JP2008285087A - Moving device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a moving device capable of traveling on a rough road without performing changeover operation even if a road surface status is changed to the rough road. <P>SOLUTION: This moving device includes: left and right front wheels 20L, 20R; left and right rear wheels 30L, 30R; a body 10 rotatably supporting the front and rear wheels; a motor; and crawlers 40L, 40R. Belt surfaces of the crawlers contacting with the ground are arranged in a fixed position higher than lower ends of the front and rear wheels. When the front wheels and/or the rear wheels are partially sunk in a barrier road surface in traveling, the crawlers contact with the barrier road surface and the moving device can travel on the barrier road surface by the crawlers. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a moving device provided with a crawler in addition to a wheel, and in particular, when the wheel cannot perform its function due to a bad road such as a muddy road, the crawler can travel on the ground without switching operation. The present invention relates to a mobile device, an electric wheelchair equipped with the device, a robot, other industrial, academic, and household appliances, devices, machines, toys, and the like. The mobile device according to the present invention is a rough road such as a snowy road, a gravel road, a sandy beach, a muddy, an irregular terrain, a sandy beach, a grassland, or an orchard, etc. However, in the present application, these uneven surfaces are collectively referred to as “barrier road surfaces”.

  A general electric wheelchair includes wheels as means for traveling. This electric wheelchair is suitable as a means for an elderly person or a person with a disability to move on a flat ground. However, in this type of electric wheelchair, even if elderly people or people with disabilities, for example, want to travel on sand beaches, grasslands, orchards as leisure, the wheels cannot catch the ground on sand beaches etc. Is unsuitable. The same applies to bad roads such as snowy roads, gravel roads, mud, and rough terrain. In the present application, the term “bad road etc.” will be used hereinafter, including places where it is difficult to travel with wheels, such as the sandy beaches, grasslands, or road surfaces in orchards.

  Therefore, conventionally, an electric wheelchair equipped with a so-called “infinite track” called a crawler, a track belt, a crawler belt, etc. is used instead of a wheel to enable traveling on a sandy beach. It is commercially available. In the present application, these are collectively referred to as a crawler. Patent Literatures 1 and 2 show an electric wheelchair provided with a crawler.

  However, an electric wheelchair equipped with a crawler exhibits a strong running ability on a sandy beach or the like, but is not suitable for running indoors or on a general road. Therefore, the user has to change the electric wheelchair according to the driving environment.

It is inconvenient to change electric wheelchairs for the elderly and people with disabilities. Therefore, an electric wheelchair having a function for traveling indoors and ordinary roads and a function for traveling on rough roads such as sandy beaches has been conventionally devised. This type of electric wheelchair is disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4. The electric wheelchairs shown in Patent Documents 3 and 4 include a crawler together with wheels, and are characterized by selecting a traveling means according to the use environment, that is, selecting a wheel or a crawler. For this reason, the switching mechanism for retracting any one of a wheel or a crawler from a road surface is provided.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-56751 JP-A-8-38554 Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-231817 (FIGS. 9 and 10, paragraph [0035]) JP 2001-231818 A (FIGS. 1 and 4, paragraphs [0019] to [0020])

  However, in the electric wheelchairs of Patent Documents 3 and 4, it is necessary to select a traveling means according to the traveling location, and it is not always easy for the elderly or disabled persons to operate the switching mechanism. Further, since the switching mechanism is provided, the configuration of the electric wheelchair becomes complicated, which increases the number of parts and increases the manufacturing cost, and also makes the wheelchair itself heavy.

  The present invention has been created in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a mobile device that can travel on a rough road or the like without a switching operation even when the road surface is changed to a bad road or the like. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a moving device including left and right front wheels, left and right rear wheels, a body that rotatably supports the front wheels and the rear wheels, a motor, and a crawler. If the belt surface that catches the ground of the crawler is placed at a fixed position above the lower ends of the front and rear wheels, and the front and / or rear wheels partially sink into the barrier road surface while traveling, the crawler It is characterized by being able to travel on a barrier road surface by contacting a road surface with a crawler. In the present invention, the “fixed position” at which the crawler is disposed means that the relative position of the crawler with respect to the body is fixed. That is, the “fixed position” means that the location of the crawler relative to the body does not change.

