JP6606672B2 - Multi-axis rotating structure and omnidirectional moving body - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a multi-axis rotating structure having a plurality of rotating shafts and an omnidirectional moving body.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a moving body in which a horizontal axis that supports a wheel is turned around a steering axis to change the direction. This type of moving body has a drawback that it cannot change the direction instantly because it has one wheel. In order to overcome this difficulty, conventionally, a large wheel is formed by continuously arranging a plurality of small-diameter wheels that rotate passively in the rotational direction, and rotation around the axis of a small-diameter wheel is possible in addition to the circumference of the large-wheel axis. In addition, there is also known a moving body that can change direction instantly. This type of moving body has a problem that the ability to climb over a step is low because the size of the small-diameter wheel is smaller than the entire mechanism.

  In order to overcome these problems, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses that hemispherical wheels arranged opposite to each other are spaced apart by a predetermined distance, and a hemispherical wheel supporting through both centers is supported. An omnidirectional mobile body is described that is individually rotatably supported around the body. The omnidirectional mobile body includes a rotary drive unit connected to the hemispherical wheel support body from the outside in the horizontal direction in the gap between the opposing hemispherical wheels, and around the rotary drive unit and the hemispherical wheel support body. It is made rotatable. Further, a concave portion is formed at the top of each hemispherical wheel, and a spherical surface of the hemispherical wheel having a radius in the axial direction that is supported around the axis perpendicular to the axis of the rotational drive unit and the hemispherical wheel support in this concave portion. A small wheel having a size corresponding to is provided. By providing such a structure, the instantaneous direction change and the size of the pair of hemispherical wheels are equal to the entire mechanism to ensure high step overcoming performance.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, an omnidirectional mobile body according to a modified example of Patent Document 1 in which a symmetrical inclined surface is adopted for the facing surface of the opposing hemispherical wheels and a rotational drive unit is inserted and connected to a wide gap portion. Is described.

Japanese Patent No. 5057130 W02013 / 164327 A1

  The omnidirectional moving bodies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a slight discontinuity in a part of the rotation because there is a gap between the opposing hemispherical wheels. This gap is accompanied by certain restrictions in designing to an appropriate dimension in consideration of securing the shaft diameter of the rotational drive unit to be inserted, that is, ensuring load resistance. Further, in Patent Document 2, by adopting an inclined surface for the gap, the gap between the opposing hemispherical wheels is somewhat narrowed, while the edge of the gap between the hemispherical wheels intersects the rotation direction. For this reason, each time the gap contacts the ground during rotation, a resistance component in a direction different from the rotation direction is generated with respect to the ground surface, and straightness and efficiency are deteriorated. Further, in the case where the ground contact surface is easily deformed, for example, in the case of a carpet or a carpet, it is considered that wrinkles or twists are generated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides a multi-rotating structure and an omnidirectional moving body having load resistance capable of rotating around three axes. Furthermore, the present invention provides a multi-rotating structure and an omnidirectional mobile body that can realize smooth rotation, or an omnidirectional mobile body that can further ensure high step overcoming performance.

  The multi-axis rotating structure according to the present invention has a base body having a circular outer peripheral surface around the base, and an annular outer peripheral surface having a predetermined width at the center, in which the left and right parts of the spherical surface are cut symmetrically, An annular body fitted concentrically on the outer peripheral surface of the base via a bearing, and an attachment part and a shaft center part connected to each other, the attachment part being formed from the outside of the base shaft to the base part; The shaft center portion is formed on a plane that divides the torus symmetrically in the width direction and extends radially outward, and shafts are respectively provided on both sides of the base portion. A pair of supported rotating bodies, including a rotating body that rotates in a plane parallel to a plane formed by the axis of the axial center and the axis of the torus.

  According to the present invention, the multiaxial rotating structure can be passively rotated at least around the three axes of the shaft center, the torus, and the rotating body. The rotating body rotates in a plane parallel to the plane formed by the axis of the axial center portion and the axis of the torus, so that the multiaxial rotating structure can rotate in all directions. In addition, since the attachment portion is fixed to the side portion of the base body from the outside, the attachment portion can be set to an arbitrary thickness, and higher load resistance is ensured.

  In addition, since the multi-axis rotating structure can be rotated at least passively around the three axes of the axial center, the torus, and the rotating body, when applied to a moving body or the like, active or passive rotation in all directions is possible. Is possible. In addition, by providing a drive source for at least one of the three axes of the shaft center portion, the torus, and the rotating body so as to enable active rotation as appropriate, the moving body and other various applications can be applied. Become. If the rotating body rotates in a plane parallel to the plane formed by the axis of the shaft center and the axis of the torus, the axis of the shaft center and the axis of the torus Various forms can be adopted in addition to a spindle-shaped cylindrical body that is long in a direction parallel to the surface to be formed. For example, a rotating body formed by connecting one or more cylinders, spheres (elliptical spheres) in a direction parallel to a plane formed by the axis of the shaft center and the axis of the torus, or An embodiment in which the bellows flexible tube (one aspect of the cylindrical body) is rotatably supported may be employed.

