JP2014000923A - Vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle with a simple structure, which is capable of properly performing a wheel raising operation.SOLUTION: A vehicle performs a wheel raising operation of raising one wheel so that it will climb a protrusion by performing an operation in which, when at least one of four wheels 21 to 24 approaches a protrusion 50 on a road surface, one of supports 40 and 42 supporting the one wheel performs a first rotation operation so that the one wheel moves in an upper direction, and a second rotation operation so that the one wheel moves in a front direction. The one support supporting the one wheel performs the second rotation operation with the one wheel as a fulcrum, as a preparation operation of the wheel raising operation.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle. In particular, there are four front wheels, a front left wheel, a front right wheel, a rear left wheel, a rear right wheel, and two support bodies, a front support body and a rear support body, the front support bodies at both longitudinal ends. The left front wheel and the right front wheel are rotatably supported, and the rear support is a front support and a rear support that rotatably support the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel at both longitudinal ends. And a vehicle having

  Four wheels, the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, the right rear wheel, and the two support bodies, the front support body and the rear support body, the front support bodies at the both ends in the longitudinal direction. The left front wheel and the right front wheel are rotatably supported, and the rear support is a front support and a rear support that rotatably support the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel at both longitudinal ends, A vehicle having a vehicle is already well known, and such a vehicle travels on a road surface by rotating wheels.

  Further, in the vehicle, each of the two support bodies is a first rotation operation that rotates so that the wheel moves in the vertical direction, and a first rotation operation that rotates so that the wheel moves in the front-rear direction. There are some which can perform two rotation operations.

  And when such a vehicle has at least one of the four wheels approached a convex portion on the road surface, one of the two supports that support the one wheel is: By executing the first rotation operation so that the one wheel moves upward and the second rotation operation so that the one wheel moves forward, the one wheel The wheel is put on the convex part by raising the wheel.

  That is, when the vehicle is unable to execute the wheel mode (that is, travel) due to the presence of the convex portion, the first mode of traveling on the road surface by rotating the wheel (referred to as wheel mode), etc. Both of the second modes (referred to as leg modes) in which the wheels are placed on the road surface using the wheels as legs can be executed.

JP 2009-173133 A

By the way, there is a point to be considered in order to appropriately perform the above-described wheel mounting operation.
For example, in the above-described wheel mounting operation, the one wheel is raised, so that the vehicle is supported by three wheels other than this wheel. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the stability of the vehicle so that the vehicle does not fall over.
Further, in the wheel mounting operation, in order to place the one wheel on the convex portion, the one support member performs the second rotation operation to move the one wheel in the forward direction. It is necessary to consider that a sufficient step length can be taken to place the projection on the convex portion.
On the other hand, there is a demand for a simple (simple) vehicle that can execute both the wheel mode and the leg mode.
Therefore, it is against the request to provide a special mechanism in the vehicle in order to make the wheel-mounting operation appropriate in consideration of the above.

  This invention is made | formed in view of this subject, The place made into the objective is to implement | achieve the vehicle which has a simple structure and can perform wheel riding operation | movement appropriately.

The main present invention includes four wheels, a left front wheel, a right front wheel, a left rear wheel, a right rear wheel,
Two support bodies, a front support body and a rear support body, the front support body rotatably support the left front wheel and the right front wheel at both longitudinal ends, and the rear support body is a longitudinal A front support and a rear support that rotatably support the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel at both ends in the direction;
Each of the two supports can execute a first rotation operation in which the wheel rotates so as to move in the vertical direction and a second rotation operation in which the wheel rotates so as to move in the front-rear direction. And
When at least one of the four wheels approaches a convex portion on the road surface, one of the two supports that support the one wheel is The first rotating operation is performed so as to move in the direction, and the second rotating operation is performed so that the one wheel moves in the forward direction. A vehicle that performs a wheel-climbing operation
The said one support body which supports said one wheel is a vehicle characterized by performing said 2nd rotation operation | movement which used said one wheel as a fulcrum as preparation operation | movement of said wheel mounting operation | movement.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a car 10. FIG. It is the figure which looked at the car 10 from the front side. It is the figure which looked at the car 10 from the upper direction. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the first actuator 100 and the second actuator 200. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the vehicle 10. FIG. It is an explanatory conceptual diagram for explaining wheel riding operation. It is an explanatory conceptual diagram for explaining the stability margin S. It is a figure explaining the 2nd rotation operation for every wheel 20 put on convex part 50. It is an explanatory conceptual diagram for explaining the necessity of the stability margin determination process. It is an explanatory conceptual diagram for explaining the necessity of the stride determination process. It is an explanatory conceptual diagram for demonstrating the threshold value in a stride determination process. It is explanatory conceptual drawing for demonstrating the 2nd preparation operation | movement of the wheel mounting operation | movement which raises the left front wheel 21 and mounts it on the convex part 50. FIG. It is a 1st explanatory conceptual diagram for demonstrating the 2nd preparation operation | movement of the wheel mounting operation | movement which raises the left rear wheel 23 and mounts it on the convex part 50. FIG. It is a 2nd explanatory conceptual diagram for demonstrating the 2nd preparation operation | movement of the wheel mounting operation | movement which raises the left rear wheel 23 and mounts it on the convex part 50. FIG. It is the figure which showed the 2nd preparation operation | movement for each of several cases.

  At least the following will be made clear by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

Four wheels, left front wheel, right front wheel, left rear wheel, right rear wheel,
Two support bodies, a front support body and a rear support body, the front support body rotatably support the left front wheel and the right front wheel at both longitudinal ends, and the rear support body is a longitudinal A front support and a rear support that rotatably support the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel at both ends in the direction;
Each of the two supports can execute a first rotation operation in which the wheel rotates so as to move in the vertical direction and a second rotation operation in which the wheel rotates so as to move in the front-rear direction. And
When at least one of the four wheels approaches a convex portion on the road surface, one of the two supports that support the one wheel is The first rotating operation is performed so as to move in the direction, and the second rotating operation is performed so that the one wheel moves in the forward direction. A vehicle that performs a wheel-climbing operation
The one support body that supports the one wheel performs the second rotation operation with the one wheel as a fulcrum as a preparation operation for the wheel mounting operation.
In such a case, it is possible to realize a vehicle that has a simple configuration and can appropriately perform wheel-mounting operations.

Further, the preparation operation is a second preparation operation,
The other support of the two supports is the stability of the vehicle when the vehicle is supported by three wheels other than the raised one wheel as the first preparation operation of the wheel-mounting operation. It is good also as changing the position on the said road surface of the wheel supported by the said other support body by performing said 2nd rotation operation so that a degree may be increased.
In such a case, it is possible to realize a vehicle having a simple configuration and capable of carrying out wheel mounting operation more appropriately.

Further, a stability determination process for determining whether or not the stability is greater than a threshold based on a position of the wheel on the road surface that is changed by execution of the second rotation operation as the first preparation operation. When,
When the one support member performs the second turning operation so that the one wheel moves in the forward direction and performs the wheel mounting operation, the one wheel moves when the one wheel moves in the forward direction. Stride determination processing for determining whether the stride is larger than a threshold;
Equipped with a controller to carry out
The one support body executes the second preparatory operation when the stability step clear determination that the controller determines to be good in both the stability determination process and the stride determination process is not obtained,
When the controller determines NO in the stability determination process, the one support body performs the second rotation operation so as to increase the stability as the second preparation operation,
When the controller determines NO in the stride determination process, the one support body may execute the second rotation operation so as to increase the stride as the second preparation operation. .
In such a case, the movement of the vehicle can be accelerated.

In addition, the controller
Based on the position, whether the stability is greater than a threshold,
A determination is made based on whether or not the imaginary line drawn vertically from the center of gravity of the vehicle intersects the interior of a triangle connecting the grounding point where each of the three wheels other than the one wheel contacts the road surface,
Whether or not the stride is greater than a threshold value,
It may be determined based on whether or not a maximum stride that can be moved when the one wheel moves forward is larger than a radius of the one wheel.
In such a case, it is possible to determine whether or not the stability or the stride is larger than the threshold value by a simple method.

