control unit 52 receives the operation information to turn in the opposite direction from the remote controller 30, the drive control unit 52 controls the wheels 3A and 3B so that the bed 20 rotates in the opposite direction. For "operation angle θ1 = 90 °", the operation of "operation angle θ1 = −90 °" corresponds to "operation information to the effect that the vehicle turns in the opposite direction". When the "operation angle θ1 = 0 °", the bed transfer device 100 moves straight to the front side, and when the "operation angle θ1 = 180 °", the bed transfer device 100 moves straight to the rear side. ..

Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the control content of the control unit 50 when the operator operates the joystick 31 of the remote controller 30 will be described. Here, it is assumed that the calculation unit 55 performs various calculations and settings after acquiring the dimensional information of the bed 20 and stores it in the storage unit 56 in advance. As shown in FIG. 8A, when the operator performs an operation of “operation angle θ1 = 0 °”, the drive control unit 52 causes the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 to move straight forward. In addition, the wheels 3A and 3B are controlled.

As shown in FIG. 8B, when the operator performs an operation of “−90 ° <operation angle θ1 <0 °”, the drive control unit 52 causes the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 to turn left. As described above, the wheels 3A and 3B are controlled. At this time, the drive control unit 52 controls the wheels 3A and 3B so that the larger the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 (that is, the closer to −90 °), the smaller the turning radius R2 of the reference point SP of the bed 20. I do. When the operator brings the operation angle θ1 as close to −90 ° as possible, the drive control unit 52 sets the turning radius R1 of the wheels 3A and 3B to the minimum value and transports the bed as shown in FIG. 8C. Only the device 100 is controlled to make an in-situ turn. In this case, the turning center CP is set at the central position between the wheels 3A and 3B, and the reference point SP of the bed 20 turns around the turning center CP as the bed transport device 100 turns in-situ.

As shown in FIG. 9A, when the operator performs an operation of “0 ° <operation angle θ1 <90 °”, the drive control unit 52 makes the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 turn to the right. As described above, the wheels 3A and 3B are controlled. At this time, the drive control unit 52 controls the wheels 3A and 3B so that the larger the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 (that is, the closer to 90 °), the smaller the turning radius R2 of the reference point SP of the bed 20. Do. Further, when the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 is equal between the left turn and the right turn, the drive control unit 52 has a turning radius R2 of the bed 20 in the right turn and a turning radius R2 of the bed 20 in the left turn. The wheels 3A and 3B are controlled so that they are the same. When the operator brings the operation angle θ1 as close to 90 ° as possible, the drive control unit 52 has the same turning radius R2 of the bed 20 as the turning radius R2 in FIG. 8C, as shown in FIG. 9B. The wheels 3A and 3B are controlled so as to be.

As shown in FIG. 9C, when the operator performs an operation of “operation angle θ1 = −90 °, 90 °”, the drive control unit 52 has the bed transfer device 100 and the bed 20 of the bed 20. The wheels 3A and 3B are controlled so as to make an in-situ turn around the reference point SP. It should be noted that the absolute value of the operation angle θ1 is as close to 90 ° as possible, and from the state where the control shown in FIGS. 8 (c) and 9 (b) is being performed, the operator keeps pressing the joystick 31. When the operating angle θ1 = −90 °, 90 ° ”, the drive control unit 52 does not perform the in-situ turning shown in FIG. 9 (c) from the viewpoint of operational stability, and FIG. 8 (c) shows. The wheels 3A and 3B may be controlled so as to continue the operation shown in FIG. 9B. In this case, when the operator returns the joystick 31 to the initial position once from the state shown in FIGS. 8 (c) and 9 (b) and then performs the operation of "operation angle θ1 = −90 °, 90 °". , The drive control unit 52 may control the wheels 3A and 3B so as to perform the in-situ turning shown in FIG. 9C.

