JP2003146218A - Leg wheel moving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a leg wheel moving device which is suitable for conveyance of people or goods, practical and compact in structure, has high turning ability capable of turning in a small circle and can smoothly go up and down or ride over steps such as stairs, slopes, unlevel ground, etc. SOLUTION: This leg wheel moving device is provided with a moving base 2 on which goods to be conveyed are loaded and a plurality of leg wheel parts 15 mounted to this moving base 2, and this leg wheel part 15 has a pair of driving wheels 5c, 5d, 5g and 5h and driven wheels 5a, 5b, 5e and 5f, and the driving wheels and the driven wheels of each of the leg wheel parts 15 can independently go up or down against the moving base 2, respectively.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a leg wheel moving device capable of moving up and down stairs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A leg wheel type wheelchair that can move up and down stairs is used as a leg wheel moving device vol.64.No.3,1998,40
It is disclosed on pages 3-407. In this leg wheel wheelchair, four sets of eight wheels are driven up and down by a single motor, and the front and rear wheels are sequentially moved up and down to climb up and down stairs.

On the other hand, a five-legged traveling mechanism as a multi-legged traveling mechanism that combines the characteristics of wheel traveling and walking movement is a collection of lectures on intelligent mobile robot symposium (1982-7-1, 2, Tokyo), 107.
~ P. 112. In this five-legged traveling mechanism, each of the five legs can be rotated about the vertical axis, and a motor is attached to each of them to change the direction in a narrow space.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned known leg wheel wheelchair, since two pairs of slide type legs are used, a leg having a length three times the step is required when climbing stairs. The height during operation increases and a practical structure cannot be obtained. In addition, since the left and right legs have the same movement, it is necessary to enter vertically to the step of the stairs, which makes the turning operation troublesome. Further, in this case, since four sets of front, rear, left, and right driving wheels are all grounded for traveling, the resistance at the time of turning becomes large, and a small turn cannot be made.

On the other hand, like the well-known five-leg running mechanism,
If each foot can be rotated around the vertical axis by changing the direction of each wheel with a motor, a small turn can be made.
However, in this known technique, a motor for changing the direction of the wheels is required for each individual wheel, and the motor is attached to each foot, so that the structure becomes complicated and the control becomes troublesome. It is not suitable for carrying large luggage.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned prior art, is suitable for carrying people and luggage, has a practical and compact structure, and has a high turning property that enables a small turning direction, and stairs. An object of the present invention is to provide a leg wheel moving device that can travel up and down smoothly or over bumps, slopes, and uneven terrain.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a moving base on which a transported object is placed, and a plurality of leg wheel portions attached to the moving base, each of which is a pair of leg wheel portions. The present invention provides a leg wheel moving device, characterized in that the drive wheel and the driven wheel of each leg wheel portion can independently move up and down with respect to the moving base.

According to this structure, the leg base portion including the pair of drive wheels and the driven wheels is provided at a plurality of positions on the moving base on which the load is placed, and the drive wheels and the driven wheels can be independently moved up and down. Therefore, the driving wheels are provided on all of the plurality of leg wheels to obtain a strong propulsive force, and the moving base and the driven wheels are sequentially moved up and down with respect to the stairs or the like to keep the moving base horizontal. As it is,
It is possible to move up and down stairs smoothly and stably.

Further, by appropriately selecting a plurality of leg wheel portions to run on the drive wheels and supporting the other leg wheel portions on the moving base only by the driven wheels such as casters, the grounding resistance due to the wheels is reduced and a small turn is made. Can be turned.

In a preferred configuration example, the leg wheel portions are provided at three positions forming a triangle or four positions forming a quadrangle with respect to the moving base.

According to this structure, the pair of drive wheels and the pair of driven wheels respectively support the moving base at the three or four leg wheels, so that the moving base is stably supported and the luggage can be carried smoothly. .

[0012] In a further preferred configuration example, the driving wheel and the driven wheel are respectively provided at the lower end portions of the leg members, and a guide member for vertically guiding the leg members is fixed to a side surface of the moving base, and the leg members are fixed. It is characterized in that it is provided with a lifting means for lifting and lowering.

According to this structure, the vertically long leg member slides by the elevating means along the guide member fixed to the side surface of the moving base, so that the moving base can be moved up and down.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a leg wheel moving device capable of ascending and descending stairs according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the stair climbing operation.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 2 denotes a moving base. Two leg units 1 each consisting of a guide 3, a leg member 4 and wheels 5 provided at the lower end of each leg member 4 are attached to four positions on the side surface of the moving base 2 to form four leg wheel units 15. To do. Each leg wheel portion 15 has two leg units 1 (two guides 3 and two leg members 4) as a pair of leg units 1. As will be described later, one wheel 5 of the two leg members 4 of the pair of leg units 1 is a drive wheel having a built-in motor, and the other is a driven wheel such as a universal caster.

