JP2012240158A - Rotational wave motion mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mechanism capable of generating propulsion motion without using complex structure, achieving dustproof and waterproof capability of an applied working robot, and further generating surface wave motion at all parts of the circumference touching the outside.SOLUTION: Each rocking plate unit BEi includes: a rocking disk 20 fixed to a center pipe 22; a ball bearing 16 having an inner ring 18 fitted into the outer periphery of the rocking disk 20; and protrusions 16PA, 16PB, 16PC and 16PC, the protrusions evenly provided at four positions on the circumference of the outer periphery of the outer ring of the ball bearing 16. The rocking disk 20 has the center at a position eccentric to the center pipe 22 by a predetermined distance ε, and is inclined at a predetermined angle φ to the center pipe 22 so that the protrusions 16PA, 16PB, 16PC and 16PC can generate walking type rotational movement.

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotational wave mechanism that generates a propulsion motion.

Robots are used for inspection of white ants damage under the floor, inspection of the attic, wiring work for buildings, soundness inspection, repair work for the underfloor ceiling, etc., or exploration in the tile for rescue operations in the event of a disaster. Has been proposed for use in work and rescue operations. As such robots, snake type robots, crawler type robots, multi-wheel type robots, and the like have been proposed.
In addition, since the above-described robot has a lot of work that must be carried out in a narrow environment, a jack-up moving type robot has been proposed. For example, as shown in Non-Patent Document 1, a jack-up movement type robot moves two opposing plates in a direction away from each other or in a direction close to each other by rotational movement of a plurality of eccentric cams. To be promoted. That is, by generating a swinging motion around the rotational axis of the cam by the rotational motion of the eccentric cam, a low-speed but powerful walking propulsion motion is generated.
In a spider robot, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a frame in which four legs are movably provided on both sides, and one end of each leg provided on both sides of the frame are connected. A spur gear, a gear train comprising intermediate spur gears of the same module arranged between the spur gears, and a plurality of gear trains that rotate each gear train so that the eight legs move up and down. A structure including a rotating means has been proposed. That is, such a pair of gear trains generate a motion of the foot by extracting motions with different phases in the motion of the foot from a spur gear to which one end of each leg is connected.
In the spider-type robot, for example, as shown in Patent Document 2, a plurality of main bodies having four legs movably provided on both sides, and a plurality of grooves each having one end of each leg guided. There has been proposed a configuration including a grooved cam, a gear train provided at one end of a rotating shaft for rotating the plurality of grooved cams, and a motor for supplying rotational power to the gear train. As a result, eight leg movements are generated from the cam follower movements following the movements of the interlocking cams.

  For example, as shown in Patent Document 3, a wave generator that generates a transverse wave has been proposed. The apparatus includes a flexible flat member, a plurality of drive rods having one end secured to the flexible flat member and the other end pivotally attached to each parallel beam, and each of the parallel beams. A crank assembly attached to one end portion and a gear motor connected to the crank assembly are configured. In such a configuration, when the gear motor is activated, the unconstrained end portions of the plurality of parallel beams elliptically move in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, thereby causing the flexible flat member to perform a transverse wave. Will be generated. That is, the idea is that this apparatus generates wave motion by rotating an eccentric disk in which a plurality of phases are sequentially changed in a crank assembly from the motion of one rotating shaft.

US Pat. No. 5,423,708 U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,463 US Pat. No. 6,689,076

"Jack-up moving object in narrow space: Development of Bari-bari-I", author: Hideyuki Tsukagoshi, Yusuke Amano, Takahiro Tanaka, Noh Kitagawa: Robotics Lecture 2004 2P1-H-42

  The devices proposed in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 to 3 and Non-Patent Document 1 generate wave motion in a direction perpendicular to the axis for rotating the eccentric cam, grooved cam, etc. When the mechanism is applied, a mechanism for converting the rotational motion into a desired propulsion direction is required, and thus the mechanism for generating the propulsion motion may have a complicated configuration. Also, in the crawler type robot, it is difficult to achieve the dustproof and waterproof property of the crawler part. With the problem that it is difficult to keep dustproof and waterproof.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention is a rotational wave mechanism that generates a propulsion motion, and does not have a complicated structure for generating the propulsion motion. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotational wave mechanism that can generate a surface wave in all portions of the outer periphery that are in contact with the outside.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the rotational wave mechanism according to the present invention includes a drive rotary shaft to which the rotational force from the drive force supply unit is transmitted, and a drive rotary shaft with a predetermined interval along the axis of the drive rotary shaft. A plurality of oscillating disks fixed to the drive rotating shaft so as to intersect the axis of the oscillating disk, and a rotating member that is rotatably arranged on the outer periphery of each oscillating disk and follows the movement of the oscillating disk A flexible connecting member that limits the rotation of the rotating member to a predetermined rotation angle and connects adjacent rotating members in series, and the center position of the swinging disc is at the center axis of the drive rotating shaft A plurality of oscillating disks are arranged on the drive rotating shaft so that a common plane connected to the oscillating disk and the rotating member forms a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the center axis of the driving rotating shaft in an eccentric state with respect to a predetermined distance. It is fixed.