Next, the operation / effect of the bed transport device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

The bed transport device 100 according to the present embodiment is provided on the side surface 1Ba of the main body 1, and includes a connecting portion 4 that connects to the bed 20 on the side surface 20a of the bed 20. Therefore, the bed transport device 100 transports the bed 20 in a state of being connected to one side surface 1Ba of the bed 20.

Here, the bed transfer device 200 according to the comparative example will be described with reference to FIG. For example, when the bed transport device 200 is swiveled so that the swivel radius R1 of the bed transport device 10 is the same in both swivel directions as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), the bed is The turning radius R2 will differ depending on the turning direction. Specifically, the turning radius R2 (see FIG. 10B) when the bed 20 is arranged on the outer peripheral side when turning left is based on the turning radius R2 when the bed 20 is arranged on the inner peripheral side when turning right. Will also grow. In such a case, it may not be possible to move according to the intention of the operator who wants to move the bed 20 as a reference.

On the other hand, in the bed transport device 100 according to the present embodiment, the drive control unit 52 sets the bed in both swivel directions based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit 54 during the swivel operation of the bed transport device 100. The drive control unit 52 is controlled so that the turning radii R2 of 20 are the same. By performing the turning operation with reference to the bed 20 in this way, the bed 20 can be moved according to the intention of the operator. As described above, the operability of the bed transfer device 100 can be improved.

Further, in the bed transfer device 100 according to the present embodiment, the drive control unit 52 may set the speeds of the wheels 3A and 3B so that the turning speeds of the beds 20 are the same in both turning directions. As a result, the bed 20 can be swiveled at the same swivel speed in both swivel directions, so that the bed 20 can be moved according to the intention of the operator.

Further, other problems of the bed transport device 200 according to the comparative example will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 (c) and 10 (d). For example, as shown in FIG. 10C, the bed transfer device 200 itself makes an in-situ turn. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10D, the bed 20 itself turns with a predetermined turning radius R2. In such a case, it may not be possible to move according to the intention of the operator who wants to move the bed 20 as a reference. On the other hand, in the bed transfer device 100 according to the present embodiment, the drive control unit 52 refers to the bed 20 based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit 54 during the turning operation of the bed transfer device 100. The wheels 3A and 3B are controlled so that the bed 20 rotates around the set reference point (reference position) SP. By performing the in-situ turning with respect to the bed 20 in this way, the bed 20 can be moved according to the intention of the operator. As described above, the operability of the bed transfer device 100 can be improved.

Further, in the bed transfer device 100 according to the present embodiment, when the drive control unit 52 receives the operation information that the bed 20 turns in the opposite direction, the wheels 3A and 3B so that the bed 20 rotates in the opposite direction. May be controlled (see FIG. 9 (c)). As a result, the turning direction of the bed 20 can be switched according to the intention of the operator.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

For example, the configuration of the remote controller is not limited to the above, and may be appropriately changed as long as the gist of the present invention is not deviated. Further, instead of the remote controller, an operation unit may be provided in the main body unit.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, one wheel is provided on one side of the main body and one wheel is provided on the other side. Instead of this, a plurality of (for example, two) wheels may be provided on one side of the main body, and a plurality of (for example, two) wheels may be provided on the other side. In such a configuration, the main body 1 may turn or the like by providing a difference in the rotation speeds of the left and right wheels. Further, wheels may be provided on the connecting portion 4. That is, the number and positions of the wheels provided in the bed transport device 100 are not particularly limited. Further, the bed transfer device 100 may be provided with not only wheels as a drive unit having a rotation function and a steering function but also wheels having no function as a drive unit. Alternatively, wheels having only a steering function may be provided. For example, the connecting portion 4 may be provided with wheels as a driving portion.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the tire is exemplified as the wheel, but any type of wheel may be adopted as long as the bed transport device 100 can be moved and controlled. For example, as the wheel, an omnidirectional moving mechanism such as an omni wheel or a spherical drive mechanism may be adopted. When the movement mechanism in all directions is adopted, the angle formed by the traveling direction of the wheels with respect to the reference line corresponds to the above-mentioned "steering angle". That is, even if the wheel does not have the steering mechanism as shown in FIG. 2, the wheel whose traveling direction can be set in a controllable manner can define the "steering angle".

