JP2002210259A - Robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot having an external body of a flexible material and a reasonable internal wiring structure. SOLUTION: In this robot, because the external body is formed by bending flexible FPC 11, the upward tilting of tip parts of both arms A1, A2 by drive of a wing drive part 15 causes the upward bending of both wing parts to move the wings. Because a pyroelectric infrared sensor 14 and a control part 17, and the control part 17 and a power code 16 are respectively electrically connected by a circuit pattern 13 disposed in the FPC 11 composing the external body, the internal wiring can be simplified, and a housing space inside the robot can be secured by just the simplified amount of the internal wiring.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a robot having an improved exterior body and wiring structure.

[0002]

The conventional robot has a structure in which an outer body constituting the surface is made of metal or hard plastic, and an electric circuit is arranged in the inner space. However, there are cases where it is desired to manufacture the exterior body with a flexible material, and the conventional structure cannot meet the demand.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a robot in which an exterior body can be made of a flexible material and the internal wiring structure can be rationally constructed.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot in which an electric circuit formed by connecting various electronic components is accommodated in an exterior body constituting a surface of a device. The exterior body is formed by bending a flexible printed wiring board into a required shape, and a sensor for detecting physical quantities such as sound, light, and temperature is provided on the exterior body, and a detection signal from the sensor is provided. It is characterized in that it is transmitted to the control unit via the conductor circuit of the flexible printed wiring board.

[0005]

According to the robot of the present invention, the main wiring and the mounting of electronic components as much as possible can be performed on a simple and flat flexible printed wiring board before being bent. Easy. Further, since the exterior body is formed by bending the flexible printed wiring board, the exterior body can be easily bent by receiving an external force.
Further, since the sensor is provided on the flexible printed wiring board and the detection signal from the sensor is transmitted to the control unit by the conductor circuit of the flexible printed wiring board, the internal wiring can be simplified, and the internal wiring can be simplified. The space for accommodation in the robot can be secured by the amount that can be simplified.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the robot according to the present embodiment, the exterior body is a folding crane formed by bending a square flexible printed wiring board (hereinafter, referred to as “FPC11”), and a pyroelectric infrared sensor 14 provided on the head thereof. Has a function of moving the wing up and down when an object to be detected is detected (hereinafter, referred to as a "folding crane robot 10").

As shown in FIG. 1, the crane robot 10 has a pyroelectric infrared sensor 14 on its head, a wing drive unit 15 on its abdomen, and signals from the pyroelectric infrared sensor 14 on its back. A control unit 17 for processing and a power cord 16 for supplying electric power from the outside are provided at the tip of the tail.

First, although not shown, the pyroelectric infrared sensor 14 includes a pyroelectric material such as lithium niobate and a processing circuit for processing a signal from the pyroelectric material. The terminals are electrically connected to a circuit pattern 13 of the head FPC 11 to be described later by soldering. When pyroelectric material receives infrared rays with a current flowing through both ends thereof, it absorbs thermal energy and its temperature rises, and the current value changes accordingly. The processing circuit operates to detect a change in the current value and transmit a detection signal to the control unit 17.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wing drive section 15 includes a support B having an L-shaped cross section (hereinafter, a portion located on a short side of the L-shaped cross section is referred to as a “floor B1”, and A motor M is fixed on the floor B1 by a fixing device, and a gear G1 is fixed to the tip of the rotating shaft on the floor B1. Above it, a pair of gears G2, G3 formed with a shorter diameter than the gear G1.
Is rotatably provided on the wall B2 so as to circumscribe the gear G1. Protrusions G4, G5 protrude from the two gears G2, G3, respectively, on the surfaces opposite to the wall portion and near the peripheral edges shifted from their rotation axes. Also,
On the wall B2, between the gear G2 and the gear G3,
The support portion C is also provided so as to project in the same direction as the protrusions G4 and G5. One end of two arms A1 and A2 having the same length is rotatably installed on the support portion C, and the side portions of both arm arms A1 and A2 are connected to the projections G4 and G5 of both gears G2 and G3. Respectively. When electric power is supplied from the control unit 17 to the motor M, the rotating shaft rotates together with the gear G1. As a result, the gear G1
The gears G2 and G3 circumscribing also rotate, and their projections G
4, G5 also rotates. With the rotation, the arms A1 and A2 locked to the respective projections tilt up and down about the support C. In addition, each tip side of both arms A1 and A2 is arranged at a position where both wings of the paper crane robot 10 are locked from below.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 17 is connected to an external power supply W via a pyroelectric infrared sensor 14, a motor M of a wing drive unit 15, and a power cord 16, and When a detection signal is received from the electric infrared sensor 14, the operation is performed so that a current flows to the motor M.