  According to the rotational wave mechanism according to the present invention, the drive rotation shaft to which the rotational force from the drive force supply unit is transmitted and the axis of the drive rotation shaft intersect each other with a predetermined interval along the axis of the drive rotation shaft. A plurality of oscillating disks fixed to the drive rotation shaft, a rotating member rotatably arranged on the outer periphery of each oscillating disk, and following the movement of the oscillating disk; A flexible connecting member that limits the rotation angle to a predetermined angle and connects the rotating member in series. The surface vibration is generated in all parts, and the drive rotating shaft, the plurality of oscillating disks, and the rotating member can be covered by the flexible connecting member, so that the applied robot can be protected against dust and water. Can be achieved.

It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the centipede-type work robot to which an example of the rotational wave mechanism which concerns on this invention was applied. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the centipede type | mold work robot shown by FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the active bending part in the centipede type | mold work robot shown by FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a rocking plate unit in the centipede type working robot shown in FIG. 1. (A) is a figure used for description of the positional relationship between a rocking | fluctuation disk and a center pipe, (B) is a front view of the figure shown by (A). When φ is fixed at 20 ° and fluctuates as ε = 0.1r, 0.2r, 0.3r, 0.4r, and 0.5r, the generated trajectory curves are shown. When ε = 0.2r is fixed and φ = 10 °, 20 °, 30 °, 40 °, and 50 °, the generated trajectory curves are shown. It is a figure used for description of the movement which produces | generates a rotational locus radially along the advancing direction around a Z-axis. It is sectional drawing shown along the IX-IX line in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of another example of a centipede type working robot to which an example of the rotation wave mechanism which concerns on this invention was applied.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an external appearance of a centipede-type work robot to which an example of a rotating wave mechanism according to the present invention is applied.
In FIG. 2, a centipede-type work robot (hereinafter also referred to as a robot) includes a camera unit 12 that is provided at a distal end portion in the traveling direction and captures imaging data by photographing an environment in the traveling direction with a solid-state imaging device, One end is connected to the rotational swing unit A1, the active bending portion 10 connected to the other end of the rotational swing unit A1, and the other end of the active bending portion 10 connected to the rotational swing unit A1. A rotation / oscillation unit A2 and a rotation / oscillation unit A3 coupled to the rotation / oscillation unit A2 via an active bending portion 10 are configured.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the active bending portion 10 connects, for example, the rotation / oscillation unit A1 and the rotation / oscillation unit A2, and serves as a central drive rotation shaft in the rotation / oscillation unit A1 described later. The center pipe 22 is rotated. The active bending portion 10 provided at the rearmost end drives the rotation / oscillation unit A3, and the active bending portion 10 provided between the rotation / oscillation unit A3 and the rotation / oscillation unit A2. Is assumed to drive the rotary oscillating unit A2.
The active bending portion 10 includes a gear box 50 connected to a gear reduction mechanism provided at an end of the rotation / oscillation unit A1, which will be described later, and a propulsion motor 36 that rotates the center pipe 22 via the gear reduction mechanism described above. The angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angle of inclination formed between the rotation / oscillation unit A1 and the adjacent rotation / oscillation unit A2 and the angle adjustment for individually driving the two ball screws constituting a part of the angle adjustment mechanism And a motor 38 for use.

In the cylindrical gear box 50, a pin-on gear 54 connected to the protruding output shaft 36S of the propulsion motor 36, a timing belt pulley 38P connected to the output shaft 38S of the angle adjusting motor 38, and each transmission shaft A timing belt pulley 46 connected to one end of 44 is disposed.
The output shaft 36S passes through the end portion of the gear box 50 toward the end portion of the rotary swing unit A1, and protrudes substantially parallel to the support shaft 14. Each output shaft 38S penetrates and protrudes through the end of the gear box 50 substantially parallel to the output shaft 36S at a predetermined distance from the output shaft 36S. The output shafts 38S are arranged in the gear box 50 so as to be separated from each other by a predetermined distance.