When the one support is the front support and the other support is the rear support,
When the controller determines NO in the stability determination process and when the controller determines NO in the stride determination process, the one support body is not the one wheel as the second preparation operation. The second turning operation with the one wheel as a fulcrum may be executed so that the wheel without the front moves in the forward direction.
In such a case, the (prepared) second preparatory operation corresponding to the wheel loading operation of the front wheel is appropriately executed using the existing front support rotating mechanism, and therefore the wheel loading operation is appropriately performed. Can be performed.

Further, when the one support body is the rear support body and the other support body is the front support body,
When the controller determines NO in the stability determination process, the one support is configured so that, as the second preparation operation, the wheel that is not the one wheel moves backward. Performing the second turning operation with one wheel as a fulcrum,
When the controller determines NO in the stride determination process, the one support is configured so that, as the second preparation operation, the one wheel that is not the one wheel moves forward. It is good also as performing said 2nd rotation operation | movement which used this wheel as a fulcrum.
In such a case, the second preparation operation (specialized) corresponding to the wheel loading operation of the rear wheel is appropriately executed by using the rotation mechanism of the existing rear support body. Can be performed appropriately.

=== About Configuration Example of Car 10 ===
Below, the structural example of the vehicle 10 which concerns on this Embodiment is demonstrated.
First, the outline | summary of the apparatus structure of the vehicle 10 is demonstrated using FIG. 1 thru | or FIG.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the vehicle 10. FIG. 2 is a view of the vehicle 10 as viewed from the front side. FIG. 3 is a view of the vehicle 10 as viewed from above. 2 and 3 also show parts that are not inherently visible from the outside of the vehicle 10 for the sake of convenience of showing the internal structure of the vehicle 10. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the first actuator 100 and the second actuator 200 shown in FIG.

  Also, FIG. 1 shows the X, Y, and Z axes as coordinate axes, FIG. 2 shows the Y and Z axes, FIG. 3 shows the X and Y axes, and FIG. 4 shows the X and Z axes. Each axis is shown. Here, the X-axis direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture. Further, the X axis direction coincides with the straight traveling direction when the vehicle 10 travels straight on a horizontal ground. The Y-axis direction corresponds to the left-right direction of the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture. That is, the Y-axis direction is a horizontal direction and a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction. The Y-axis direction coincides with the rotation axis direction of the wheel 20 when the vehicle 10 travels straight on a horizontal ground. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction of the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture. The Z-axis direction coincides with the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment is a vehicle having four wheels 20 having the same diameter. That is, the vehicle 10 has two pairs of wheels 20, one of which is located on the front side of the vehicle 10 and the other is located on the rear side. Then, as each pair of wheels 20 rotates, the vehicle 10 travels on the ground. Hereinafter, the pair of wheels 20 positioned on the front side will be referred to as the left front wheel 21 and the right front wheel 22, and the pair of wheels 20 positioned on the rear side will be referred to as the left rear wheel 23 and the right rear wheel 24.

  The rotation axes of the left front wheel 21 and the right front wheel 22 are on the same straight line, and are substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture. Similarly, the rotation axes of the left rear wheel 23 and the right rear wheel 24 are also on the same straight line, and are substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, four motors 30 for rotating the left front wheel 21, the right front wheel 22, the left rear wheel 23, and the right rear wheel 24 are provided for each wheel 20. . In the present embodiment, the motors 30 can be individually controlled. In other words, the rotational speeds of the left front wheel 21, the right front wheel 22, the left rear wheel 23, and the right rear wheel 24 can be controlled for each wheel 20.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in addition to the wheel 20 and the motor 30, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 12 and a front wheel support arm 40 (a front support body) that is two wheel support arms 38 as an example of two support bodies. And a rear wheel support arm 42 (corresponding to a rear support body).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wheel support arms 38 (the front wheel support arm 40 and the rear wheel support arm 42) are long bodies, and are disposed at the ends of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the casing 14 described later. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the motor 30 is fixed to both longitudinal ends of the wheel support arm 38 (each of the front wheel support arm 40 and the rear wheel support arm 42). The wheel 20 is rotatably supported at both longitudinal ends of the wheel support arm 38 (each of the front wheel support arm 40 and the rear wheel support arm 42) via the rotation shaft of the motor 30. That is, the front wheel support arm 40 rotatably supports the left front wheel 21 and the right front wheel 22 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the rear wheel support arm 42 has the left rear wheel 23 and the right rear wheel at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The wheel 24 is rotatably supported.

  The wheel support arm 38 is provided in the vehicle 10 in a state in which the longitudinal direction thereof is along the rotation axis direction of the wheel 20 supported by the wheel support arm 38. Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the wheel support arm 38 is substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body 12 includes a casing 14 and a mounting table 16.
The casing 14 is a structure made of steel and has an upper wall, a lower wall, and a side wall. The longitudinal direction of the casing 14 is the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10. Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the casing 14 coincides with the X-axis direction when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the side wall is not provided in the longitudinal direction both ends of the casing 14, but only the upper wall and the lower wall are provided. That is, the upper wall and the lower wall are provided in the state where both ends of the casing 14 in the longitudinal direction are overhanging.

  The mounting table 16 is a substantially rectangular flat plate for mounting a person or an object. That is, the car 10 of the present embodiment is a car that can travel with a person or an object placed on the mounting table 16 described above. As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the mounting table 16 is located above the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the casing 14. Further, the longitudinal direction of the mounting table 16 is along the longitudinal direction of the casing 14 when the posture of the vehicle 10 is the basic posture.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of table support arms 18 are attached to the lower surface of the mounting table 16. Each of the pair of table support arms 18 is a long body that extends downward from the lower surface of the mounting table 16. The table support arm 18 supports the mounting table 16 at a position located outside the casing 14 in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10. The longitudinal direction of the table support arm 18 is substantially parallel to the vertical direction (that is, the Z-axis direction) when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 10 includes first actuators 100 and 110, second actuators 200 and 210, and a third actuator 300.

  The first actuators 100 and 110 and the second actuators 200 and 210 are provided for each of the two wheel support arms 38. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle 10 of the present embodiment includes two first actuators 100 and 110 and two second actuators 200 and 210. One first actuator 100 and one second actuator 200 are located on the front side of the vehicle 10. The other first actuator 110 and the other second actuator 210 are located on the rear side of the vehicle 10.

  The first actuator 100 on the front side has the same structure and function as the first actuator 110 on the rear side. Similarly, the second actuator 200 on the front side has the same structure and function as the second actuator 210 on the rear side. Therefore, in the following, the first actuator 100 and the second actuator 200 on the front side will be mainly described.

  The first actuator 100 is a mechanism for supporting the front wheel support arm 40 and rotating the front wheel support arm 40 about a central axis of an arm support portion 102 described later. As shown in FIG. 4, the first actuator 100 is disposed between the upper wall and the lower wall of the casing 14 at the longitudinal end portion of the casing 14. Moreover, the 1st actuator 100 has the arm support part 102, the drive motor 104, and the drive force transmission part 106, as shown in FIG.

  The arm support portion 102 is a cylindrical member for supporting the front wheel support arm 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the arm support portion 102 is located on the end side in the longitudinal direction of the casing 14, and a part of the arm support portion 102 protrudes outward from the casing 14. The front wheel support arm 40 is supported by the arm support portion 102 by bolting the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the front wheel support arm 40 to one end surface of the arm support portion 102. The central axis direction of the arm support portion 102 is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the front wheel support arm 40 and is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the casing 14 (that is, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10). Therefore, the central axis direction is substantially parallel to the X-axis direction when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture.

  The drive motor 104 is a DC servo motor, and the rotation shaft of the drive motor 104 can rotate in either the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction. The driving force transmission unit 106 supports both the arm support unit 102 and the drive motor 104 and transmits the driving force from the drive motor 104 to the arm support unit 102. The driving force transmission unit 106 has a plurality of gears (not shown), and decelerates the rotation of the rotation shaft of the driving motor 104 and transmits it to the arm support unit 102. When the driving force from the drive motor 104 is transmitted to the arm support portion 102, the arm support portion 102 rotates around its central axis. As shown in FIG. 5, an actuator holding unit 205 (details will be described later) of the second actuator 200 is attached to the driving force transmission unit 106. The first actuator 100 is held between the upper wall and the lower wall of the casing 14 by the actuator holding unit 205.