  Further, the rotating body includes a spherical rotation locus formed by an annular outer peripheral surface of the annular body when the annular body rotates around the axial center portion, and is in a hollow portion of the annular body. The rotation surface is a circumference including a predetermined singular point. According to this configuration, rotation about three axes is possible by matching or approximating the rotation surface on the circumference including the predetermined singular point in the rotation locus of the spherical surface. The axis that rotates in a plane parallel to the plane constituted by the axis of the shaft center and the axis of the torus is provided along the circumference or a linear axis, and the axis is 1 Alternatively, a plurality of spheres (including elliptic spheres) may be rotatably supported, or one or a plurality of cylinders may be arranged in series. With such a configuration, the rotation surfaces may coincide with each other on the circumference, or may be approximated like a cylindrical body having an equal diameter in the axial direction, for example.

  In addition, the rotating body has rotating shafts that are respectively supported on both sides of the base portion, and the rotating shaft is orthogonal to the axial direction of the axial center portion and the axial direction of the torus, and the rotation The radius in the axial direction of the body is within the hollow trajectory of the spherical ring formed by the annular outer peripheral surface of the annular body when the annular body rotates around the axial center. The spindle has a spindle shape set to a dimension that is radially lowered from the axis of the rotating body up to a circumference including a predetermined singular point.

  According to this configuration, the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body coincides with the circumference passing through a predetermined singular point in the rotation trajectory on the spherical surface formed by the outer peripheral surface of the torus by rotating around the axis. Therefore, when rotating around the axial center of the torus, the rotation trajectory passing through the singular point becomes a circle, and there are no discontinuous points. Furthermore, when the multi-axis rotating structure is applied to a moving body or the like, active or passive rotation in all directions is possible, and the singular point coincides with the circumference, so that smooth rotation is realized. Application to a moving body eliminates the discontinuity at the time of rotational movement due to a gap as in the prior art, and realizes extremely smooth rotational movement. In addition, by providing a drive source for at least one of the three axes of the shaft center, the torus, and the rotator so that it can be actively rotated as appropriate, it can be applied to various applications such as moving objects. Become.

  The mounting portion includes first and second mounting portions which are divided into two parts, and the base is mounted to the first and second mounting portions at both side portions. is there. According to this configuration, the base and the support are fixed from both sides of the base, so that the base becomes stronger and high load resistance is ensured.

  In addition, the present invention is characterized by having a main bearing externally fitted to the support. According to this configuration, the main body side equipped with the multi-axis rotating structure can be supported so as to be relatively rotatable via the main bearing.

  The mounting position of the mounting portion on the side of the base is closer to the support than the position of the shaft of the base, and the mounting position of the rotating body on the side of the base sandwiches the shaft of the base. It is made to become the other side of the attachment position of the said attachment part. According to this configuration, a sufficient space for mounting the rotating body can be secured. Therefore, the singular point can be set on an appropriate circumference.

  The present invention also provides a first rotational force transmission mechanism interposed between the base body and the torus, and a first body that is built in the base body and outputs rotational force to the first rotational force transmission mechanism. And a drive source. According to this configuration, the torus can be actively rotated.

  Further, the present invention includes a second rotational force transmission mechanism interposed between the base body and the rotating body, and one of the rotating body and the base body, and the second rotational force transmission mechanism includes a rotational force. And a second drive source for outputting the above. According to this configuration, the rotating body can be actively rotated.

  Moreover, the omnidirectional mobile body which concerns on this invention has a main body which inclines and supports the said support body of the said multi-axial rotation structure at the angle which the circumference containing the said singular point grounds. According to this configuration, the omnidirectional mobile body rotates around each axis and smoothly rotates in all directions by tilting the support body and supporting the main body so that the singular point contacts the floor surface. Is possible. In addition, since high load resistance can be ensured, it is possible to provide omnidirectional moving bodies of various sizes, various sizes and various uses.

  Further, the omnidirectional mobile body according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a rotating body for stepping over a step supported by the mounting portion and having an outer peripheral surface exposed to the outside of the mounting portion. According to this configuration, when the omnidirectional mobile body moves over the step, the step-overcoming rotating body contacts and rotates before the attachment portion contacts the step. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly get over the step, and the mounting part becomes an obstacle when getting over the step is alleviated or eliminated.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the multiple rotation structure body and the omnidirectional mobile body provided with load resistance which enabled the rotation of 3 axis | shafts can be provided.