  In the moving device of the present invention, preferably, the crawler includes a guide wheel, an activation wheel, and a crawler belt, the guide wheels are provided on the left and right front wheels, respectively, and are arranged coaxially so as to rotate together with the front wheels, The crawler belts are installed on the left and right rear wheels, coaxially arranged to rotate with each rear wheel, the crawler belts are suspended between the guide wheels and the starter wheels and are arranged on the left and right sides of the body, and the motor is installed on the left and right rear wheels. It is provided in each rear wheel so as to drive the wheels separately, and is configured as a four-wheel drive.

  In the moving device of the present invention, it is desirable that the guide wheel is disposed inside the front wheel and the starting wheel is disposed inside the rear wheel.

  In the moving device of the present invention, preferably, at least one wheel is rotatably supported by the body between the guide wheel and the starting wheel, and the crawler belt surrounds the guide wheel, the starting wheel, and the wheel. So as to be suspended. It is desirable to use an omnidirectional wheel as the front wheel of the present invention.

In order to achieve the above object, an electric wheelchair according to the present invention includes the moving device and a seat disposed on the body.
For example, the electric wheelchair of the present invention includes left and right front wheels formed of omnidirectional wheels, left and right rear wheels, a body that rotatably supports the front wheels and the rear wheels, a seat, a motor, and a crawler. The crawler includes a guide wheel, a start wheel, and a crawler belt, the guide wheels are provided on the left and right front wheels, respectively, and are arranged coaxially so as to rotate together with the front wheels, and the start wheels are provided on the left and right rear wheels, It is coaxially arranged to rotate with the rear wheel, and at least one wheel is rotatably supported by the body between the left and right guide wheels and the starter wheel, and the crawler belt is connected between the guide wheel and the starter wheel. The belt surface that is suspended between and disposed on the left and right sides of the body and catches the ground of the crawler belt is disposed at a fixed position above the lower ends of the front wheels and the rear wheels. Partially If sunk into the rear road it is characterized by the crawler can run barrier road by crawlers in contact with the barrier road.
Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the robot of the present invention is characterized in that the moving device is provided as a leg.

  According to the present invention, when traveling on a hard flat ground or the like, the crawler is pulled away to a position away from the lower end of the wheel, and when entering a barrier road surface such as a bad road, a part of the wheel sinks and the crawler becomes natural. In addition, since the user touches the barrier road surface, the user can travel at any place without selecting a traveling means according to the use environment of the wheelchair. Thus, since the switching operation is unnecessary, usability of a machine / equipment provided with the moving device is improved.

  In addition, in the wheelchairs of Patent Documents 3 and 4, when the user selects a traveling means according to the use environment of the wheelchair, and the crawler is selected, the crawler is moved from the storage position to the use position, and the wheel is retracted. is required. Further, in the past, the mechanism for switching the travel means was complicated and the manufacturing cost increased, and the operation was complicated, but in the present invention, the crawler is disposed so as to be rotatable at a fixed position with respect to the body. The apparatus configuration is simplified, and the weight and manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, Fr in a figure shows a wheelchair front, Up shows a wheelchair upper direction, Out shows the lateral width direction outer side of a wheelchair.
1 is a perspective view showing an electric wheelchair (hereinafter referred to as a wheelchair) 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view, FIG. 3 is a rear view, FIG. 4 is a plan view, and FIG. It is.

  The wheelchair 1 includes a body 10, left and right front wheels 20L and 20R supported by the body 10, left and right rear wheels 30L and 30R, and left and right crawlers 40L and 40R, front wheels 20L and 20R, rear wheels 30L and 30R, and a crawler. Drive means (described later) for driving 40L and 40R, and a seat 50 are provided.