One end of each transmission shaft 44 passes through the end of the gear box 50 substantially in parallel to each output shaft 38 </ b> S and protrudes inside the gear box 50. A timing belt 48 is wound around the timing belt pulley 46 and the timing belt pulley 38P. Thereby, the rotational force from the output shaft 38S of the angle adjusting motor 38 is transmitted to each transmission shaft 44. Both ends of each transmission shaft 44 are rotatably supported by the end portion of the gear box 50 and the bearing hole 52a of the bracket 52. A universal joint 40 and a ball screw 42S are connected to the other end of each transmission shaft 44. The ball screw 42S is rotatably fitted to the nut 42N. The end of each nut 42N is connected to the end cap 34 of the adjacent rotary swing unit A2 via the universal joint 40.
The propulsion motor 36 is supported by the end of the gear box 50 and supported by the bracket 52. Further, the end portion of the propulsion motor 36 facing the rotation / oscillation unit A2 is also connected to the end cap 34 of the rotation / oscillation unit A2 via the universal joint 40.

The propulsion motor 36 and the angle adjustment motor 38 are driven and controlled by a control circuit unit (not shown). As a result, when the propulsion motor 36 and the angle adjustment motor 38 are activated, the center pipe 22 in the rotary swing unit A1 is rotated and the nut 42N is moved relative to the ball screw 42S. Since the angle formed between the end cap 34 of the rotation / oscillation unit A2 and the active bending portion 10 changes, the inclination angle formed between the rotation / oscillation unit A1 and the adjacent rotation / oscillation unit A2 is adjusted.
The internal space around the bracket 52, the propulsion motor 36 and the angle adjustment motor 38 is sealed with a flexible cover member JC which can be expanded and contracted, for example, a rubber tube or a bellows tube.
Since the rotary swing unit A1, the rotary swing unit A2, and the rotary swing unit A3 have the same configuration, the rotary swing unit A1 will be described, and the rotary swing unit A2 and the rotary swing unit A3 will be described. The description about is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 1, the rotary swing unit A <b> 1 includes a support shaft 14 that is supported at both ends by end plates 30 and 32 and that extends in the longitudinal direction in the center of the inside, and a support shaft 14 on the end plate 30 side. A gear case GC that is rotatably supported at the end via a bearing 28; a center pipe receiving portion 26B that is rotatably supported at the end on the end plate 32 side of the support shaft 14 via a bearing 28; A center pipe 22 that is rotatably arranged so as to cover the periphery of the support shaft 14 and supports a plurality of swing plate units BEi (i = 1 to n, n is a positive integer), and expands and contracts as a flexible connecting member. And a sealable flexible cover member CCi (i = 1 to n, n is a positive integer).
The gear case GC is disposed on the inner surface side of the end plate 30 facing the end of the gear box 50 and accommodates a gear reduction mechanism including a gear train that meshes with the pin-on gear 54. Thereby, the rotational force transmitted from the pin-on gear 54 is transmitted to the gear case GC via the gear train, whereby the gear case GC is rotated about the support shaft 14. The gear case GC has a center pipe receiving portion 26A that supports one end of the center pipe 22 at one end. As a result, both ends of the center pipe 22 as the drive rotation shaft are fitted into the center pipe receiving portions 26A and 26B, respectively, so that the center pipe 22 rotates via the center pipe receiving portions 26A and 26B of the gear case GC. It will be supported movably.

The flexible cover member CCi as the flexible connecting member is, for example, a rubber tube or a bellows tube, and between the swing plate units BEi described later, and between the swing plate unit BEi and the end plate 32. And the internal spaces between the swing plate unit BEi and the end plate 30 are sealed. Further, the flexible cover member CCi restrains the rotation around the axis around the center pipe 22 in the outer ring of the ball bearing 16 in the swing plate unit BEi described later within a predetermined rotation angle range.
The plurality of swing plate units BEi have the same structure. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a pair of adjacent rocking plate units BEi are arranged at a predetermined interval, for example, about 50 mm, with a predetermined phase angle difference, for example, a 90 degree phase angle difference. Has been.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the swing plate unit BEi is a ball bearing having a swing disc 20 fixed to the center pipe 22 and an inner ring 18 fitted to the outer periphery of the swing disc 20. 16 and four protrusions 16PA, 16PB, 16PC, and 16PC provided evenly on the circumference of the outer peripheral portion of the outer ring of the ball bearing 16 as a rotating member.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the oscillating disk 20 is centered at a position eccentric by a predetermined distance ε with respect to the center pipe 22, and as shown in FIG. Is inclined by an angle φ. That is, the hole 20a through which the center pipe 22 penetrates in the oscillating disk 20 is formed so as to be inclined with respect to the central axis as shown in FIG. The swing disk 20 is locked at one end of a clamp member 24 fixed to the center pipe 22.