1 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of a multi-axis rotating structure according to the present invention. It is an external view in a state where the multi-axis rotating structure is at a predetermined rotational phase position. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the rotation phase position of FIG. It is a perspective view of the cylindrical body 10 of the state before a rotary body is supported. 4A and 4B are external views of the cylindrical body shown in FIG. 4, where FIG. 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a left side view, FIG. 4C is a front view, FIG. 4D is a right side view, and FIG. It is a perspective view of the cylindrical body 10 in the state where the rotating body is supported. It is an external view of the cylindrical body shown in FIG. 6, (a) is a top view, (b) is a left side view, (c) is a front view, (d) is a right side view, and (e) is a bottom view. It is an external view in the state which exists in the rotation phase position where the outer peripheral surface of a torus is earth | grounded. It is an external appearance perspective view of an example which equipped the moving body with the multiaxial rotating structure. It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of a structure in the case of driving a cylindrical body, a torus, and a rotary body actively. It is explanatory drawing at the time of applying a multiaxial rotating structure to the holding apparatus which hold | grips an object. It is the perspective view which employ | adopted the smooth structure over a level | step difference at the time of applying a multi-axial rotating structure to a moving body. FIG. 13A is a side view and FIG. 12B is a plan view. FIG. 7A is a perspective view that adopts another step-over smooth structure when a multi-axis rotating structure is applied to a moving body, and FIG. 9A is a view in which a pair of rotating bodies are provided on both sides of an attachment portion; These are figures at the time of providing a plurality of pairs of rotating bodies on both sides of the mounting portion.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of a multi-axis rotating structure according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external view of a state in which the multiaxial rotating structure is at a predetermined rotational phase position. 1 and 2 show a torus that is a part of the structure in a translucent manner for convenience of explanation. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view at the rotational phase position of FIG. In the following, for convenience of explanation, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the direction of the axis L1 is the X direction, the axial direction of the cylindrical body 10 (ring 30) is the Y direction, and is orthogonal to the XY plane. The depth direction in FIG. 2 as the direction is the Z direction. The multi-axis rotating structure 1 can be applied to various uses as will be described later. Hereinafter, an example of application to a moving body capable of traveling on the floor surface in all directions will be described.

  The multi-axis rotating structure 1 includes a cylindrical body 10 as an example of a base, a support 20 for supporting the cylindrical body 10, and an annular body 30 having a predetermined width supported by the cylindrical body 10 so as to be relatively rotatable. And a pair of rotating bodies 50 supported by the cylindrical body 10.

  The cylindrical body 10 has at least a circular outer peripheral surface 11 having a predetermined width in the Y direction, and has both planar side surfaces 12. The support 20 includes an axial center portion 21 and an attachment portion 22 that are connected to each other. The shaft center portion 21 is concentric with an axis L1 that passes through an intermediate plane in the width direction (Y direction) of the torus 30 and extends outward in the radial direction (X direction) of the torus 30. In this embodiment, the attachment portion 22 is divided into two in the Y-axis direction at the distal end portion of the shaft center portion 21 and has a shape that is bent symmetrically, and each distal end is a cylinder from the radially outer side of the cylindrical body 10. It is fixed to the side surface 12 of the body 10. A mounting position 220 (see FIG. 4) on the side surface 12 by the mounting portion 22 is set closer to the axial center portion 21 than the position of the axis L2 of the cylindrical body 10. By shifting the mounting position 220 to the axial center 21 side in this way, a region of the concave portion 14 which is an example of a mounting space for the rotating body 50 is secured as will be described later. The recess 14 is formed in a state where the side surface 12 of the cylindrical body 10 and the lower outer peripheral surface 13 (lower right side in FIG. 3) in the X direction are cut out. Details of the recess 14 will be described later.

  A bearing portion 200 that is required when the multiaxial rotating structure 1 is rotatably attached to another member, for example, the moving body 60 (see FIG. 8) is externally fitted to the shaft center portion 21 as necessary. . In the aspect in which the multi-axis rotating structure 1 is actively rotated, the rotational force may be transmitted from a driving source M1 such as a motor built in the moving body 60 side. When at least one multi-axis rotating structure 1 is attached toward the lower side of the moving body 60, for example, when a total of four multi-axis rotating structures 1 are attached in four directions as shown in FIG. 8, the support body 20 is inclined downward. The outer peripheral surfaces of the torus 30 and the rotating body 50 are in contact with the floor surface FL at an inclination angle of the axis L1.