  In the first actuator 100 having the above-described structure, as shown in FIG. 2, the arm motor 102 is integrated with the front wheel support arm 40 around its central axis as the drive motor 104 rotates. To turn. As described above, since the rotation axis of the drive motor 104 can rotate in either the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction, the front wheel support arm 40 is in the normal direction around the central axis of the arm support portion 102. It can be turned in both the turning direction and the reverse turning direction. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the front wheel support arm 40 can be rotated until the longitudinal direction of the front wheel support arm 40 is inclined at a maximum of about 28.5 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction. Is possible.

  As a result of the front wheel support arm 40 turning about the central axis, the wheel 20 moves up and down. That is, the front wheel support arm 40 can perform a rotation operation (referred to as a first rotation operation) that rotates so that the wheel 20 moves in the vertical direction.

  For example, when the front wheel support arm 40 is rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the front of the car 10, the right front wheel 22 is moved to a fulcrum (where the fulcrum is The first rotation operation is executed on the assumption that the position on the road surface (on the coordinates where the road surface is taken as the XY coordinates) does not move when the rotation operation is executed. This makes it possible to lift the left front wheel 21 away from the road surface.

  Further, when the front wheel support arm 40 rotates clockwise as viewed from the front of the car 10, the first rotation operation is performed with the left front wheel 21 as a fulcrum so that the right front wheel 22 moves upward. To do. Thus, the right front wheel 22 can be lifted away from the road surface.

  The second actuator 200 is a mechanism for supporting the front wheel support arm 40 via the first actuator 100 and rotating the front wheel support arm 40 about a rotation shaft 202 described later. As shown in FIG. 4, the second actuator 200 is attached to the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the casing 14. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the second actuator 200 includes a drive motor 201, a rotation shaft 202, a drive force transmission unit 203, a connection unit 204, and an actuator holding unit 205.

  The drive motor 201 is a DC servo motor, and the rotation shaft of the drive motor 201 can rotate in either the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction. The rotation shaft 202 is a shaft that is rotated by the driving force from the drive motor 201, and the axial direction thereof is along the vertical direction of the vehicle. The axial direction is substantially parallel to the Z-axis direction when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture.

  The driving force transmission unit 203 is for transmitting the driving force from the driving motor 201 to the rotating shaft 202 in cooperation with the connecting unit 204. As shown in FIG. 5, the driving force transmission unit 203 is composed of a belt pulley mechanism. That is, the rotation of the rotation shaft of the drive motor 201 is transmitted from the drive pulley 203a directly connected to the rotation shaft to the driven pulley 203c via the belt 203b, and then transmitted to the shaft 203d directly connected to the driven pulley 203c. As a result, the rotation of the rotation shaft of the drive motor 201 is decelerated and transmitted to the shaft 203d, and the shaft 203d rotates around the central axis.

  Further, the shaft 203 d directly connected to the driven pulley 203 c and the rotating shaft 202 are connected by a connecting portion 204. By this connecting portion 204, the shaft 203d directly connected to the driven pulley 203c rotates integrally with the rotation shaft 202. Moreover, the connection part 204 is attached to the upper wall of the casing 14, as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the actuator holding unit 205 is for holding the first actuator 100 between the upper wall and the lower wall of the casing 14. The actuator holding unit 205 supports the front wheel support arm 40 supported by the first actuator 100 by holding the first actuator 100. The actuator holding unit 205 is attached to the driving force transmission unit 106 of the first actuator 100 as shown in FIG.

  Moreover, the actuator holding | maintenance part 205 has the upper end part 205a and the lower end part 205b, as shown in FIG. When the actuator holding unit 205 is attached to the driving force transmission unit 106 of the first actuator 100, the driving force transmission unit 106 is located between the upper end 205a and the lower end 205b. The actuator holding unit 205 is disposed in the casing 14 while being attached to the driving force transmission unit 106. In the casing 14, the upper end portion 205 a faces the upper wall of the casing 14, and the lower end portion 205 b faces the lower wall of the casing 14. Further, an insertion hole for inserting the rotation shaft 202 is provided in the upper end portion 205a. The lower end portion 205b is provided with a fitting hole for fitting a shaft portion 207a of the lower shaft 207 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the upper end portion 205 a of the actuator holding portion 205 is a shaft attachment portion that is attached to the rotation shaft 202 in a state where the distal end portion of the rotation shaft 202 is inserted into the insertion hole. It is bolted to 206. Accordingly, when the rotation shaft 202 rotates, the shaft attaching portion 206 and the actuator holding portion 205 fixed to the shaft attaching portion 206 also integrally rotate. Further, the first actuator 100 held by the actuator holding unit 205 and the front wheel support arm 40 supported by the first actuator 100 also rotate around the rotation shaft 202.

  On the other hand, the lower end portion 205b of the actuator holding portion 205 is bolted to the fixing portion 207b of the lower shaft 207 with the shaft portion 207a of the lower shaft 207 being inserted into the insertion hole, as shown in FIG. Yes. A shaft portion 207a of the lower shaft 207 is rotatably supported on the lower wall of the casing 14 via a bearing. When the actuator holding unit 205 rotates about the rotation shaft 202, the lower shaft 207 also rotates integrally with the actuator holding unit 205. That is, the lower shaft 207 supports the lower end portion 205b of the actuator holding portion 205 without hindering the rotation of the actuator holding portion 205. Of course, the axis center of the rotation shaft 202 and the axis center of the lower shaft 207 coincide with each other.

  In the second actuator 200 having the above-described structure, the rotation shaft 202 rotates as the drive motor 201 rotates. When the rotation shaft 202 rotates, the actuator holding unit 205 and the first actuator 100 held by the actuator holding unit 205 rotate about the rotation shaft 202. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the front wheel support arm 40 supported by the first actuator 100 rotates about the rotation shaft 202. As described above, since the rotation shaft of the drive motor 201 can rotate in either the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction, the front wheel support arm 40 moves in the forward rotation direction around the rotation shaft 202. And can be rotated in either of the reverse rotation directions. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to rotate the front wheel support arm 40 until the rotation axis direction is inclined at a maximum of about 50 degrees with respect to the Y-axis direction.

  As a result of the front wheel support arm 40 rotating about the rotation shaft 202, the wheel 20 moves back and forth. That is, the front wheel support arm 40 can perform a rotation operation (referred to as a second rotation operation) that rotates so that the wheel 20 moves in the front-rear direction.

  For example, when the front wheel support arm 40 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above the vehicle 10, the second front wheel 21 is moved as a fulcrum so that the right front wheel 22 moves forward. Run. This makes it possible to carry the right front wheel 22 forward. Further, when the front wheel support arm 40 is rotated clockwise as viewed from above the vehicle 10, the second rotation operation is performed using the right front wheel 22 as a fulcrum so that the left front wheel 21 moves forward. (See the right figure in FIG. 7). This makes it possible to carry the left front wheel 21 forward.

The front wheel support arm 40 can also execute the second rotation operation with the rotation shaft 202 as a fulcrum without using the wheel 20 as a fulcrum. When the front wheel support arm 40 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above the vehicle 10 with the rotation shaft 202 as a fulcrum, the right front wheel 22 moves forward and the left front wheel 21 moves rearward. Will be. Similarly, when the front wheel support arm 40 rotates clockwise about the rotation shaft 202 as viewed from above the vehicle 10, the right front wheel 22 moves rearward and the left front wheel 21 moves forward. Will be. This also allows the right front wheel 22 and the left front wheel 21 to be carried forward, and also allows the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 to be changed (for example, change from straight ahead to a curve). Become.
Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the former is also referred to as a wheel fulcrum second rotation operation, and the latter is also referred to as a rotation shaft fulcrum second rotation operation.

  The third actuator 300 supports the two table support arms 18 described above, and the two table support arms 18 and the mounting table 16 supported by the two table support arms 18 are connected to a rotation shaft described later. It is a mechanism for rotating about 304. As shown in FIG. 4, the third actuator 300 is accommodated in the casing 14 at the longitudinal center of the casing 14. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the third actuator 300 includes a drive motor 302, a rotation shaft 304, and a drive force transmission unit 306.

  The drive motor 302 is a DC servo motor, and the rotation shaft of the drive motor 302 can rotate in either the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction. The rotation shaft 304 is a shaft that is rotated by a driving force from the drive motor 302, and the axial direction thereof is along the left-right direction of the vehicle. The axial direction is substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction when the vehicle 10 is in the basic posture. Both end portions of the rotating shaft 304 penetrate the side wall of the casing 14. And the lower end part of the said base support arm 18 is fixedly supported by the part which penetrated the side wall of the casing 14 of the rotating shaft 304. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the rotation shaft 304 rotates, the table support arm 18 rotates integrally.