  The body 10 dampens vibrations received by the main body 110 and the support sections 120L and 120R that are swingably attached to the main body 110 and support the drive system, and the main body 110 depending on the road surface condition during traveling. And a damper mechanism 130 to be operated.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the main body 110 stands upward from the bottom plate plate 111 on which the battery 150 and the control device (not shown) are placed, and the front edge portion and the rear edge portion of the bottom plate plate 111. Columnar members 112F and 112B, and a sheet plate 113 fixed to the upper ends of the columnar members 112F and 112B and disposed above the bottom plate plate 111 for fixing the sheet 50 to the upper surface are provided. The bottom plate plate 111 and the seat plate 113 are configured as rectangular plates that are long in the longitudinal direction of the wheelchair. These members constituting the main body 110 are made of steel. In addition, the main-body part 110 may be comprised combining a pipe-shaped steel material or combining a pipe-shaped and plate-shaped steel material.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, a guard 115 is provided on the front side of the main body 110 to restrict the user's legs seated on the seat 50 from entering the main body 110. A plate-like footrest 116 for mounting is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the seat 50 provided on the upper surface of the main body 110 includes a seat cushion 510, a seat back 520 erected from the rear edge of the seat cushion 510, and heights of left and right edges of the seat back 520. It consists of left and right armrests 530L and 530R extending from the middle part to the front of the wheelchair, and an operation unit 540 provided at the tip of the right armrest 530R. The operation unit 540 includes a joystick 541. When the user operates the joystick 541, the operation signal is sent from the operation unit 540 to the control device, and the control device controls the drive system in accordance with the operation signal. In the present embodiment, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU) is used as the control device.

  The support portions 120L and 120R are made of steel, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, are long plate-like members, and their directions are selected so that the wide surface faces the outside in the width direction of the wheelchair 1. The wheelchair 1 is disposed on the left side and the right side of the wheelchair 1. As will be described later, front wheels 20L and 20R, rear wheels 30L and 30R, and crawlers 40L and 40R as drive systems are attached to the support portions 120L and 120R.

  The damper mechanism 130 includes suspension arms 131U and 131D that support the support portions 120L and 120R in a swingable manner, and elastic means such as a spring and rubber that buffer sudden swings of the suspension arm and vibrations exerted on the vehicle body, Consists of. Hereinafter, a case where the spring 135 is used as the bullet unit will be described.

A specific configuration of the damper mechanism 130 will be illustrated.
As shown in FIG. 2, in the front part of the wheelchair 1, a pair of suspension arms 131U and 131D supporting the front part of the left support part 120L and a pair of supporting the front part of the right support part 120R. The suspension arms 131U and 131D have base ends that are rotatably supported by the lower portion of the front columnar member 112F. In the rear part of the wheelchair 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the base end part of a pair of suspension arms 131U and 131D that support the rear part of the left support part 120L, and the pair of suspension arms 131U that support the right support part 120R, The base end portion of 131D is rotatably supported by the lower portion of the rear columnar member 112B. Note that the distal end portions of the suspension arms 131U and 131D are rotatably attached to the corresponding support portions 120L and 120R. As described above, the left and right support portions 120L and 120R are supported by the suspension arms 131U and 131D at the front and rear portions thereof, and are disposed so as to be swingable with respect to the main body portion 110 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. Yes.

  In the present embodiment, the pair of suspension arms 131U and 131D that respectively support the left and right support portions 120L and 120R at the front and rear portions of the wheelchair 1 are arranged side by side at an interval, and the upper suspension arm 131U is arranged. The lower end of the spring 135 is joined to the portion near the support portion. The upper end of the spring 135 is joined to the sheet plate 113. By such a damper mechanism 130, the spring 135 absorbs unnecessary vertical movement or the like of the suspension arms 131U and 131D. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the length, number of turns, and spring constant of the spring 135 are selected in advance so that the suspension arms 131U and 131D extend horizontally.

  Crawlers 40L and 40R are disposed outside the support portions 120L and 120R. The crawlers 40 </ b> L and 40 </ b> R include a guide wheel 410, an activation wheel 420, a wheel 430, and a crawler belt 440. Hereinafter, the crawler 40R on the right side will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the upper part of the crawler 40R on the right side is cut out and displayed.

  The guide wheel 410 is attached to the right support 120R so as to be rotatable at a position outside the front end of the right support 120R. Specifically, a rod-shaped shaft member 411 is rotatably attached to the front end portion of the right support portion 120R so as to protrude outward in the width direction, and the guide wheel 410 is fixed to the shaft member 411. . With such a configuration, the guide wheel 410 rotates together with the shaft member 411.