  The annular body 30 has an annular outer peripheral surface 31 having a predetermined center width that is obtained by symmetrically cutting the left and right portions of the spherical surface. The annular body 30 has an inner peripheral surface 32 fitted on the outer peripheral surface 11 of the cylindrical body 10 via a bearing 40 so as to be rotatable relative to the cylindrical body 10 about the axis L2. Although one bearing 40 may be used, it is preferable to arrange two or more bearings in parallel as shown in FIG. 3 in consideration of application and load resistance. The annular body 30 is positioned with the cylindrical body 10 in the Y direction so that the axis L1 passes on the central plane in the width direction (Y direction) of the outer peripheral surface 31. As a result, when the support 20 is actively or passively rotated around the shaft center 21 (axis L1), the rotation locus of the outer peripheral surface 31 of the torus 30 is a spherical surface CA (see FIG. 3). .

  Concave portions 14 are formed symmetrically on both side surfaces 12 and 12 of the cylindrical body 10 so as to rotatably support the rotating body 50. The formation position of the recess 14 is a position excluding the attachment position 220 of the attachment part 22 and is set on the opposite side to the support 20 side with respect to the X direction.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cylindrical body 10 in a state before the rotating body 50 is supported. 5 is an external view of the cylindrical body 10 shown in FIG. 4, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a left side view, (c) is a front view, (d) is a right side view, and (e) is a side view. It is a bottom view. The concave portion 14 has a columnar space that is perforated in the Z direction (see FIGS. 2 and 5D) such that the rotating body 50 is accommodated with some remaining portions. On both sides in the Z direction of the recess 14, a pair of side walls 15 formed by drilling a notch 151 in a part on the outer peripheral surface 11 side are formed so as to face each other. The side wall 15 functions as a bearing portion, and a shaft support hole 16 is formed at each symmetrical position. The shaft support hole 16 supports both ends of the rotating shaft 51 of the rotating body 50 as described later. By forming the side wall 15 at the inner position of the outer peripheral surface 11 by the notch portion 151, the structural components that support the rotating shaft 51 of the rotating body 50 are accommodated inside the outer peripheral surface 11.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cylindrical body 10 in a state where the rotating body 50 is supported. 7 is an external view of the cylindrical body 10 shown in FIG. 6, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a left side view, (c) is a front view, (d) is a right side view, and (e) is a side view. It is a bottom view. The rotating body 50 has a rotating shaft 51 having a predetermined length, and has a spindle-shaped outer peripheral surface 52 having a large diameter at the axial center as described later.

  The rotation shaft 51 is orthogonal to the axis L1 (X direction) and the axis L2 (Y direction), that is, coincides with the Z direction. In addition, the radius of the rotating body 50 is set to a predetermined contact among the rotation trajectories that form the spherical surface CA formed by the annular outer peripheral surface 31 of the annular body 30 when the annular body 30 rotates around the axis L1. It is set to the length dimension of the line segment R drawn down from the rotating shaft 51 of the rotating body 50 in the radial direction up to the circumference CPo around the axis L1 including the point Po (see FIG. 3). By setting the radius at each point in the direction of the rotation axis 51 of the rotating body 50 to the length dimension of the line segment R, the outer peripheral surface 52 in the axial direction of the rotating body 50 always coincides with the circumference CPo. Therefore, when the cylindrical body 10 is rotated around the axis L1, rotation along the circumference CPo is realized by the outer peripheral surface 31 of the torus 30 and the outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50, and the multi-axis rotating structure The body 1 always rolls in contact with the floor surface FL. In addition, you may make it make the site | part corresponding to the circumference CPo correspond to the circumference CPo among the edge parts of the side wall 15. FIG.

  Next, the omnidirectional movement operation of the multi-axis rotating structure 1 will be described. The multi-axis rotating structure 1 is assumed to be supported on a movable body (main body) (not shown) via the bearing portion 200 in an inclined posture of the axis L1.

(1) Movement by Active Rotation around the Axis L1 When the multi-axis rotating structure 1 receives the rotational force from the drive source M1 and actively rotates around the axis L1, the cylindrical body 10 and the torus 30 rotate. As a result, the multi-axis rotating structure 1 rolls on the circumference CPo including the contact point Po with the floor surface FL, and moves in the rolling direction (in the case of FIG. 3, the depth direction on the paper surface).

  When an external force in another direction is applied during active rotation around the axis L1, the outer periphery of the torus 30 of the external force is in a period during which the outer periphery 31 of the torus 30 is in contact with the floor surface FL. The movement component of the surface 31 in the passive rotation direction is synthesized and moved in the rolling direction around the axis L1. Further, during the period in which the outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50 is in contact with the floor surface FL, the movement component in the passive rotation direction of the outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50 out of the external force is synthesized in the rolling direction around the axis L1. Move.

(2) Movement by passive rotation when receiving external force in the same direction as the direction orthogonal to axis L1 External force is applied to multi-axis rotating structure 1 in the same direction as the rolling direction by active rotation around axis L1. In this case, the outer peripheral surface 31 of the torus 30 and the outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50 receive friction from the floor surface FL and passively rotate around the axis L1. Therefore, the multi-axis rotating structure 1 rolls on the circumference CPo including the contact point Po with the floor surface FL, and moves in the rolling direction (in the case of FIG. 3, the depth direction on the paper surface).