  The driving force transmission unit 306 is for transmitting the driving force of the driving motor 302 to the rotation shaft 304. The driving force transmission unit 306 has a plurality of gears (not shown), and decelerates the rotation of the rotation shaft of the drive motor 302 and transmits it to the rotation shaft 304. When the driving force from the drive motor 302 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 304, the rotating shaft 304 rotates.

  In the third actuator 300 having the above-described structure, when the drive motor 302 rotates, the rotating shaft 304 rotates integrally with the two table support arms 18 supported by the rotating shaft 304. As a result, the mounting table 16 rotates about the rotation shaft 304. As described above, since the rotation shaft of the drive motor 302 can rotate in either the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction, the table support arm 18 and the mounting table 16 are in the normal direction around the rotation shaft 304. It can be turned in both the turning direction and the reverse turning direction.

  Then, as a result of the mounting table 16 rotating about the rotation axis 304, when the state of the mounting table 16 is inclined to the front and rear with respect to the horizontal direction, the state of the mounting table 16 is changed. It is possible to return from the tilted state to the non-tilted state. Here, the non-inclined state means a state where the longitudinal direction of the mounting table 16 is a horizontal direction.

<<< About the control structure of the car >>>
Next, the configuration of the control unit of the vehicle 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the vehicle 10. In FIG. 6, the first actuators 100 and 110, the second actuators 200 and 210, and the motor 30 that are located on the front side of the vehicle 10 are collectively referred to as a front unit and located on the rear side. Are collectively referred to as the rear unit. Further, in the figure, the motors 30 corresponding to the left front wheel 21, the right front wheel 22, the left rear wheel 23, and the right rear wheel 24 are respectively represented as a left front motor 31, a right front motor 32, a left rear motor 33, and a right rear motor 34. It is written.

  The control unit of the car 10 includes a controller 400 as shown in FIG. The controller 400 includes a CPU 402, a memory 404, and a control circuit 406, and controls the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, the posture of the vehicle body 12, and the like. The CPU 402 is an arithmetic processing device for controlling the entire vehicle 10. The memory 404 includes a storage element such as a RAM or an EEPROM.

  Then, the controller 400 causes the CPU 402 to execute the program stored in the memory 404, thereby allowing the first actuators 100 and 110, the second actuators 200 and 210, the third actuator 300, and the like via the control circuit 406. The motor 30 is controlled. As described above, the two first actuators 100 and 110 are provided, and the controller 400 individually controls the two first actuators 100 and 110. Similarly, the controller 400 controls the two second actuators 200 and 210 individually. Further, the controller 400 controls the left front motor 31, the right front motor 32, the left rear motor 33, and the right rear motor 34 provided for each wheel 20 for each motor.

  Further, the control unit of the vehicle 10 includes an attitude sensor 500 for monitoring the attitude of the vehicle 10 as shown in FIG. The posture sensor 500 outputs a signal corresponding to the posture toward the controller 400. The posture sensor 500 according to the present embodiment includes an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

  By the control unit as described above, the vehicle 10 operates while the posture sensor 500 monitors the posture of the vehicle 10. When the posture of the vehicle 10 changes during the operation of the vehicle 10, the output signal from the posture sensor 500 changes. The controller 400 controls the third actuator 300 and the like according to the change in the output signal of the posture sensor 500. Thereby, the state of the mounting table 16 during traveling of the vehicle 10 is controlled, and the mounting table 16 is always maintained in a horizontal state.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit of the vehicle 10 includes a road surface state detection sensor that detects a road surface state. Examples of such road surface state detection sensors include a so-called internal sensor 510 and a so-called external sensor.

  In the present embodiment, an inner world sensor 510 is provided. For example, the inner world sensor 510 includes a wheel 20 or a wheel support arm that supports the wheel 20 when the wheel 20 contacts a convex portion on the road surface. Based on the change in the torque 38 and the like, a signal indicating that the wheel 20 has contacted the convex portion (and which wheel 20 has contacted the convex portion) is output to the controller 400. As a result, the vehicle 10 has the wheel 20 approaching the convex portion (in addition, the phrase “approached” does not necessarily mean that the wheel 20 has contacted the convex portion. It can be understood that the convex portion is located, meaning that the vehicle 10 is going to cross the convex portion).

  In the present embodiment, the inner world sensor 510 is used as a road surface state detection sensor in order to grasp that the wheel 20 has reached the convex portion. However, the outer world sensor such as a CCD camera may be used. Good.

=== Example of vehicle operation
<<< Overview >>>
As described above, the vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment can execute the wheel mode and the leg mode, and moves the road surface having the terrain with the convex portion by using both according to the situation. Can be done.
That is, when the vehicle 10 is traveling in the wheel mode, when at least one of the four wheels 20 (referred to as a “delayed wheel”) reaches a convex portion on the road surface, this is detected by the road surface state detection sensor. Is detected. Then, the vehicle 10 shifts from the wheel mode to the leg mode.
That is, the vehicle 10 performs a wheel-mounting operation for raising the difference wheel and placing it on the convex portion by moving the difference wheel upward and forward.
When the wheel-mounting operation is completed, the vehicle 10 returns from the leg mode to the wheel mode, and restarts traveling by rotating the wheel 20. At this time, if the distance in the front-rear direction of the convex portion is not long, the wheel 20 that has been on the convex portion by the wheel-carrying operation immediately falls naturally from the convex portion. After that, traveling in the wheel mode is continued without any problem.

<<< About wheel ride operation >>>
Next, the wheel mounting operation according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is an explanatory conceptual diagram for explaining the wheel-mounting operation. FIG. 8 is an explanatory conceptual diagram for explaining the stability margin S. FIG. 9 will be described later. FIG. 10 is an explanatory conceptual diagram for explaining the necessity of the stability margin determination process. FIG. 11 is an explanatory conceptual diagram for explaining the necessity of the stride determination process. FIG. 12 is an explanatory conceptual diagram for explaining a threshold value in the stride determination process.

  Here, a description will be mainly given of a wheel-mounting operation for placing the left front wheel 21 on the convex portion 50 on the road surface (that is, a case where the “one wheel 20” is the left front wheel 21). In addition, operations described below are mainly realized by the controller 400. In particular, this embodiment is realized by the CPU 402 processing a program stored in the memory 404. And this program is comprised from the code | cord | chord for performing various operation | movement demonstrated below.

  When the left front wheel 21 reaches the convex portion 50 on the road surface (in this embodiment, the left front wheel 21 contacts the convex portion 50 on the road surface) (see the left diagram in FIG. 7), the car 10 Transition from the wheel mode to the leg mode is performed, but before the wheel-mounting operation for raising the left front wheel 21 and placing it on the convex portion 50 is performed, first, a preparation operation for the wheel-mounting operation (corresponding to the first preparation operation) is performed.

  The preparation operation will be described. In the wheel mounting operation, the left front wheel 21 is raised (that is, separated from the road surface), so the vehicle 10 is composed of the three wheels 20 including the right front wheel 22, the left rear wheel 23, and the right rear wheel 24. Will be supported. In such a case, it is necessary to consider the stability of the car 10 so that the car 10 does not fall down. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the stability when the vehicle 10 is supported by the three wheels 20 other than the raised left front wheel 21 (in this embodiment, the stability is referred to as a stability margin S for convenience. Is increased by executing a preparatory operation.

  Here, the stability margin S will be described with reference to FIG. In the left and right views of FIG. 8, the car 10 is shown on the XY plane (that is, the paper surface) in which the normal direction matches the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). A white circle indicated by reference numeral R21 (the white circle represents a state in which the wheel 20 is lifted away from the road surface. The same applies to other drawings), and black circles indicated by reference signs R22, R23, and R24 (the black circle indicates a wheel). 20 represents a state in contact with the road surface (the same applies to other drawings), in which the left front wheel 21, the right front wheel 22, the left rear wheel 23, and the right rear wheel 24 of the vehicle 10 are projected on the XY plane, respectively. Projection points (when the right front wheel 22, the left rear wheel 23, and the right rear wheel 24 are located at the same height in the vertical direction, the XY plane coincides with the road surface, and is indicated by reference numerals R22, R23, and R24. The black circles are the contact points of the right front wheel 22, the left rear wheel 23, and the right rear wheel 24). A black circle represented by a symbol C is a projection point obtained by projecting the center of gravity of the car 10 on the XY plane.