  The starting wheel 420 is rotatably attached at a position outside the rear end portion of the right support portion 120R. Specifically, a wheel-in motor 450 as drive means is attached to the rear end portion of the right support portion 120R so as to protrude outward in the width direction, and the starting wheel 420 is attached to the wheel-in motor 450. It has been. Here, as the wheel-in motor 450, various types of structures are conventionally known, and various types can be applied in the present embodiment, and in particular, a stator and a rotor that rotates around the stator (stator) It is desirable to use a device with a rotor). Specifically, the stator 451 is fixed to the rear portion of the right support portion 120R, and the starting wheel 420 is coaxially attached to the rotor 452 that rotates around the stator 451. With such a configuration, the starter wheel 420 rotates together with the rotor 452.

  The wheel 430 is attached to an intermediate portion of the right support portion 120R so as to be rotatable between the guide wheel 410 and the starting wheel 420. Specifically, like the front wheel 410, a rod-shaped shaft member 431 is rotatably supported at the intermediate portion of the right support portion 120R so as to protrude outward in the width direction, and is transferred to the shaft member 431. An annulus 430 is attached. In the illustrated example, two rolling wheels 430 and 430 are provided, but the number is not limited.

The crawler belt 440 is formed in an annular shape so as to surround the starting wheel 420, the rolling wheel 430, and the guide wheel 410. As the crawler belt 440 according to this embodiment, a crawler belt made of rubber is attached in this embodiment, although a crawler belt made of steel is connected to the belt and configured in an annular shape. The wheelchair 1 is reduced in weight.
Similar to the configuration of the right crawler 40R described above, the left crawler 40L is also configured, and both are provided at symmetrical positions with respect to a virtual plane α (see FIG. 2) that bisects the wheelchair 1 to the left and right.

The left and right front wheels 20L and 20R are disposed outside the corresponding guide wheels 410 and 410, and are fixed to shaft members 411 and 411 that support the guide wheels 410 and 410, respectively. With such a configuration, the front wheels 20L and 20R perform the same rotational movement as the guide wheels 410 and 410.
Further, each of the front wheels 20L and 20R according to the present embodiment is configured by omnidirectional wheels. That is, the front wheels 20L and 20R are configured as wheels with a rotating body disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2002-137602 and JP-A-2004-344289, and as shown in FIG. A plurality of rotating bodies 210 arranged side by side are provided. These rotary bodies 210 are supported so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis Y (see FIG. 6) orthogonal to the axle X (see FIG. 6) of the front wheels 20L and 20R, respectively, and the surface exposed to the outside is supported. The front wheels 20L and 20R are formed so as to define an arc of the outer circumferential circle. Specifically, each rotating body 210 is formed in a tapered cup shape in which the diameter of the front end portion is smaller than the diameter of the rear end portion. As a result, when the wheelchair 1 is about to move in the lateral direction (that is, the illustrated Out side), the rotating body 210 that is in contact with the ground or the like rotates around the rotation axis Y, thereby rotating the ground or the like. Moving, the wheelchair 1 can turn around on the spot. As described above, the front wheels 20L and 20R do not turn for steering because the axle X does not change its direction. In addition, you may use the normal wheel provided with the tire and the wheel as the front wheels 20L and 20R.

The rear wheels 30 </ b> L and 30 </ b> R include a tire 310 and a wheel 320 that supports the tire 310.
The rear wheels 30L and 30R according to the present embodiment are attached to a wheel-in motor 450 as shown in FIG. 4 in the same manner as the starting wheels 420 of the crawlers 40L and 40R. Specifically, the wheel 320 is fixed to the rotor 452 of the wheel-in motor 450. With such a configuration, the rear wheels 30L and 30R perform the same rotational motion as the corresponding starter wheels 420.