(3) Movement by passive rotation when receiving external force in other directions First, the torus 30 as shown in FIG. 8 is completely upright (the axis L2 is parallel to the floor surface FL). When an external force F coinciding with the rotation direction of the torus 30 is applied to the multi-axis rotating structure 1 stopped at the position, the torus 30 receives friction from the floor surface FL, and the outer peripheral surface 31 moves to the axis L2. A passive rotation occurs around. Therefore, the multi-axis rotating structure 1 moves in the rotation direction of the torus 30.

  Next, when an external force F is applied in any direction regardless of the rotational phase position, passive rotation around the torus 30, the rotating body 50, and the axis L1 occurs. First, during the period in which the outer peripheral surface 31 of the torus 30 is in contact with the floor surface FL, the torus 30 rotates around the axis L2 due to the component of the external force in the rotation direction of the torus 30 and the external force A component around F in the direction around axis L1 causes rotation around axis L1. Next, during a period in which the outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50 is in contact with the floor surface FL, the rotating body 50 rotates around the rotation shaft 51 by the component of the external force in the rotating direction of the rotating body 5, and the external force F The rotation around the axis L1 is generated by the component in the direction around the axis L1. Therefore, the multi-axis rotating structure 1 moves in the direction in which the external force F acts.

(4) Movement of Rotating Body 50 by Passive Rotation Unlike FIG. 8, as shown in FIG. 3 (FIG. 2), the outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50 is stopped while being in contact with the floor surface FL. It is assumed that an external force F acts on the shaft rotating structure 1 as indicated by arrows in the left-right direction in FIG. In this case, since there is no rotational force component around the axis L1, if the rotary body 50 is not rotatable around the rotary axis 51, the multiaxial rotary structure 1 moves in the left-right direction in FIG. Is impossible.

  Therefore, in the state where the outer peripheral surface 52 is in contact with the floor surface FL including the rotational phase position of FIG. 3, a grounding point Po is secured on the outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50, and the rotating shaft 51 is attached to the rotating body 50. The rotating body 50 is provided so as to be passively rotatable so as to be movable in the left-right direction in FIG. In the case where the external force F has the left-right direction component of FIG. 3, that is, a force in a direction intersecting with the paper surface, the multi-axis rotating structure 1 has the axis L1, The straight traveling is continued by the passive rotation of L2 and the passive rotation of the rotating shaft 51.

  As a result of the above, the multi-axis rotating structure 1 realizes a plurality of axes, that is, rotation around the axis L1, rotation around the axis L2 of the annular body 30, and rotation around the rotation axis 51 of the rotating body 50. When equipped on the body, it can move in all directions regardless of the initial rotational phase position.

  FIG. 9 shows an external perspective view of an example in which the multi-axis rotating structure 1 is mounted on the moving body 60. The moving body 60 is assumed to be applied to a self-propelled robot, a wheelchair, a vehicle, etc. that can move in all directions regardless of whether it is in a factory, in a hospital, or inside or outside. In addition, in FIG. 9, the basic concept as the moving body 60 is shown, and the configuration of the central basic portion on which the multiaxial rotating structure 1 is equipped is appropriately changed according to the application.

  When applied to the self-propelled moving body 60, it is preferable for posture stability if three or more multi-axis rotating structures 1 are provided. In addition, if it is set as the form which employ | adopts the auxiliary wheel for balance etc., two pieces may be sufficient. Also, in the case of rough terrain other than flat land, high mobility performance can be demonstrated by installing a predetermined number of 6 axes or more in all directions of the solid angle of the moving body, It can also be applied to on-site activities. Further, since the size is small, it can be applied to a size that can be carried by humans, or a size larger than that, for example, for carrying parts, equipment, or goods.

  In the form of FIG. 9, a total of four multi-axis rotating structures 1, which are paired on the left and right and paired on the front and back, are provided. In the moving body 60, a circuit configuration for running control and a motor as a driving source for actively rotating each multi-axis rotating structure 1 are incorporated. For example, when moving in the front-rear direction, the movement control may be performed by actively rotating the pair of left and right multi-axis rotating structures 1 at the same speed in the same direction. When moving in the left-right direction, the pair of front and rear multi-axis rotating structures 1 may be actively rotated at the same speed in the same direction. In the case of moving in the synthesis direction, a predetermined rotation speed may be set for each of the pair of multiaxial rotating structures 1. By changing the rotation direction of the pair of multi-axis rotating structures 1 or changing the rotation speed, it is possible to realize various movements other than straight movement such as direction change and curve movement.