Each of the protrusions 16PA, 16PB, 16PC, and 16PC has a through-hole 16b that penetrates so as to intersect the axial direction of the center pipe 22. That is, the through hole 16b is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to both end surfaces of the outer ring of the ball bearing 16.
Thereby, when the rocking disc 20 is rotated continuously with the rotation of the center pipe 22,
All the protrusions 16PA, 16PB, 16PC, and 16PC generate a walking-type rotational motion that combines a reciprocating motion outward from the central axis and a reciprocating motion along the central axis. For this reason, when such a rotating / oscillating unit contacts the outside, a propulsive force in the axial direction that coincides with the traveling direction is generated. Therefore, the centipede-type robot configured to be able to be steered by connecting the rotation / oscillation units A1 to A3 in series with the active bending portion 10 can move in a narrow environment while achieving dustproof and waterproof properties. It becomes possible.
As shown in FIG. 8, an example of the rotating wave mechanism according to the present invention generates a rotational motion on the X and Y planes formed by the X axis and the Y axis, assuming that the center pipe 22 rotates on the Z axis. Instead, it is a surface wave mechanism that generates a motion that generates a rotation locus RL radially along the traveling direction around the Z axis.

That is, the principle of the surface wave mechanism is that, as shown in FIG. 5B, the Z-axis of the oscillating disc fixed with the center decentered by ε and tilted by the angle φ with respect to the Z-axis (center pipe 22). It uses the movement of the outer periphery when it rotates. As described above, a ball bearing is attached to the outer periphery of the oscillating disk, and the outer ring is attached so that it can move up and down, right and left and in the axial direction without rotating around the axis. With such a configuration, when the oscillating disk rotates around the Z axis in FIG. 5B, the motion projected on the YZ plane at one point of the outer ring of the ball bearing 16 draws an elliptical orbit. For this reason, when rotating the central axis of the rotary swing unit attached with a plurality of swing disks shifted along the Z axis by a fixed phase, all the protrusions attached to the outer periphery of the rotary swing unit are Is generated from the axis toward the outside. Since this motion constitutes a surface wave, this mechanism is called a surface wave mechanism.
The relationship between the height h and the width w of the waveform (elliptical orbit) generated by the amount of eccentricity ε and the inclination φ can be expressed by the following equations (1) and (2).
h = (r + ε) − (r−ε) = 2ε (1)
w = 2rsinφ (2)
The height h of the waveform (elliptical orbit) is twice the amount of eccentricity ε, where r is the radius of the oscillating disk 20.
For example, when φ is fixed at 20 ° and fluctuates as ε = 0.1r, 0.2r, 0.3r, 0.4r, 0.5r, it is projected on the YZ plane at one point of the outer ring of the ball bearing 16. The trajectories generated by the motion are respectively elliptic curves EL _0.1 , EL _0.2, EL _0.3, EL _{0.4, and} EL _0.5 shown in FIG.
On the other hand, when ε = 0.2r is fixed and φ = 10 °, 20 °, 30 °, 40 °, 50 °, the projected motion on the YZ plane at one point of the outer ring of the ball bearing 16 The trajectories generated by are as shown by the curves EL ₁₀ , EL _20, EL _30, EL _40, EL ₅₀ shown in FIG.
In an example of the rotational wave mechanism according to the present invention, the flexible cover member CCi connects the plurality of swing plate units BEi and seals the internal space, but is limited to such an example. For example, in an environment where dustproof and waterproof properties are not required in the work robot, as shown in FIG. 10, the protrusions 16PA, 16PB, 16PC, and 16PC in the plurality of swing plate units BEi are connected to the through holes. You may mutually connect by the flexible linear member 60 inserted in 16b. The linear member 60 as the flexible connecting member may be made of metal, plastic, or the like, for example. In FIG. 10, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