  Since the movement of the starting wheel 420 is transmitted to the front wheels 20L and 20R via the crawler belt 440 and the guide wheel 410 on the left side and the right side of the wheelchair 1, the front wheels 20L and 20R are rotationally driven by the corresponding rear wheels 30L and 30R, respectively. When it is done, it is driven to rotate in the same direction. Therefore, the rear wheels 30 </ b> L and 30 </ b> R and the front wheels 20 </ b> L and 20 </ b> R perform a rotational motion to drive the wheelchair 1 on the left and right sides of the wheelchair 1. Thereby, the wheelchair 1 is comprised as a four-wheel drive, and exhibits strong runnability.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the surface 440S that captures the ground of the crawlers 40L and 40R is disposed at a fixed position above the lower ends of the front wheels 20L and 20R and the rear wheels 30L and 30R. The arrangement position is not changed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, when the wheelchair 1 is placed on a flat surface Fa such as a road or a floor, a gap S of a distance D is formed between the crawler belt 440 and the flat surface Fa. That is, the bodies of the crawlers 40L and 40R are positioned so that the surface 440S of the crawler belt 440 that catches the ground is located at a position higher by a distance D from the lower end where the front wheels 20L and 20R and the rear wheels 30L and 30R are grounded. The position for is selected. In addition, the present embodiment is characterized in that the positions of the crawlers 40L and 40R are constant, that is, do not move to another position according to the use environment, and the positions do not change. In addition, if the distance D is large, the sinking of the wheel on rough terrain is small and it becomes difficult for the crawler to come in contact. For example, it may be set to about several centimeters.

  The roller 430 restricts the lower belt portion 441 of the crawler belt 440 from moving upward, and is attached to the body so as to contact the inner peripheral surface of the lower belt portion 441 of the crawler belt 440. It has been. Although not shown in the figure, another wheel for restricting the upper belt portion of the crawler belt 440 may be provided.

The wheelchair 1 according to the embodiment is configured as described above and operates as follows.
First, a description will be given of a case where the vehicle travels on a place with a hard traveling surface such as a sidewalk or an indoor floor.
In the sidewalk and the like, the front wheels 20L and 20R and the rear wheels 30L and 30R catch the traveling surface, and they roll to allow the wheelchair 1 to travel. Specifically, when the user operates the joystick 541 to drive and control the left and right wheel-in motors 450 and 450 respectively by the control device and drive both rear wheels 30L and 30R forward, the wheelchair 1 is Advance. Further, when both rear wheels 30L and 30R are driven rearward, the wheelchair 1 moves backward. In this case, since the front wheels 20L and 20R are also rotationally driven via the crawler belts 440 and 440 in accordance with the rotation of the rear wheels 30L and 30R, the wheelchair 1 moves forward or backward by the four-wheel drive system.

  Further, for example, when the left rear wheel 30L is driven forward at a relatively high speed and the right rear wheel 30R is driven forward at a relatively low speed, based on the difference in rotational speed between the left and right rear wheels 30L and 30R. The wheelchair 1 travels while turning.

  In such a place where the traveling surface such as a sidewalk or an indoor floor is hard, the wheelchair 1 travels by four-wheel drive. In this case, the crawler belt 440 is located at a distance D away from the traveling surface and does not contact the traveling surface when the wheelchair 1 travels.

Next, a case where the vehicle travels on a rough road such as a snowy road, a gravel road, a sandy beach, a muddy road, and rough terrain will be described. In the following, a snowy road will be described as an example, but the same applies to other gravel roads and bad roads such as sandy beaches.
On a snowy road, if the front wheels 20L, 20R and / or the rear wheels 30L, 30R get stuck in the snow on the road, the wheelchair 1 cannot run. In such a case, since a part of the wheels sinks in the accumulated snow, the position of the entire wheelchair is lowered with respect to the surface of the accumulated snow, and the crawler belt 440 comes into contact with the accumulated snow.
Thus, in a state where the crawler belt 440 is in contact with the accumulated snow, the crawlers 40L and 40R catch the snow, and the crawlers 40L and 40R are driven to drive the wheelchair 1. Specifically, when the user operates the joystick 451 to drive and control the left and right wheel-in motors 450 and 450 respectively by the control device and drive both of the starting wheels 420 and 420 forward, The crawler belts 440 and 440 that cover are rotated. Thereby, the wheelchair 1 moves forward. Further, when both the starting wheels 420 and 420 are driven rearwardly, the crawler belts 440 and 440 are reversely rotated and the wheelchair 1 is moved backward. Further, for example, when the left activation wheel 420 is driven forward at a relatively high speed and the right activation wheel 420 is driven at a relatively low speed around the front, the difference between the rotation speeds of the left and right crawler belts 440 and 440 is determined. The wheelchair 1 travels while turning.

