JP2001113477A - Collision detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect a collision even in an area having small curvature. SOLUTION: In a linear pressure sensitive sensor 12, a second resin plate 11b receives impact by a collision, and the pressure sensitive sensor 12 is deformed by sandwiching the pressure sensitive sensor 12 by a first resin plate 11a and the second resin plate 11b installed on a cushioning material 4. Then, an electrode wire arranged in an inner peripheral part of the pressure sensitive sensor 12 electrically contacts with an electrode wire opposed by sandwiching a space, so that an electric signal is outputted to a CPU in an unillustrated mobile robot 1 to stop operation of the mobile robot 1. Since the linear pressure sensitive sensor 12 has flexibility, the sensor can be arranged even in an area having small curvature to precisely detect a collision even in either area.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a collision detection device, for example, attached to a lower part of a mobile robot body.
The present invention relates to a device for detecting a collision with a mobile robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 1, a mobile robot 1 in which a robot arm 2 is mounted on an unmanned carrier is being adopted, for example, in an assembly line for automobile parts. This type of mobile robot 1 is provided with a safety device that detects, when a human or another mobile robot or the like approaches the mobile robot 1 and collides with the mobile robot 1 by mistake, immediately stops the operation. .

As a device for detecting such a collision, there is a conventional collision detection device 3 (bumper switch) as shown in FIGS. The collision detection device 3 is attached to a front part and a rear part of the main body of the mobile robot 1, and detects a collision generated when the mobile robot moves forward or backward.

[0004] Specifically, this collision detection device is configured as shown in FIG. 3 corresponding to a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA 'of FIG. That is, the cushioning material 4 that absorbs the impact of the collision
A fixing member 7 provided on one surface of the cushioning material 4 for fixing the collision detection device 3 to the mobile robot 1; and a pair of fixing members 7 attached to the other surface of the cushioning material 4 and provided with a predetermined gap. Is deformed by an external force (collision) and comes into contact with each other to generate an electric signal, and outputs the signal to a CPU in the mobile robot 1 (not shown).
And a resin plate 5 provided so as to sandwich the pressure-sensitive sensor 6 together with the cushioning material 4 and a resin cover 8 for protecting these members.

Then, the resin plate 5 collides with a person or the like, and the impact deforms the pressure-sensitive sensor 6 to output an electric signal, and the impact of the collision is buffered by the cushioning material 4 to protect the colliding person or the like. are doing.

[0006]

In recent years, mobile robots 1 have been developed which perform not only forward and backward movements but also lateral movements or rotation operations such as self-rotation. Diversified.

For example, in the collision detection device 3 shown in FIG. 2, the pressure-sensitive sensor 6 is conventionally arranged only in the area 3a, but when the movement in the lateral direction or the like is considered, the pressure sensor 6 is also located in the area 3b. It is necessary to arrange the pressure sensor 6.

However, in the above-described conventional collision detecting device 3, since the pressure-sensitive sensor 6 for converting a collision into an electric signal uses a copper plate, the copper plate has a certain rigidity in order to maintain a gap when no collision is detected. Must be carried, and therefore have poor flexibility. Therefore, the pressure-sensitive sensor 6 is placed in an area having a small curvature such as the area 3c shown in FIG.
Cannot be provided by bending, resulting in a problem that an undetectable area is formed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a collision detection device capable of detecting a collision even in an area having a small curvature.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shock absorbing member for absorbing an impact, a first plate member attached to the shock absorbing member, and a first plate member attached to the shock absorbing member. A linear pressure-sensitive sensor attached to a surface opposite to the surface on which the cushioning member is attached and configured to detect a collision by being deformed; A second plate-shaped member provided as described above, wherein the linear pressure-sensitive sensor, together with the first plate-shaped member, receives the shock due to the collision of the second plate-shaped member. The collision is detected by being sandwiched and deformed.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the use of the highly flexible linear pressure-sensitive sensor allows the linear pressure-sensitive sensor to be provided even in a region having a small curvature. There is an excellent effect that a collision can be accurately detected even in a region.