With the above configuration, when a person passes in front of the paper crane robot 10, for example, a current flows through the motor M of the wing drive unit 15 by the control unit 17, and the arms A and A2 are tilted up and down. A wing formed of a flexible FPC can be moved up and down.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the FPC 11 forming the exterior body of the paper crane robot 10 shown in FIG. The FPC 11 is a synthetic resin material 12 as a base film.
The circuit pattern 13 is formed by providing a copper foil layer thereon and performing etching. Symbols S1, S2,
S3 and S4 show the area (the part surrounded by the broken line in the figure) located on the head, the inner wall surface of the back, the tail and the abdomen of the crane by bending the FPC 11 to form the crane. I have. The pyroelectric infrared sensor 14 is located in the area S1, the control unit 17 is located in the area S2,
3 is provided with a power cord 16. The circuit pattern 13 includes a pyroelectric infrared sensor 14.
And the control unit 17, the control unit 17, and the power cord 16 are electrically connected to each other. Further, in order to electrically connect the control unit 17 and the motor M installed on the abdomen of the paper crane robot 10, the control unit 17 sends
4, the circuit pattern 13 is extended. In addition,
The wing drive unit 15 forms a folded crane with the FPC of FIG.
Lead wires (not shown) from the positive and negative electrodes of the motor M are soldered to the circuit pattern 13 extending to the area S4 to be electrically connected, and the support B portion is inserted from the abdomen and soldered. It is fixed by attaching.

As described above, according to the folding crane robot 10 of the present embodiment, since the exterior body is formed by bending the flexible FPC 11, the arms A 1 and A 2 are driven by the wing driving unit 15. As the tip portion tilts upward, both wing portions also bend upward, thereby allowing the wing to move. The pyroelectric infrared sensor 14, the control unit 17, the control unit 17, and the power cord 16
Since they are electrically connected to each other by the circuit patterns 13 arranged on C11, the internal wiring can be simplified, and furthermore, the internal wiring can be simplified and the accommodation space in the robot can be secured.

Although the paper crane robot 10 according to the present embodiment has only one function for simplicity of description, the robot 10 may be a multi-function electric device having electronic components such as a plurality of sensors. If applied, the effects of the present invention will be further exhibited.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
In addition to the following, various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the above embodiment, the outer body of the paper crane robot 10 is a paper crane formed by bending an FPC. However, if the paper crane can be formed by bending, the present invention simplifies and accommodates the internal wiring of the robot. It can contribute to securing space. Further, the shape of the FPC before bending is not limited to a square, but may be various shapes such as a circle and a polygon in accordance with a required shape.

(2) The present invention uses various methods known as so-called "origami". For example, in the above-described embodiment, the exterior body is formed from one FPC, but a plurality of exterior members are formed. In addition, they may be formed from different shapes.

(3) In the above embodiment, the pyroelectric infrared sensor is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Various functions of the robot, such as a strain gauge sensor for detecting external force and a photoelectric sensor for detecting position, are used. Various sensors may be used according to the conditions.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a paper crane robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pyroelectric infrared sensor.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a paper crane robot.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 crane robot 11 FPC 14 pyroelectric infrared sensor 17 control unit 20 circuit pattern (conductor circuit)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A robot in which an electric circuit formed by connecting various electronic components is housed in an exterior body constituting a surface, wherein the exterior body is formed by bending a flexible printed wiring board into a required shape. In addition, a sensor for detecting a physical quantity such as sound, light, and temperature is provided on the exterior body, and a detection signal from the sensor is transmitted to a control unit via a conductor circuit of the flexible printed wiring board. And a robot.