By the way, when the wheelchair 1 moves to a place on a hard running surface such as a sidewalk while traveling on a rough road or the like, the front wheels 20L and 20R and the rear part of which are partially sunk on a soft running surface on a rough road or the like. The crawler belts 440 and 440 are lifted upward when the wheels 30L and 30R are solid on the traveling surface. Thereby, it is possible to travel on the sidewalk by the front wheels 20L and 20R and the rear wheels 30L and 30R.
On the other hand, when moving from a hard place such as a sidewalk to a bad road with snow, the front wheels 20L and 20R and a part of the rear wheels 30L and 30R sink into the snow on the road, contrary to the above. As a result, the crawler belts 440 and 440 are grounded. Therefore, traveling on a rough road or the like is possible.

  Thus, the wheelchair 1 according to the present embodiment has wheels (that is, the front wheels 20L and 20R and the rear wheels 30L and 30R) and the crawlers 40L and 40R as two traveling means, and travels on a hard flat ground. Sometimes the crawler belts 440, 440 are pulled away from the lower end of the wheel by a distance D, and when entering a rough road, part of the wheel sinks and the crawler belt naturally comes into contact with the surface of the bad road, etc. Therefore, the user can drive the wheelchair 1 at any place without selecting a traveling means according to the use environment of the wheelchair. Thus, since the switching operation is unnecessary, the usability of the wheelchair 1 is improved.

  In addition, in the wheelchairs of Patent Documents 3 and 4, when the user selects a traveling means according to the use environment of the wheelchair, and the crawler is selected, the crawler is moved from the storage position to the use position, and the wheel is retracted. is required. Further, in the past, the mechanism for switching the traveling means was complicated and the manufacturing cost increased, and the operation was complicated, but in the wheelchair according to the present embodiment, the crawlers 40L and 40R can be driven at a fixed position with respect to the body 10. Therefore, the apparatus configuration is simplified, and the weight and manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Further, since the starter wheels 420 and 420 are disposed coaxially with the rear wheels 30L and 30R and the guide wheels 410 and 410 are disposed coaxially with the front wheels 20L and 20R, the crawler belt 440 and the wheels are driven in the same manner. It can be driven by means. Thereby, the wheelchair can be reduced as a whole.

  Further, the guide wheel 410 is disposed inside the front wheels 20L and 20R, the starter wheel 420 is disposed inside the rear wheels 30L and 30R, and the crawler belts 440 and 440 are disposed inside the wheels. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when one wheel enters the roadside groove 80 and derails, the crawler belt 440 inside the wheel hits the groove edge 81, so that the entire wheelchair 1 suddenly Can be prevented. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the wheelchair 1 from falling over during wheel removal.

  Furthermore, since the lower belt portion of the crawler belt 440 is restricted from moving upward by the wheels 430, the crawler belt 440 can firmly catch the running surface, and the wheelchair 1 is highly driven even on rough roads. Demonstrate sex.

  Although detailed above, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the wheelchair 1 may be configured with a wheel-in motor on the front wheel. Instead of the wheel-in motor, each wheel and the starting wheel may be fixed to the drive shaft, and the drive shaft may be driven by the motor. The wheelchair may be configured without a wheel. The guide wheel may be disposed outside the front wheel, and the starting wheel may be disposed outside the rear wheel. Furthermore, the shaft material to which the starting wheel and the guide wheel are fixed is different from the shaft material to which the front wheel and the rear wheel are fixed, so that the wheel and the crawler are driven and controlled by separate driving means. The present invention may be configured. In the wheelchair, one crawler is provided on each of the left and right sides corresponding to the left and right wheels, but the number of crawlers is not limited to this. For example, two crawlers may be provided on each of the left and right sides. Moreover, you may provide one crawler in the width center part of a wheelchair. Such a crawler may be arranged to rotate separately from the wheel of the wheelchair (that is, the front wheel and the rear wheel). The structure and shape of the body of the wheelchair are not limited to the example described above. For example, the body is configured by combining pipe-shaped steel materials into a frame shape, or by combining pipe-shaped and plate-shaped steel materials, and the body portion and the support portion are configured integrally, and in this case, the damper mechanism is omitted. May be configured.