  FIG. 10 is a functional configuration diagram illustrating an example of a configuration when the cylindrical body 10, the annular body 30, and the rotating body 50 are actively driven. In FIG. 10, a drive source M <b> 2 such as a motor is built in the cylindrical body 10, and enables the annular body 30 to be actively rotated via a rotational force transmission mechanism 71. The rotational force transmission mechanism 71 typically has two gears that mesh with each other. One of the two gears constituting the rotational force transmission mechanism 71 is attached to the cylindrical body 10, a part is exposed from the outer peripheral surface 11, and the other gear is along the inner peripheral surface 32 of the torus 30. The ring-shaped gears that are provided mesh with each other. The gear on the cylindrical body 10 side is connected to the output rotation shaft of the drive source M <b> 2 so as to be able to rotate, and transmits the rotational force to the torus 30. The torus 30 is rotationally driven via a bearing 40.

  Further, a drive source M3 such as a motor is built in the cylindrical body 10 and enables the rotary body 50 to be actively rotated via the rotational force transmission mechanism 72. The rotational force transmission mechanism 72 typically has two gears that mesh with each other. One of the two gears constituting the rotational force transmission mechanism 72 is attached to the cylindrical body 10, a part is exposed on the inner surface of the recess 14, and the other gear is provided around the outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50. The ring-shaped gears meshed with each other. The gear on the cylindrical body 10 side is connected to the output rotation shaft of the drive source M <b> 3 so as to be able to rotate, and transmits the rotational force to the rotating body 50. The rotating body 50 is driven to rotate around the rotating shaft 51. The drive sources M2 and M3 may be provided on the annular body 30 and the rotating body 50 side. As is well known, for example, a power line from the stationary side to the driving sources M2 and M3 on the rotating side is provided with a hole in the inside of the support 20, and a slip provided concentrically with the shaft L1 at an appropriate position of the shaft portion 21. What is necessary is just to make it pass to the cylindrical body 10 through a hole through a ring.

  Thus, since the multiaxial structure 1 attaches the support body 20 to the side surface from the outside of the cylindrical body 10, there is no rotation discontinuity due to the presence of a gap as in the conventional case, and the movement (running) is smooth. Since it is not necessary to limit the rotational drive portion to a small diameter as in the prior art, the shaft center portion 21 and the mounting portion 22 constituting the support body 20 can be made large in diameter, and load resistance is ensured. Can be secured. Further, the multi-axis rotating structure 1 ensures high step-over performance by making the size of the multi-axis rotating structure 1 and the size of the torus 30 equal.

  In FIG. 11, all of the cylindrical body 10, the annular body 30 and the rotating body 50, at least the cylindrical body 10 and the annular body 30, can be actively rotated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, as shown in FIG. Can be applied not to a moving body but to other uses, for example, a gripping device for gripping an object. FIG. 11 shows a state in which two multi-axis rotating structures 1 are assumed to be robot hands or finger parts of a robot hand, the object to be grasped Ob is held between them, and can be rotated as necessary. ing. The annular body 30 is actively rotated by a predetermined amount in directions R1 and R2 that are opposite to each other, so that the gripping object Ob having a cylindrical shape or a columnar shape is drawn, for example. Furthermore, the gripping position of the gripping object Ob can be changed by rotating the two toric bodies 30 in the same direction at the same speed while gripping. Note that the number of the multi-axis rotating structure 1 may be two, three, or more. For example, in the case of three, by selectively controlling the drive to the multi-axis rotating structure 1, for example, if the object to be grasped is a sphere, the sphere can be grasped in all directions. In the aspect of providing five, it is possible to simulate a person's five fingers.

  On the other hand, the drive sources M1 to M3 may not be used, and all may be configured to be passively rotated. In this case, it can be applied to casters, for example. In the aspect applied to a caster, it is good not only as the number of the multi-axial rotating structure 1 but being comprised from two or more.

  FIGS. 12 and 13 are diagrams showing another embodiment in the case where the multi-axis rotating structure 1 is applied to a moving body, and is a diagram showing a state in which a structure for smoothly overcoming a step is adopted. . In this embodiment, a rotating body, for example, a ring body 23 is provided on the attachment portion 22a. The attachment portion 22a has a predetermined width, and includes a main body portion 221 having an arc shape in a side view (in the direction of the axis La in FIG. 12), and a connecting portion 222 extending from both ends of the main body portion 221 having an arc shape. I have. The connecting portion 222 is extended as a pair of parallel rod-shaped bodies from the left and right ends in the width direction of both arc-shaped tips of the main body portion 221, and the tips of the pair of rod-shaped bodies are fixed to the side surfaces 12. Moreover, the main-body part 221 is a center part of the width direction, Comprising: The circular-arc through-hole 223 is formed by side view. A ring body 23 is fitted in the through hole 223. The ring body 23 is formed of a low-friction material or a surface subjected to low-friction processing, and is fitted into the through hole 223 so as to slide and rotate around an axis La parallel to an axis perpendicular to the axis L1 and the axis L2. Combined.