The leg member 4 slides along the guide 3.
The guide 3 is made of a hollow pipe and also functions as a cover for the leg member 4. The moving base 2 may have a cylindrical shape or a polygonal prism shape, but a quadrangular prism shape as shown is preferable in order to prevent rotation around the axis and ease of loading. Further, even if the leg wheel portions 15 are provided at each of the three vertexes as an isosceles triangular prism shape, the moving base can be stably supported by a small number of leg units.

Each leg unit 1 can be provided on the lower surface of the moving base 2, but is preferably provided on the side surface in order to lower the center of gravity of the moving base 2 for stable traveling. In this case, if the moving base is in the shape of a quadrangular prism, it is desirable to provide the moving bases at the facing positions near the ends of the two side surfaces facing each other. It should be noted that the leg unit 1 may generally have six or more. The smaller the number of leg units 1, the lighter the weight, and the larger the number of leg units 1, the higher the stability. As shown in the figure, in the case of the quadrangular prism-shaped moving base 2, it is desirable to include a total of eight leg units 1 in terms of weight saving and stability. Further, it is desirable to provide two on each of the front, rear, left and right for stability.

As the material of the moving base 2, a metal material such as steel, stainless steel, an aluminum alloy, a magnesium alloy, a composite material such as FRP, or a plastic material can be used. It is preferable to use an aluminum alloy because it is easy.

As the material of the guide 3 and the leg member 4, a metal material, a composite material, or a plastic material can be used as in the case of the moving base 2. Among them, aluminum is used because it is lightweight, inexpensive and easy to process. It is preferable to use an alloy.

The shape of the leg member 4 is preferably a hollow pipe in terms of weight saving. Further, the guide 3 and the leg member 4 are preferably square pipes because the rotation of the leg member 4 with respect to the guide 3 around the vertical axis can be easily restrained.

As a mechanism for linearly sliding the leg member 4 along the guide 3, a ball screw, a chain, a belt, a wire or the like can be used. Among these, it is preferable to use a chain because it is lightweight, has a small occupied volume, and can reliably transmit a strong driving force.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway structural view of a leg unit 1 having a built-in lifting mechanism for linearly moving the leg member 4.

As shown in the figure, this elevating mechanism is attached to the guide 3 of the square pipe, the leg member 4 slidably accommodated in the guide 3 up and down, and the four inner surfaces of the lower portion of the guide 3. A spacer 6 that restricts the movement of the leg member 4 to only linear motion; and a spacer 7 that is attached to the inner four surfaces of the upper portion of the guide 3 and that restricts the motion of the leg member 4 to only linear motion.
A chain stopper 8 attached to the upper part of the leg member 4, a chain 9 having both ends fixed to the chain stopper 8, a sprocket 10 arranged below the inside of the guide 3 for driving the chain 9, and an inside of the guide 3 An idle sprocket 11 placed above and rotatable, and an idle sprocket 1
1, a support shaft 12 that supports 1, a reduction gear 13 that drives the sprocket 10, and a motor 14 that drives the reduction gear 13.
It consists of and.

The material of the spacer 6 and the spacer 7 is plastic, and it is preferable to use a fluororesin having good sliding property among them. Further, in order to move the leg member 4 in a smoother manner, bearings may be used instead of the spacers 6 and 7.

As the material of the chain stopper 8, a metal material such as steel, stainless steel or aluminum alloy can be used. Among them, steel or stainless steel is preferable from the viewpoint of high strength. When steel is used, it is desirable to apply rust prevention to the surface. Sprocket 1
0, the idle sprocket 11 and the support shaft 12 may be made of a metal material such as steel, stainless steel, or an aluminum alloy. However, for the same reason as the chain stopper 8, rust-prevented steel or stainless steel is used. Is desirable.