In addition, since the first plate-shaped member is provided between the buffer member and the pressure-sensitive sensor, the reaction force against the impact received by the second plate-shaped member is applied to the first plate-shaped member. Is generated, and the linear pressure-sensitive sensor is reliably deformed so that the first plate-shaped member and the second plate-shaped member are sandwiched therebetween. In this respect, the collision is accurately detected. There is an excellent effect that can be.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It is needless to say that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the following examples, and can take various forms as long as they belong to the technical category of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is an external view showing the appearance of a mobile robot equipped with a collision detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external view showing the appearance of the collision detection device, and FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a collision detection apparatus.

In FIG. 1, a mobile robot 1 has a substantially rectangular box shape as a whole, has an upper surface formed as a worktable 1a, and can be moved between facilities by wheels 1b.
The moving direction is configured such that, in addition to the conventional forward / backward movement, a lateral movement and a rotation operation such as rotation can be performed.

The robot arm 2 is provided on the upper part of the worktable 1a, and works such as assembling, processing, and inspection of a work are performed at the tip of the robot arm 2 by a robot hand (not shown).

Here, the collision detection device 1 according to the present embodiment
0 (FIG. 4) has the same external appearance as the above-described conventional collision detection device 3 and a partially similar configuration.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the collision detecting device 10 according to the present embodiment has the same fixing member 7, cushioning material 4, resin cover 8 and resin plate 5 as the conventional collision detecting device 3.
It has a considerable second resin plate 11b. However, in the collision detection device 10 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 corresponding to a cross-sectional view, a plurality of electrode wires 12a are spirally disposed on the inner peripheral portion of the coating material 12b, and a space is provided around the central axis. The linear pressure sensor 12 is employed.

As shown in FIG. 5 (the resin cover 8 is omitted), the second resin plate 11b receives an impact due to a collision, and the pressure-sensitive sensor 12 is attached to the buffer material 4 as shown in FIG. The first resin plate 11a and the second resin plate 11b
5, the pressure-sensitive sensor 12 is deformed as shown in FIG. 5, and the electrode wire 12a arranged on the inner peripheral portion is electrically contacted with the electrode wire opposed to the electrode wire with the space interposed therebetween. Is output to the CPU in the mobile robot 1 (not shown), and the operation of the mobile robot 1 is stopped.

Here, the collision detecting device 1 according to the present embodiment
0, the above-described known linear pressure-sensitive sensor 12 is employed.
Of the resin plate 11a.

That is, when the linear pressure-sensitive sensor 12 of this embodiment is provided in place of the conventional pressure-sensitive sensor 6, FIG.
However, in such a configuration, even if the first resin plate 11a receives an impact, the linear pressure-sensitive sensor 12 receives The inventor of the present invention has found, after extensive research, that the pressure sensor 12 has not been deformed and a collision cannot be detected.

For this reason, in this embodiment, the linear pressure sensor 1
By providing the first resin plate 11a between the first resin plate 11a and the cushioning member 4, a reaction force against impact is generated in the first resin plate 11a, and the first resin plate 11a and the second resin plate 11b are connected to each other. By sandwiching the linear pressure-sensitive sensor 12, the linear pressure-sensitive sensor 12 can be reliably deformed, and a collision can be detected.

Moreover, since the linear pressure-sensitive sensor 12 has flexibility, the sensor can be installed even in an area having a small curvature, and a collision can be accurately detected in any area. .

In the above embodiment, the collision detecting device is provided at the front and rear portions of the mobile robot. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided over the entire circumference of the mobile robot.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an external appearance of a mobile robot equipped with a collision detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing the external appearance of the collision detection device.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a conventional collision detection device.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the collision detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation of the collision detection device in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of a linear inter-pressure sensor constituting the collision detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining features of the collision detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 4 buffer material 10 collision detection device 11 a first resin plate 11 b second resin plate 12 linear pressure-sensitive sensor

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A shock absorbing member that absorbs an impact, a first plate-shaped member attached to the shock absorbing member, and a first plate-shaped member on a side opposite to a surface on which the shock absorbing member is attached. A linear pressure sensor that is attached to a surface and detects a collision by being deformed; and a second plate member provided so as to sandwich the linear pressure sensor together with the first plate member. The linear pressure-sensitive sensor detects the collision by the second plate-shaped member being subjected to an impact due to the collision and deforming the pressure-sensitive sensor together with the first plate-shaped member. A collision detection device characterized by the above-mentioned.