  The moving device of the present invention is not limited to the wheelchair described above, and can be applied as a means for moving other industrial, academic, and household appliances, devices, machines, and toys. For example, the moving device can be applied as a leg of a humanoid robot. Also, it can be used as a means for moving people, a transporter for transporting things, a moving means for moving machines for agricultural work, and a mechanism for moving playground equipment at leisure facilities such as amusement parks and theme parks. It is. Furthermore, the present invention can also be used for assistance / welfare machines and instruments used by elderly people and persons with disabilities.

  In the description of the wheelchair 1 described above, the case where the front wheel and the rear wheel partially fit on the barrier road surface such as a rough road has been described. However, in the present invention including the wheelchair, either the front wheel or the rear wheel is in the barrier road surface. When the crawler comes into contact with the barrier road surface by sinking into the barrier, the crawler can travel on the barrier road surface.

It is a perspective view which shows the electric wheelchair which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the electric wheelchair of FIG. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the electric wheelchair of FIG. 1, and is a view in which a seat and a seat plate are omitted. It is a top view of the electric wheelchair of FIG. It is a side view of the electric wheelchair of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the front wheel of the electric wheelchair of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the function of the electric wheelchair of FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric wheelchair 10 Body 20L, 20R Front wheel 30L, 30R Rear wheel 40L, 40R Crawler 50 Seat 110 Main body part 111 Bottom plate plate 112F, 112B Columnar member 113 Seat plate 115 Guard 116 Footrest 120L, 120R Support part 130 Damper mechanism 131U, 131D Suspension Arm 135 Spring 310 Tire 320 Wheel 410 Guide wheel 411, 431 Shaft member 420 Starting wheel 430 Rolling wheel 440 Crawler belt 440S surface 441 Lower belt part 450 Wheel-in motor 451 Stator 452 Rotor 510 Seat cushion 520 Seat back 530L, 530R Armrest 540 Operation unit 541 Joystick

Claims (8)

A moving device comprising left and right front wheels, left and right rear wheels, a body that rotatably supports the front wheels and the rear wheels, a motor, and a crawler,
A belt surface that captures the ground of the crawler is disposed at a fixed position above the lower ends of the front wheel and the rear wheel,
A moving device characterized in that when the front wheel and / or the rear wheel partially sinks in the barrier road surface during traveling, the crawler can contact the barrier road surface and travel on the barrier road surface by the crawler. The crawler includes a guide wheel, an activation wheel, and a crawler belt,
The guide wheels are provided on the left and right front wheels, respectively, and are arranged coaxially so as to rotate together with the front wheels.
The starting wheel is provided on each of the left and right rear wheels, and is arranged coaxially so as to rotate with each rear wheel.
The crawler belt is suspended between the guide wheel and the starting wheel and disposed on the left and right of the body,
The moving device according to claim 1, wherein the motor is provided on each rear wheel so as to drive the left and right rear wheels separately, and is configured to be a four-wheel drive.   The moving device according to claim 2, wherein the guide wheel is disposed inside the front wheel, and the starter wheel is disposed inside the rear wheel. At least one wheel is rotatably supported by the body between the guide wheel and the starting wheel,
4. The moving device according to claim 2, wherein the crawler belt is suspended and disposed so as to surround the guide wheel, the starting wheel, and the rolling wheel. 5.   The moving device according to claim 1, wherein the front wheel is an omnidirectional wheel.   An electric wheelchair comprising the moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and a seat disposed on the body. An electric wheelchair comprising left and right front wheels composed of omnidirectional wheels, left and right rear wheels, a body that rotatably supports the front wheels and the rear wheels, a seat, a motor, and a crawler,
The crawler includes a guide wheel, a starting wheel, and a crawler belt,
The guide wheels are provided on the left and right front wheels, respectively, and are arranged coaxially so as to rotate together with the front wheels.
The starting wheel is provided on each of the left and right rear wheels, and is arranged coaxially so as to rotate with each rear wheel.
At least one wheel is rotatably supported by the body between the left and right guide wheels and the starting wheel,
The crawler belt is suspended between the guide wheel and the starting wheel and disposed on the left and right of the body,
A belt surface that captures the ground of the crawler belt is disposed at a fixed position above the lower ends of the front and rear wheels,
The electric wheelchair characterized in that, when the front wheel and / or the rear wheel partially sinks in the barrier road surface during traveling, the crawler can contact the barrier road surface and travel on the barrier road surface by the crawler.   A robot, characterized in that the leg comprises the moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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