In the prior art, a snake robot is likely to be expensive because it requires a large number of active flexion joints, and the movement efficiency is low because the trunk moves while sliding. It is difficult for the crawler robot to improve the dustproof and waterproof properties of the crawler part, and it is difficult to move in rainy weather or in a dusty environment. Further, when the crawler-type robot falls down, it may start moving in the opposite direction. The multi-wheel robot has a problem that it requires a large number of drive motors and needs to maintain a posture such that the wheels are in contact with the ground.
However, the centipede-type robot to which the example of the rotational wave mechanism according to the present invention is applied can propel with a small drive system because it can move all the legs (protrusions) by the axial rotation movement as described above. In addition, since it is covered with a rubber tube and the rotating part does not come out, it is a completely dustproof and waterproof type.
In addition, the entire core of the centipede-type robot has features such as the generation of propulsive force in the direction of propulsion, so the centipede-type robot exhibits innovative characteristics that can solve all of the problems left over by conventional methods. To become a robot.
In the above-described example of the rotating wave mechanism according to the present invention, the three rotating / oscillating units are connected. However, it is not always necessary to be configured in this manner, for example, two rotating / oscillating units. Of course, four or more rotating / oscillating units may be connected.
In the example of the rotational wave mechanism according to the present invention described above, the plurality of rocking plate units BEi have the same structure as each other. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the rotation rocking unit A1. The eccentric amount ε and tilt angle φ of the swing plate unit BEi in the portion closer to the end plates 30 and 32 are set to be smaller than the eccentric amount ε and tilt angle φ of the swing plate unit BEi provided in the central portion of It is also possible to configure it. If it carries out like this, the traveling wave produced | generated along rotation rocking | swiveling unit A1 will be produced | generated so that it may start smoothly from the end plate fixed to one end, and may end smoothly to the end plate of the other end. Further, in the rotary oscillation unit A1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 of the above-described rotating wave mechanism according to the present invention, the center pipe 22 is described in a straight line, but this is not necessarily limited to a straight line, and is a curved line. It may be in the shape. In addition, by making the center pipe 22 active bendable, a rotating wave mechanism that can change the traveling direction without the active bend 10 can also be realized.
Further, in the above-described example of the rotational wave mechanism according to the present invention, the protrusions are equally provided at four places on the circumference of the outer peripheral part of the outer ring of the ball bearing 16, but the invention is limited to such an example. For example, the protrusion protruding outward is not provided directly on the outer periphery of the outer ring of the ball bearing 16, but is provided via a flexible cover member CCi that covers the outer periphery of the outer ring of the ball bearing 16. May be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Active bending part 16 Ball bearing 16PA, 16PB, 16PC, 16PC Protrusion part 20 Oscillation disk 22 Center pipe 36 Propulsion motor 60 Linear member A1, A2, A3 Rotation oscillation unit BEi Oscillation plate unit CCi Flexible cover Element

Claims (5)

A driving rotary shaft to which the rotational force from the driving force supply unit is transmitted;
A plurality of oscillating disks fixed to the drive rotating shaft so as to intersect the axis of the drive rotating shaft at a predetermined interval along the axis of the drive rotating shaft;
A rotating member that is rotatably arranged on an outer peripheral portion of each of the oscillating disks and follows the movement of the oscillating disk;
A flexible connecting member that limits rotation of the rotating member to a predetermined rotation angle and connects adjacent rotating members in series;
In a state where the center position of the swing disk is decentered by a predetermined distance from the center axis of the drive rotation shaft, a common plane connected to the swing disk and the rotation member is the center axis of the drive rotation shaft. A rotating wave mechanism, wherein the plurality of oscillating disks are fixed to the drive rotating shaft so as to form a predetermined inclination angle.   A plurality of rotary swing units each including the drive rotary shaft, the plurality of swing disks, the rotating member, and the flexible connecting member; 2. The rotating wave mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the rotating wave mechanism is connected through an active bending portion that adjusts an angle formed by one rotating / oscillating unit and the other adjacent rotating / oscillating unit.   The flexible connecting member is a bellows tube that covers the drive rotating shaft, the plurality of oscillating disks, and the rotating member, and seals the formed internal space. The rotational wave mechanism according to 1.   The rotation wave according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of protrusions are provided along a circumferential direction of the rotating member at an outer peripheral portion of the flexible connecting member that covers the rotating member. mechanism.   The rotational wave mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the flexible connecting member is a linear member.

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