  An arcuate through-hole 17 having the same curvature as the through-hole 223 is formed so as to penetrate between both side surfaces 12 of the cylindrical body 10. The through hole 23 and the through hole 17 correspond to an arc that forms part of the circumference. The ring body 23 is fitted in the through hole 223 of the main body 221 and is also fitted in the through hole 17 of the cylindrical body 10. Further, the outer periphery of the ring body 23 is located outward from at least the main body portion 221 and the connecting portion 222 with respect to the vertical direction. When the multi-axis rotating structure 1 moves on the floor surface, for example, when it reaches a stepped portion, the ring body 23 comes into contact with and rotates before the mounting portion 22a. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly get over the step, and the mounting portion 22a becomes an obstacle when stepping over the step is alleviated or eliminated. In FIG. 13, the shaft center portion 21 is shown horizontally for drawing or explanation, but actually has a predetermined inclination angle.

  FIG. 14 is a view corresponding to FIG. 12, showing another embodiment of a rotating body for overcoming a smooth step. FIG. 14A is a view when a pair of rotating bodies are provided on both sides of the mounting portion, and FIG. 14B is a view when a plurality of pairs of rotating bodies are provided on both sides of the mounting portion. In FIG. 14A, a pair of rotating body portions 23 a is provided on both sides of the attachment portion 22. The rotating body portion 23a has bearings 231a attached to shafts La parallel to the axes orthogonal to the shafts L1 and L2 on the outer surfaces of both ends of the mounting portion 22, and shafts on both sides of the bearing 231a in the direction of the shaft La. And a rotating body 232a such as a roller having a predetermined diameter supported. The outer periphery of the rotating body 232a is exposed to the outside from the outer surface of the attachment portion 22. Therefore, when the attachment portion 22 tries to come into contact with the stepped portion, the rotating body 232a first comes into contact with the stepped portion and rotates, so that the attachment portion 22 becomes an obstacle at the time of overcoming the step. In FIG. 14B, a plurality of pairs of rotating body portions 23 b are provided on both sides of the attachment portion 22, two pairs here. Each pair of rotating body portions 23b includes, on the outer side surfaces of both ends of the attachment portion 22, an axis La parallel to an axis orthogonal to the axis L1 and the axis L2, a bearing 231b attached to the axis La ′, and a bearing 231b. And a rotating body 232b such as a roller having a predetermined diameter that is pivotally supported on both sides in the axial direction. The outer periphery of the rotating body 232b is exposed to the outside from the outer surface of the attachment portion 22. When the attachment portion 22 tries to come into contact with the stepped portion, the rotating body 232b first comes into contact with the step and rotates, so that the attachment portion 22 becomes an obstacle at the time of overcoming the step is alleviated or eliminated. The rotating bodies 232a and 232b may be rollers or ring bodies in addition to rollers.

  Furthermore, the present invention can employ the following aspects.

  (1) In this embodiment, the columnar body 10 as the base body has a solid structure, but at least a circular outer peripheral surface 11, a structure in which the support body 20 is fixed to both sides, and a support structure of the rotating body 50 Need to be solid. As long as strength is satisfied, the base may have a structure including a base portion having both side portions and an outer peripheral surface 11 around the base portion. As a result, design freedom and weight reduction can be achieved.

  (2) The position in the X direction of the ground point Po of the rotator 50 depends on the inclination angle of the axis L1 set depending on the application and other factors. For example, referring to FIG. L1 is parallel to the floor surface FL) and the range between the position where the edge in the width direction of the outer peripheral surface 31 of the torus 30 is in contact with the floor surface FL when the Y direction is on the vertical surface before the rotating body 50 is attached. What is necessary is just La. In addition, it is preferable that the width direction dimension of the outer peripheral surface 31 of the toric body 30 is changed corresponding to the setting position of the grounding point Po. In FIG. It is set so as to correspond to the vicinity position of.

  (3) In the aspect in which the multi-axis rotating structure 1 is applied to the moving body, the radius in the direction of the rotating shaft 51 is made to coincide with the circumference CPo of the spherical surface CA so that the outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50 is in contact with the floor surface FL. The grounding point Po was secured. However, in the aspect in which the multi-axis rotating structure 1 is applied to uses other than the moving body, the term “contact point Po” is not familiar. In this case, the term “singular point” is adopted as the term corresponding to the contact point Po. The singular point can be appropriately set according to the application, and can be switched to another circumference CPo on the spherical surface CA.