  Comparing the left and right figures, in the case of the right figure, the black circle (center of gravity) C is a triangle formed by a black circle (right front wheel) R22, a black circle (left rear wheel) R23, and a black circle (right rear wheel) R24. On the other hand, in the case of the left figure, the black circle (center of gravity) C is located inside the triangle. And in the case of the right figure, since the black circle (center of gravity) C is located outside the triangle, when the left front wheel 21 is raised and the vehicle 10 is supported by the three wheels 20, the vehicle 10 There is a high possibility that the will fall diagonally to the left. On the other hand, in the case of the left figure, since the black circle (center of gravity) C is located inside the triangle, the possibility that the vehicle 10 will fall is low.

  Based on the above, the stability margin S is defined as follows. That is, the stability margin S is the shortest distance (distance CF1, distance CF2, distance CF3) between the legs F1, F2, F3 of the perpendicular line drawn from the black circle (center of gravity) C to each side of the triangle and the black circle (center of gravity) C ( If the black circle (centroid) C is located inside the triangle, the positive value is shown and the black circle (centroid) C is outside the triangle. If it is located, take a negative value. For example, in the left diagram of FIG. 8, if the distance CF3 is d1, S = d1. On the other hand, in the right diagram of FIG. 8, when the distance CF3 is d2, S = −d2.

  Thus, in other words, the stability margin S is the three wheels obtained by projecting the three wheels 20 other than the one wheel 20 (the left front wheel 21) on a plane whose normal direction is the vertical direction. The length of the shortest perpendicular line among the three perpendicular lines drawn from the center-of-gravity projection point obtained by projecting the center of gravity of the car 10 onto the plane on each side of the triangle formed by the projection points, and the sign thereof is It can be said to be positive when the barycentric projection point is located inside the triangle and negative when the barycentric projection point is located outside the triangle.

  Here, returning to the description of the preparatory operation for the wheel mounting operation, the description will be continued. As described above, the preparatory operation is executed for the purpose of increasing the above-described stability margin S. That is, as shown in the central view of FIG. 7, the wheel support arm 38 (that is, the rear wheel support arm 42) that does not support one of the two wheel support arms 38 (the left front wheel 21). (Corresponding to the other support body) performs the second turning operation (the turning operation in which the wheel 20 is moved so as to move in the front-rear direction) so as to increase the stability margin S as the preparation operation. Then, the position on the road surface of the wheel 20 supported by the rear wheel support arm 42 is changed.

  Specifically, the rear wheel support arm 42 moves so that the left rear wheel 23 moves forward and the right rear wheel 24 moves rearward, in other words, when the vehicle 10 is viewed from above. The second rotation operation about the rotation shaft 202 described above is performed so that the rear wheel support arm 42 rotates clockwise. Then, this second turning operation increases the stability margin S, as is apparent by comparing the positional relationship between the triangle and the center of gravity C in the left diagram of FIG. 7 and the positional relationship in the central diagram of FIG. If the rear wheel support arm 42 is temporarily rotated in the direction opposite to the central view of FIG. 7 (that is, counterclockwise), the stability margin S is obtained. Will be reduced).

  Further, the rear wheel support arm 42 according to the present embodiment performs a second rotation operation in which the stability margin S rotates to the rotation position where the stability margin S is highest in the movable range of the rear wheel support arm 42. . In the present embodiment, the stability margin S increases as the rear wheel support arm 42 rotates clockwise, so that the rear wheel support arm 42 reaches the movable limit in the second rotation operation. (The rotation position of the rear wheel support arm 42 shown in the central view of FIG. 7 is the same as the rotation time when the rear wheel support arm 42 according to the present embodiment is cut to the movable limit). Moving position).

  The second turning operation for increasing the stability margin S differs depending on which wheel 20 is the wheel 20 to be placed on the convex portion 50 (which wheel 20 is “one wheel”). For example, when one wheel 20 is the right front wheel 22, the rear wheel support arm 42 as the other support body has the left rear wheel 23 in the rearward direction and the right rear wheel 24 in the front as the preparation operation. The second rotation operation with the rotation shaft 202 as a fulcrum is performed so as to move in the respective directions. Further, when one wheel 20 is the left rear wheel 23, the front wheel support arm 40 as the other support body has the left front wheel 21 in the rear direction and the right front wheel 22 in the front direction as the preparation operation. Then, the second rotation operation with the rotation shaft 202 as a fulcrum is performed so as to move. Further, when one wheel 20 is the right rear wheel 24, the front wheel support arm 40 as the other support body has the left front wheel 21 in the forward direction and the right front wheel 22 in the rear direction as the preparation operation. Then, the second rotation operation with the rotation shaft 202 as a fulcrum is performed so as to move. FIG. 9 is a table summarizing the second rotation operation for each wheel 20 to be placed on the convex portion 50 described so far.

  When the preparation operation is completed, the controller 400 determines whether or not the stability margin S is larger than the threshold based on the position on the road surface of the wheel 20 that is changed by the execution of the second rotation operation as the preparation operation. Stability determination processing (hereinafter referred to as stability margin determination processing) is performed. That is, the stability margin S changes due to the second turning operation being performed and the left rear wheel 23 moving forward and the right rear wheel 24 moving rearward, respectively. It is determined whether the stability margin S is greater than a threshold value.

  In the stability margin determination process according to the present embodiment, it is determined whether the threshold value is 0 and S> 0 is satisfied. That is, it is determined whether or not the center of gravity projection point of the center of gravity of the vehicle 10 is located inside the triangle formed by the wheel projection points of the three wheels 20 other than the one wheel 20 (the left front wheel 21). And this means that a virtual line drawn from the center of gravity in the vertical direction connects a ground point where each of the three wheels 20 other than the one wheel 20 (the left front wheel 21) is in contact with the road surface (this triangle is It can be said that the normal direction does not necessarily lie on the XY plane that coincides with the vertical direction).

  Thus, the reason why the stability margin determination process is performed before the wheel-climbing operation is started is as follows. That is, if the preparatory operation is performed, the stability margin S increases, but does not necessarily increase until the stability margin S exceeds the threshold value.

  FIG. 10 shows an example in which the left front wheel 21 reaches the convex portion 50 while the vehicle 10 is making a right curve, and then a preparatory operation is performed. In such a vehicle 10, the pivotable range of the rear wheel support arm 42 is narrower than the pivotable range of the front wheel support arm 40, and the rear wheel support arm 42 is shown in FIG. Thus, even if the movable limit is cut, a situation that does not satisfy S> 0 may occur.

  From the above, the controller 400 according to the present embodiment performs the stability margin determination process immediately before the wheel-climbing operation is started, and determines that the stability margin S is larger than the threshold (that is, S> 0). Only when it is determined, the wheel-climbing operation is started.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the controller 400 performs a stride determination process described below in addition to the stability margin determination process.

  The stride determination process is a first step in which the front wheel support arm 40 as one support member for supporting one wheel 20 (left front wheel 21) moves in the forward direction so that the one wheel 20 (left front wheel 21) moves forward. This is a process for determining whether or not the stride when one wheel 20 (the left front wheel 21) moves in the forward direction is larger than a threshold when performing the two-turning operation to perform the wheel-mounting operation. That is, in the wheel riding operation, in order to place the left front wheel 21 on the convex portion 50, the front wheel support arm 40 performs a second turning operation to move the left front wheel 21 forward (carry forward). There may be a case where a sufficient stride (amount of movement of the left front wheel 21 in the front-rear direction) for placing the left front wheel 21 on the convex portion 50 cannot be taken.

  FIG. 11 shows an example in which the left front wheel 21 reaches the convex portion 50 while the vehicle 10 is making a right curve, and the preparatory operation is performed thereafter, as in FIG. 10. In such a vehicle 10, unlike FIG. 10, the pivotable range of the rear wheel support arm 42 is substantially the same as the pivotable range of the front wheel support arm 40, and the rear wheel support arm in the preparatory operation. When 42 is cut to the movable limit, S> 0 is satisfied. However, since the front wheel support arm 40 is turned clockwise to the limit of the movable limit due to the right curve, the front wheel support arm 40 is further turned clockwise from the state of FIG. It is difficult to get on (to create a stride for).