The rotation of the motor 14 is transmitted to the sprocket 10 via the speed reducer 13. The rotary motion of the sprocket 10 is converted by the chain 9 into a linear motion of the chain stopper 8. The movement of the chain stopper 8 is transmitted to the leg member 4. As a result, an up-and-down linear slide movement of the leg member 4 is generated.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the leg wheel moving device capable of climbing stairs according to the present invention. In FIG. 4, 2 indicates a moving base. 5a-5h have shown the wheel. Generally, there are two types of wheels: active wheels (driving wheels) that have driving force and passive wheels (driven wheels) that do not have driving force. Regarding the type of wheel to be used for the wheels 5a to 5h in the figure, there are a plurality of combinations, but 5a and 5b are the same type, 5c and 5d are the same type, and 5e and 5f are the same type. It is preferable to use wheels of the same type for types 5g and 5h. The larger the number of active wheels, the stronger the thrust can be generated, and the smaller the number of active wheels, the lighter the weight.
There is little slippage of the wheel when turning (rubbing against the running surface that causes frictional resistance). Considering the thrust and weight, and the free leg when going up and down the stairs, it is preferable to use four active wheels. Further, considering the turning performance and the like, it is preferable that the wheels 5c and 5d and the wheels 5g and 5h be active wheels. It is preferable to use a free caster for the passive wheel in order to improve the turning performance.

As described above, FIG. 5 shows the wheels 5c, 5d,
5g and 5h are active wheels, and wheels 5a, 5b, 5e and 5
It is a perspective view of an example which used f as a passive wheel. Figure 6 (a)
5A to 5D are explanatory diagrams sequentially showing an example of stair climbing operation by the leg wheel moving device of FIG.

The order of the leg units 1 to be moved differs depending on the distance between the leg units 1 of each pair, the distance between the front and rear leg wheel portions 15 and the size of the stairs. In FIG.
First, in (a), the leg unit 1 of the leading caster 5a.
Raise and move a little forward. Subsequently, in (b), the leading universal caster 5a is grounded and moved forward, and the leg unit 1 of the leading active wheel 5c paired with the leading universal caster is raised. Then, in (c), the active wheel 5c is grounded and moved forward, and the rear passive wheel 5e is raised. Subsequently, in (d), the passive wheel 5e is grounded to move forward and the rearmost active wheel 5g is raised. Such (a) ~
Ascending the stairs by repeating the operation of (d). When the user goes down the stairs, the leg unit 1 is lowered instead of being raised so that the stairs can be descended with substantially the same operation.

FIG. 7 shows an application example of the present invention and is a perspective view of a leg wheel moving device according to the present invention in which a wheelchair is mounted. FIG. 8 shows another application example of the present invention, and is a perspective view of a leg wheel moving device according to the present invention in which a large luggage (for example, a refrigerator) is mounted.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of pairs of leg wheels including a pair of driving wheels and driven wheels are provided on a moving base on which a load or the like is placed, and the driving wheels and the driven wheels are independent of each other. Since it can be moved up and down, it has a drive wheel on all of the multiple leg wheels, which provides strong propulsive force. It is possible to move up and down stairs, etc. smoothly and stably while keeping horizontal.

Further, by appropriately selecting a plurality of leg wheel portions to run on the drive wheels and supporting the other leg wheel portions on the moving base only by the driven wheels such as casters, the grounding resistance due to the wheels is reduced and a small turn is made. Can be turned.

Further, by using the extensible type leg material,
It is practical because the legs do not get in the way when climbing the stairs. Also, since each leg unit moves independently, it is possible to move up and down diagonally with respect to the stairs.

The leg wheel moving device of the present invention can move not only up and down stairs but also stably on a road surface having irregularities such as slopes, steps or uneven terrain.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a basic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a leg unit of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of wheel arrangement according to the embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an application example of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another application example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: leg unit, 2: moving base, 3: guide, 4: leg material, 5: wheel, 5a, 5b, 5e, 5f: driven wheel (passive wheel) 5c, 5d, 5g, 5h: drive wheel (active wheel) ), 6,
7: Spacer, 8: Chain stopper, 9: Chain, 1
0: sprocket, 11: idle sprocket, 1
2: Support shaft, 13: Reducer, 14: Motor, 15: Leg wheel part.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A moving base on which a transported object is placed, and a plurality of leg wheel portions attached to the moving base, each leg wheel portion having a pair of drive wheels and driven wheels, and The leg wheel moving device is characterized in that the driving wheel and the driven wheel can be independently moved up and down with respect to the moving base. 2. The leg wheel according to claim 1, wherein the leg wheel portion is provided at three positions forming a triangle or four positions forming a quadrangle with respect to the moving base. Mobile device. 3. The driving wheel and the driven wheel are respectively provided at the lower ends of leg members, and a guide member for vertically guiding the leg members is fixed to a side surface of the moving base to move the leg members up and down. The leg wheel moving device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising lifting means. 4. The moving base is always kept horizontal by selectively raising and lowering the drive wheels and the driven wheels of the plurality of leg wheels. The leg wheel moving device according to 1, 2, or 3.