  (4) The outer peripheral surface 52 of the rotating body 50 is not limited to the spindle type, and various forms can be adopted as long as it can be rotated at the position of the ground contact point Po so as to eliminate at least discontinuous points. For example, it is assumed that a plurality of spheres (including elliptical spheres) or cylinders having different shapes are connected to a shaft corresponding to the rotating shaft 51 in order to form one spindle of the same shape or a spindle shape as a whole. Also good. When connecting a plurality of the same shape, the shape of the shaft itself may be the same or approximate to the circumference CPo.

  (5) The rotating body does not need to be solid, and as long as the strength is satisfied, the spindle can be reduced in weight as a spindle-shaped cylinder having rotating shafts at both ends.

  (6) It is preferable that the outer peripheral surfaces of the toric body 30 and the rotating body 50 are made of a material having a predetermined coefficient of friction depending on the application, and are subjected to surface processing or clothing treatment.

  (7) The mounting portion 22 has a symmetrically divided structure, but is not limited to this. Depending on the application and the like, a cantilevered mounting structure bent from the shaft portion 21 only on one side surface 12 side. It is good. Further, the mounting position 220 (see FIG. 4) of the mounting portion 22 is on the shaft center 21 side with respect to the shaft L2, but if the space of the concave portion 14 can be secured, the position corresponding to the shaft L2 or the side surface 12 is provided. The outer peripheral area may be used.

1 Multi-axis rotating structure 10 Cylinder (base)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Outer peripheral surface 12 Side surface 20 Support body 21 Axis center part 22 Attachment part 23 Ring body (rotary body)
23a, 23b Rotating body (Rotating body)
200 Bearing section (main bearing)
30 toroid 31 outer peripheral surface 40 bearing 50 rotating body 52 outer peripheral surface 60 moving body 71 rotational force transmission mechanism (first rotational force transmission mechanism)
72 Rotational force transmission mechanism (second rotational force transmission mechanism)
M1 drive source M2 drive source (first drive source)
M3 drive source (second drive source)
FL Floor Po Contact point (singular point)

Claims (9)

Forms a cylindrical, a substrate having a side surface on both sides of the circumferential surface and the circumferential surface around the first axis which is the central axis,
An annular body that is externally fitted to the circumferential surface of the base body via a bearing, and the annular outer peripheral surface remains on both sides of the spherical surface in the direction of the first axis being cut symmetrically A torus consisting of a surface portion ;
And a mounting portion and a shaft center portion connected to each other, wherein the mounting section is fixed to at least one side of the side surface of the opposite sides of the base, the axis portion, said first of said torus A support that passes through an intermediate point in the direction of the axis and extends outward in the direction of the second axis perpendicular to the first axis ;
A pair of rotating bodies which are respectively pivotally supported on the side surface of the base body, including a rotating member that rotates in a plane parallel to the plane constituted by the said first axis and said second axis See
The mounting position of the mounting portion on the side surface of the base is closer to the axial center than the position of the first shaft,
The multi-axis rotating structure in which the mounting position of the rotating body on the side surface of the base is opposite to the mounting position of the mounting portion across the first shaft . The rotating body has a predetermined rotational path of a spherical surface formed by an annular outer peripheral surface of the annular body when the annular body rotates around the second axis. The multi-axis rotating structure according to claim 1, wherein the rotating surface is a circumference including a singular point. The rotating body has a rotary shaft which is respectively pivotally supported on the side surface of the opposite sides of the base body, wherein the rotation axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis, the axis of the rotating body The radius in the direction is a predetermined radius within a hollow portion of the torus, in a rotational locus of a spherical surface formed by the annular outer peripheral surface of the torus when the torus rotates around the second axis. 2. The multiaxial rotating structure according to claim 1, wherein the multiaxial rotating structure has a spindle shape set to a dimension that is radially lowered from an axis of the rotating body up to a circumference including the singular point. The said attachment part has the 1st, 2nd attachment part divided into two, and the said base | substrate is attached to the said 1st, 2nd attachment part by the side surface of the said both sides. The multiaxial rotating structure according to any one of?   The multi-axis rotating structure according to claim 1, further comprising a main bearing externally fitted to the support. A first torque transmitting mechanism which is interposed between the annular body and the base body, being furnished to the substrate, and a first driving source that outputs a rotational force to the first torque transmitting mechanism polyaxial rotation structure according to claim 5 or you characterized in that the. A second torque transmitting mechanism which is interposed between the rotary member and the base, is furnished on one of the rotating body and the base, second drive for outputting a rotational force to the second rotating force transmission mechanism The multiaxial rotating structure according to claim 1, further comprising a source. The omnidirectional mobile body which has a main body which inclines and supports the said support body of the multi-axial rotating structure of Claim 2 or 3 to the angle which the circumference containing the said specific point is grounded . The omnidirectional mobile body according to claim 8, further comprising a step-overcoming rotating body supported by the mounting portion and having an outer peripheral surface exposed to the outside of the mounting portion .