  From the above, the controller 400 performs the stride determination process immediately before the wheel mounting operation is started in order to confirm the feasibility of the wheel mounting operation. As is clear from the positional relationship between the convex portion 50 and the left front wheel 21 shown in FIG. 12, the maximum stride that can be moved when the left front wheel 21 moves forward (the maximum of the left front wheel 21 in the front-rear direction). When the movement amount) is larger than the radius r of the left front wheel 21, the left front wheel 21 can be placed on the convex portion 50. Therefore, in the present embodiment, whether or not the stride is larger than the threshold value. Is determined based on whether or not the maximum stride is greater than the radius r.

  As described above, the controller 400 performs the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process immediately before the wheel-climbing operation is started. Only when the stable margin stride clear determination for determining “good” is obtained on both sides, the wheel-on operation is started. In addition, when the stable margin step clear determination is not obtained, a second preparation operation described later is executed.

  In the wheel-carrying operation, when at least one of the four wheels 20 (the left front wheel 21) reaches the convex portion 50 on the road surface, the 2 of supporting the one wheel 20 (the left front wheel 21) is supported. One of the two supports (the front wheel support arm 40) performs the first turning operation so that the one wheel 20 (the left front wheel 21) moves upward. This is an operation of raising the one wheel 20 (left front wheel 21) and placing it on the convex portion 50 by executing the second turning operation so that the (left front wheel 21) moves in the forward direction.

  More specifically, the front wheel support arm 40 is configured to perform the first rotation operation with the right front wheel 22 as a fulcrum in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the front of the vehicle 10 so that the left front wheel 21 moves upward. Is executed (the car 10 in the central view of FIG. 7 → the car 10 in the chain line of FIG. As a result, the state in which the right front wheel 22 is in contact with the road surface is maintained (the right front wheel 22 remains a black circle in the car 10 of the one-dot chain line in the right diagram of FIG. 7. The left front wheel 21 is lifted upward (this indicates that the left front wheel 21 is changed from a black circle to a white circle in the one-dot chain line vehicle 10 in the right diagram of FIG. 7).

  Further, the front wheel support arm 40 performs the second turning operation about the right front wheel 22 as a fulcrum in a clockwise direction when viewed from above the vehicle 10 so that the left front wheel 21 moves forward (see FIG. 7 The car 10 in the one-dot chain line on the right side → The solid line car 10 in the right figure in FIG. As a result, the left front wheel 21 is carried forward while the state in which the right front wheel 22 does not move on the road surface and is stopped on the spot is maintained.

  In this way, the left front wheel 21 rides on the convex portion 50 as shown in the right diagram of FIG. In addition, about the operation | movement order of 1st rotation operation | movement and 2nd rotation operation | movement, after the former is completed, the latter may be started and it is good also as parallel implementation.

<About the second preparation operation>
As described above, the controller 400 performs the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process immediately before the wheel-climbing operation is started. Then, the second preparation operation is executed.

  The second preparatory operation will be described. This second preparatory operation increases the stability margin S and the stride, and makes the stability margin S and the stride larger than the threshold value. This is an operation performed by one support body (wheel support arm 38) that supports the wheel (wheel 50). That is, when the controller 400 determines NO in the stability margin determination process, one support body (wheel support arm 38) supports the one wheel as a second preparation operation so as to increase the stability margin S. The second rotation operation (that is, the wheel fulcrum second rotation operation) is executed. Further, when the controller 400 determines NO in the stride determination process, one support body (the wheel support arm 38) uses the one wheel as a fulcrum to increase the stride as a second preparation operation. A second rotation operation (that is, a wheel fulcrum second rotation operation) is executed.

  This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. The left figure of FIG. 13 shows the car 10 in the same state as the car 10 shown in FIG. In such a state, both the stability margin S and the stride are smaller than the threshold value (for the stability margin S, this can be understood because the center of gravity C is located outside the triangle. As for the stride, because the front wheel support arm 40 was turned clockwise to the limit of the movable limit due to the right curve, the front wheel support arm 40 was further turned clockwise from the state of the left figure in FIG. It is difficult to place 21 on the convex portion 50 (to generate a stride for).

  In such a state, the front wheel support arm 40 moves so that the right front wheel 22 moves forward, in other words, the front wheel support arm 40 rotates counterclockwise when the vehicle 10 is viewed from above. Thus, the second turning operation with the left front wheel 21 as a fulcrum is executed (the left figure in FIG. 13 → the central figure in FIG. 13). Then, this second turning operation increases the stability margin S, as is clear by comparing the positional relationship between the triangle and the center of gravity C in the left diagram of FIG. 13 and the positional relationship in the central diagram of FIG. If the front wheel support arm 40 is temporarily rotated in the direction opposite to the central view of FIG. 13 (that is, clockwise), the stability margin S decreases. Will be.) Further, by the second turning operation, the angle formed by the front wheel support arm 40 and the vehicle body 12 approaches a right angle, and the vehicle 10 enters a state in which the front wheel support arm 40 can be turned clockwise. Therefore, the second rotation operation is a second rotation operation that increases the stride.

  Thus, in the state of the left figure of FIG. 13 (that is, when the controller 400 determines NO in both the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process), the front wheel support arm 40 performs the second preparation operation. As described above, the second turning operation is performed with the left front wheel 21 as a fulcrum so that the right front wheel 22 moves in the forward direction. Note that FIG. 13 shows an example in which both the stability margin S and the stride are smaller than the threshold (an example in which the controller 400 determines no in both the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process). Is smaller (when the controller 400 determines NO only in one of the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process), the same second rotation operation is executed.

  In the present embodiment, the controller 400 determines NO in any of the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process, and the one support body (the front wheel support arm 40) performs the second preparation operation. The controller 400 executes any one of the above processes while performing the second turning operation with the one wheel (the left front wheel 21) as a fulcrum, and determines that it is good in any one of the processes. The one support body (front wheel support arm 40) stops the execution of the second turning operation with one wheel (left front wheel 21) as a fulcrum.

  That is, when the second preparation operation is executed as a result of determining that the controller 400 does not perform the stability margin determination process, the controller 400 continuously executes the stability margin determination process during the execution (during execution). Then, when the controller 400 determines YES in the stability margin determination process, the second preparation operation is stopped. That is, the controller 400 always monitors the stability margin S in the second preparation operation, and ends the second preparation operation when the stability margin S exceeds the threshold value.

  Similarly, when the second preparatory operation is executed as a result of determining that the controller 400 does not perform the stride determination process, the controller 400 continuously executes the stride determination process during the execution (during execution). When the controller 400 determines YES in the stride determination process, the second preparation operation is stopped. That is, the controller 400 constantly monitors the stride in the second preparation operation, and ends the second preparation operation when the stride exceeds the threshold value.

  As a matter of course, when the controller 400 determines NO in both the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process, when the second preparatory operation is executed, during the execution (during execution), the controller 400 The stability margin determination process and the stride determination process are continuously executed. Then, when the controller 400 determines to be good in both the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process, the second preparation operation is stopped. That is, the controller 400 constantly monitors the stability margin S and the stride in the second preparation operation, and ends the second preparation operation when the stability margin S and the stride exceed the threshold value.

  When the second preparation operation is completed and the stability margin S and the stride exceed the threshold values, the above-described wheel mounting operation is started. Then, when the wheel mounting operation is completed, the left front wheel 21 is on the convex portion 50 as shown in the right diagram of FIG. If both the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process do not exceed the threshold even after the second rotation operation as the second preparation operation is performed, the wheel 20 is reversely rotated to perform the back rotation. The vehicle travels in the wheel mode.

  In the above description, the case where the one wheel 20 is the left front wheel 21 has been described. However, even when the one wheel 20 is the right front wheel 22, the front wheel support arm 40 has the same second preparation. Perform the action. That is, the front wheel support arm 40 performs the second rotation operation with the right front wheel 22 as a fulcrum so that the left front wheel 21 moves forward as the second preparation operation.