In the above-described embodiment, the turning radius R2 of the bed 20 continuously changes according to the size of the operating angle θ1 of the joystick 31, but is not limited to this. For example, the absolute value of the operating angle θ1 may be divided into a plurality of regions between 0 ° and 90 °, and the turning radius R2 may be set stepwise according to each region. Alternatively, the turning radius R2 for turning left and turning right may be set to only one common value regardless of the size of the operating angle θ1.

Further, in the bed transport device according to the present invention, the dimensional information acquisition unit 54 obtains dimensional information by reading the information associated with the dimensional information instead of directly acquiring the dimensional information of the bed 20. You may get it. As a result, the dimension information acquisition unit 54 can acquire the dimension information via the associated information without directly reading the dimensions of the bed 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a sensor 70 may be provided in the bed transport device, and the sensor 70 may detect the association information set on the bed 20 side. For example, the sensor 70 may be provided in the vicinity of the connecting portion 4, and the association information may be provided in the lower horizontal frame 23 of the bed 20. Specifically, a barcode reader may be provided as the sensor 70, and a barcode may be provided on the bed 20. By reading the bar code, the sensor 70 may acquire the dimensional information of the bed 20 associated with the bar code and transmit it to the dimensional information acquisition unit 54. Alternatively, the lower horizontal frame 23 may be provided with a unique shape (projection or groove) according to the type of the bed 20, and the sensor 70 may read the unique shape. In this case, the dimension information acquisition unit 54 may acquire the dimension information by inquiring the unique shape read by the sensor 70 with the data table.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the reference point SP of the bed 20 is set near the center position of the bed 20, but the position of the reference point SP is not particularly limited. For example, it may be set at the front and rear ends of the bed 20, may be set at the corners of the bed 20, and the position where the remote controller 30 is arranged may be set as the reference point SP. Further, the operator may freely set the reference point SP so that the operator can easily transport the bed 20.

1 ... Main body, 3 ... Wheels (drive unit), 4 ... Connection unit, 20 ... Bed, 30 ... Remote control, 52 ... Drive control unit, 54 ... Dimension information acquisition unit, 100 ... Bed transfer device.

Claims (6)

A bed transport device that transports beds
With the main body
A connecting portion provided on one side of the main body and connecting to the bed on the side surface of the bed.
A drive unit that moves the main body and
A drive control unit that controls the drive unit and
A dimensional information acquisition unit for acquiring dimensional information regarding the size of the bed is provided.
The drive control unit is based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit when the bed transport device is swiveled so that the swivel radius of the bed is the same in both swivel directions. A bed transfer device that controls the. The bed transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the drive control unit sets the speed of the drive unit so that the rotation speed of the bed is the same in both turning directions. The bed transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dimensional information acquisition unit acquires the dimensional information by reading information associated with the dimensional information of the bed. A bed transport device that transports beds
With the main body
A connecting portion provided on one side of the main body and connecting to the bed on the side surface of the bed.
A drive unit that moves the main body and
A drive control unit that controls the drive unit and
A dimensional information acquisition unit for acquiring dimensional information regarding the size of the bed is provided.
The drive control unit rotates the bed around a reference position set with respect to the bed based on the dimensional information acquired by the dimensional information acquisition unit during the turning operation of the bed transfer device. A bed transfer device that controls the drive unit as described above. The bed transfer device according to claim 4, wherein the drive control unit controls the drive unit so that the bed rotates in the opposite direction when receiving operation information indicating that the bed rotates in the opposite direction. The bed transfer device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the dimensional information acquisition unit acquires the dimensional information by reading the information associated with the dimensional information of the bed.

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