  On the other hand, when the one wheel 20 is the rear wheel 20, a second preparatory operation different from the above is executed. The case where the one wheel 20 is the left rear wheel 23 will be described as an example with reference to FIG. In the left diagram of FIG. 14, the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process are performed immediately before the wheel-climbing operation is started, and it is determined that the stability margin S is larger than the threshold value, while the stride is smaller than the threshold value. (For the stability margin S, this can be understood from the fact that the center of gravity C is located inside the triangle. Also, the stride is the right curve. For this reason, the rear wheel support arm 42 is turned clockwise to the limit of the movable limit. Therefore, the rear wheel support arm 42 is further turned clockwise from the state of the left figure of FIG. 50 (it is difficult to make a step).

  In this state, the rear wheel support arm 42 performs the second turning operation using the left rear wheel 23 as a fulcrum so as to increase the stride as the second preparation operation. That is, the rear wheel support arm 42 is rotated so that the right rear wheel 24 moves forward, in other words, the rear wheel support arm 42 rotates counterclockwise when the vehicle 10 is viewed from above. As described above, the second turning operation with the left rear wheel 23 as a fulcrum is executed (the left figure in FIG. 14 → the central figure in FIG. 14). As a result of the second turning operation, the angle formed between the rear wheel support arm 42 and the vehicle body 12 approaches a right angle, and the vehicle 10 enters a state in which the rear wheel support arm 42 can be turned clockwise. Therefore, the second rotation operation is a second rotation operation that increases the stride.

  As described above, when the one wheel 20 is the front wheel 20, the front wheel support arm 40 uses the one wheel as a fulcrum to increase the stride as the second preparation operation. When the two-turn operation was executed, the stability margin S could be increased as well. That is, the rotation direction of the front wheel support arm 40 for increasing the stride and the rotation direction of the front wheel support arm 40 for increasing the stability margin S are the same.

  However, in this case (that is, when the one wheel 20 is the rear wheel 20), the rear wheel support arm 42 moves the one wheel so as to increase the stride as a second preparation operation. When the second rotation operation as a fulcrum is performed, the stability margin S decreases (see the comparison between the positional relationship between the triangle and the center of gravity C in the left diagram in FIG. 14 and the positional relationship in the central diagram in FIG. 14). . That is, the rotation direction of the rear wheel support arm 42 for increasing the stride is opposite to the rotation direction of the rear wheel support arm 42 for increasing the stability margin S.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the second preparatory operation is executed as a result of the controller 400 determining NO in the stride determination process, the controller 400 continues the stride determination process during the execution (during execution). In addition to this, the stability margin determination process is also continuously executed. Then, when the controller 400 determines that it is correct in the stride determination process, the second preparatory operation is stopped on the condition that the stability margin determination process is also correct.

  When the second preparation operation is completed and the stability margin S and the stride exceed the threshold values, the above-described wheel mounting operation is started. Then, when the wheel riding operation is completed, the left rear wheel 23 gets on the convex portion 50 as shown in the right diagram of FIG. Note that even when the second rotation operation as the second preparation operation is executed, both the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process do not exceed the threshold value (for example, during the execution of the second preparation operation). When the stability margin S becomes equal to or less than the threshold value before the stride becomes larger than the threshold value, the vehicle travels in the wheel mode in which the wheel 20 is reversely rotated to reverse.

  Next, paying attention to FIG. 15, in the left diagram of FIG. 15, the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process are performed immediately before the wheel-climbing operation is started, while the stride is determined to be larger than the threshold value. The state of the vehicle 10 when it is determined that the stability margin S is smaller than the threshold value is shown (for the stability margin S, this can be understood because the center of gravity C is located outside the triangle. ).

  In this state, the rear wheel support arm 42 executes the second turning operation with the left rear wheel 23 as a fulcrum so as to increase the stability margin S as the second preparation operation. That is, the rear wheel support arm 42 moves so that the right rear wheel 24 moves rearward, in other words, the rear wheel support arm 42 rotates clockwise when the vehicle 10 is viewed from above. Then, the second rotation operation with the left rear wheel 23 as a fulcrum is executed (left figure in FIG. 15 → center figure in FIG. 15). Then, this second turning operation increases the stability margin S, as is apparent by comparing the positional relationship between the triangle and the center of gravity C in the left diagram of FIG. 15 and the positional relationship in the central diagram of FIG. (On the other hand, the second rotation operation is a second rotation operation that reduces the stride, as is apparent by comparing the left diagram of FIG. 15 with the center diagram.) )

  Then, during the execution of the second preparation operation, the controller 400 continues to execute the stability margin determination process, and also continuously executes the stride determination process. Then, when the controller 400 determines that it is right in the stability margin determination process, the second preparatory operation is stopped on the condition that it is also right in the stride determination process.

  When the second preparation operation is completed and the stability margin S and the stride exceed the threshold values, the above-described wheel mounting operation is started. Then, when the wheel mounting operation is completed, the left rear wheel 23 gets on the convex portion 50 as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 15. Note that even when the second rotation operation as the second preparation operation is executed, both the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process do not exceed the threshold value (for example, during the execution of the second preparation operation). When the stride becomes equal to or less than the threshold value before the stability margin S becomes larger than the threshold value), the vehicle travels in the wheel mode in which the wheel 20 is reversely rotated to reverse.

  In the above description, the stability margin determination process and the stride determination process are performed immediately before the left rear wheel 23 is put on the wheel, and only in the stability margin determination process and only in the stride determination process. In the case of no, it is described that the second preparation operation is executed, but in the case where both are no, the second preparation operation is not executed, and the wheel that reversely rotates the wheel 20 to back. Traveling by mode is performed.

  In the above description, the case where the one wheel 20 is the left rear wheel 23 has been described as an example in which the one wheel 20 is the rear wheel 20, but the one wheel 20 is the right rear wheel 24. Even in some cases, the rear wheel support arm 42 performs a similar second preparation operation. In other words, if the answer is negative only in the stride determination process, the rear wheel support arm 42 is the second preparatory operation, and the right rear wheel 24 is used as a fulcrum so that the left rear wheel 23 moves forward. When the second turning operation is executed and only the stability margin determination process is negative, the rear wheel support arm 42 is moved to the right rear so that the left rear wheel 23 moves rearward as a second preparation operation. A second rotation operation with the wheel 24 as a fulcrum is executed. FIG. 16 summarizes the second preparation operations described so far in a table.

=== Effectiveness of the vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment ===
As described above, the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment includes the left front wheel 21, which is the four wheels 20, the right front wheel 22, the left rear wheel 23, the right rear wheel 24, and the front wheel support which is the two wheel support arms 38. An arm 40 and a rear wheel support arm 42, wherein the front wheel support arm 40 rotatably supports the left front wheel 21 and the right front wheel 22 at both longitudinal ends, and the rear wheel support arm 42 is longitudinal. A front wheel support arm 40 and a rear wheel support arm 42 that rotatably support the left rear wheel 23 and the right rear wheel 24 at both ends are provided. Each of the two wheel support arms 38 has a first rotation operation that rotates so that the wheel 20 moves in the vertical direction, and a second rotation operation that rotates so that the wheel 20 moves in the front-rear direction. Among the two wheel support arms 38 that support the one wheel 20 when at least one of the four wheels 20 reaches the convex portion 50 on the road surface. The one wheel support arm 38 performs a first rotation operation so that the one wheel 20 moves upward, and a second rotation operation so that the one wheel 20 moves forward. By executing, the wheel-mounting operation of raising the one wheel 20 and placing it on the convex portion 50 is performed.

  Then, the one wheel support arm 38 that supports the one wheel 20 performs a second turning operation with the one wheel 20 as a fulcrum as a preparation operation for the wheel-mounting operation. Therefore, it is possible to realize the vehicle 10 having a simple configuration and capable of appropriately performing the wheel mounting operation.

  That is, as described above, there is a point to be considered in order to appropriately perform the above-described wheel mounting operation.

  For example, in the above-described wheel mounting operation, the one wheel 20 is raised, and therefore the vehicle 10 is supported by three wheels 20 other than the wheel 20. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the stability of the car 10 so that the car 10 does not fall down.

  Further, in the wheel mounting operation, in order to place the one wheel 20 on the convex portion 50, the one wheel support arm 38 performs a second rotation operation to move the one wheel 20 forward. Therefore, it is necessary to consider that a sufficient stride for placing the one wheel 20 on the convex portion 50 can be taken.

  On the other hand, there is a demand for simply (simple) realizing the vehicle 10 that can execute both the wheel mode and the leg mode.

  Therefore, it is against the request to provide a special mechanism in the vehicle 10 in order to make the wheel-mounting operation appropriate in consideration of the above. For example, a weight for changing the position of the center of gravity of the car 10 and a mechanism for changing the position of the center of gravity by moving (for example, sliding) the weight are mounted on the car 10 and are appropriately It is conceivable to move the center of gravity by the mechanism in order to obtain stable stability. However, when such a mechanism is provided in the vehicle 10, the configuration of the vehicle 10 becomes complicated. Also, providing a special mechanism that can increase the stride according to the situation complicates the configuration of the vehicle 10 as well.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the consideration points such as the stability and stride of the vehicle 10 by using the existing rotation mechanism of the wheel support arm 38 and appropriately carry out the wheel mounting operation. it can. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a special mechanism in the vehicle 10, and it is possible to realize the vehicle 10 that has a simple configuration and can appropriately perform wheel-mounting operations.

  In the above embodiment, when one wheel support arm 38 supporting the one wheel 20 is the front wheel support arm 40 and the other wheel support arm 38 is the rear wheel support arm 42, When the controller 400 determines NO in the stability margin determination process and when the controller 400 determines NO in the stride determination process, one of the wheel support arms 38 (the front wheel support arm 40) The second turning operation using the one wheel 20 as a fulcrum is performed so that the wheel 20 which is not the one wheel 20 moves in the forward direction.

  Therefore, using the existing rotation mechanism of the front wheel support arm 40, the (specialized) second preparation operation corresponding to the wheel mounting operation of the front wheel 20 is appropriately executed, and therefore the wheel mounting operation is appropriately performed. Can be performed.

  Further, in the above embodiment, when one wheel support arm 38 supporting the one wheel 20 is the rear wheel support arm 42 and the other wheel support arm 38 is the front wheel support arm 40, When the controller 400 determines NO in the stability margin determination process, one wheel support arm 38 (rear wheel support arm 42) determines that the wheel 20 that is not the one wheel 20 is the second preparation operation. When the controller 400 performs a second turning operation with the one wheel 20 as a fulcrum so as to move backward, and the controller 400 determines NO in the stride determination process, one wheel support arm 38 (rear side) The wheel support arm 42), as a second preparatory operation, performs a second rotation operation using the one wheel 20 as a fulcrum so that the wheel 20 that is not the one wheel 20 moves forward. It was decided to run.

  Therefore, the second preparation operation (specialized) corresponding to the wheel mounting operation of the rear wheel 20 is appropriately executed using the existing rotation mechanism of the rear wheel support arm 42, and therefore the wheel mounting operation is performed. Can be performed appropriately.

=== Other Embodiments ===
The above-described embodiments are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and it is needless to say that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In particular, the embodiments described below are also included in the present invention.

  In the above-described embodiment, the one wheel support arm 38 that supports the one wheel 20 performs the second rotation operation with the one wheel 20 as a fulcrum as the second preparation operation of the wheel mounting operation. In addition, the other wheel support arm 38 out of the two wheel support arms 38 supports the vehicle 10 with three wheels 20 other than the raised one wheel 20 as a first preparation operation for the wheel-mounting operation. In order to increase the stability of the vehicle 10 when it is performed, the second turning operation is executed to change the position of the wheel 20 supported by the other wheel support arm 38 on the road surface. That is, in the above embodiment, not only the second preparation operation but also the first preparation operation is performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first preparation operation is not performed and only the second preparation operation is performed. May be performed. However, both preparation operations are performed using the existing rotation mechanism of the wheel support arm 38, thereby realizing the vehicle 10 that has a simple configuration and can perform the wheel-mounting operation more appropriately. The above embodiment is preferable in that it is possible.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although 2nd preparatory operation was performed after performing 1st preparatory operation, it is good also as performing 1st preparatory operation after performing 2nd preparatory operation.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, based on the position on the road surface of the wheel 20 changed by execution of the 2nd rotation operation as 1st preparation operation | movement, it is determined whether the stability margin S is larger than a threshold value. When the stability margin determination process and the one wheel support arm 38 perform a second ride operation so that the one wheel 20 moves forward, the one wheel 20 And a step 400 for determining whether or not the step when moving forward is greater than a threshold, and the one wheel support arm 38 includes a controller 400 that performs a stability margin determination process and In the case where the stable margin step clearing determination is not obtained in both of the step determination processes, the second preparation operation is executed, and the controller 400 determines that the stability margin determination process is NO. In this case, the one wheel support arm 38 performs the second turning operation so as to increase the stability margin S as the second preparation operation, and when the controller 400 determines NO in the stride determination process. The one wheel support arm 38 performs the second rotation operation so as to increase the stride as the second preparation operation. That is, the second preparation operation is not always performed as the preparation operation of the wheel-mounting operation, but only when a certain condition is satisfied after the execution of the first preparation operation, that is, the stable margin step clear determination cannot be obtained. Only to be done. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as described below, the second preparation operation may be always performed as a preparation operation for the wheel mounting operation.

  As described above (as described in the example of FIG. 15 and the like), the rear wheel support arm 42 uses one wheel 20 (for example, the right rear wheel 24) to increase the stability margin S as the second preparation operation. When the second rotation operation as a fulcrum is executed, the wheel 20 (for example, the left rear wheel 23) that is not the one wheel 20 moves backward.

  Accordingly, after the wheel-mounting operation for placing the left rear wheel 23 on the convex portion 50 (for the sake of convenience, the previous wheel-mounting operation) is performed, the wheel-mounting operation for placing the right rear wheel 24 on the convex portion 50 immediately (for convenience, (For example, after the left front wheel 21 and the right front wheel 22 have stepped up the steps on the stairs, the left rear wheel 23 and the right rear wheel 24 will move up the steps.) In the situation of going), when the second preparatory operation (in order to increase the stability margin S) of the (rear) wheel-mounting operation of the right rear wheel 24 is executed, The rear left wheel 23 that once rides on the convex portion 50 by the wheel-carrying operation may move back and fall back from the convex portion 50.

  Then, in consideration of the possibility of the occurrence of the event, the second preparatory operation of the (previous) wheel mounting operation for placing the left rear wheel 23 on the convex portion 50 (the left rear wheel 23 by the rear wheel support arm 42 is used as a fulcrum. The second turning operation) is performed regardless of the result of the determination process after the first preparation operation of the (previous) wheel mounting operation (that is, in the case where the determination of the stable margin step clearing is obtained in the determination process). Or even if it is executed without performing the determination process.

  For example, in the determination process after the first preparation operation of the (previous) wheel mounting operation, the second preparation operation is not omitted, even when the stable margin step clear determination is obtained. Perform the operation. Then, the second preparatory operation continues while maintaining that the stability margin S and the stride are larger than the threshold (that is, the stability margin stride clear determination) (the stability margin S and the stride need only be larger than the threshold even if it decreases). The rear wheel is moved to a position where the left rear wheel 23 does not fall back even if the second preparatory operation of the (rear) wheel mounting operation (that is, the wheel mounting operation of the right rear wheel 24) that is performed immediately is performed. The support arm 42 is rotated by a predetermined angle.

  As described above, this example is an example in which the second preparation operation is always performed as the preparation operation for the wheel-on operation, and is effective when the above-described situation frequently occurs due to the nature of the road surface. It will be a thing. However, in this example, since the second preparation operation is performed even if the stable margin step clear determination is obtained in the determination process after the first preparation operation, the speed of movement of the vehicle 10 is called. In terms of the point, the example described in the above embodiment is more preferable.

  Further, the controller 400 according to the above embodiment determines whether or not the stability margin S is larger than the threshold based on the position on the road surface of the wheel 20 that is changed by the execution of the second turning operation as the preparation operation. Is determined by whether or not an imaginary line extending vertically from the center of gravity of the vehicle 10 intersects the interior of a triangle connecting each of the three wheels 20 other than the one wheel 20 to the ground contact point in contact with the road surface. It was decided. Further, whether or not the stride is larger than a threshold value is determined by whether or not the maximum stride that can be moved when the one wheel 20 moves forward is larger than the radius r of the one wheel 20. It was decided.

  However, the method of determining whether the stability margin S or the stride is larger than the threshold is not limited to this, and other methods may be used.

  However, the above embodiment is preferable in that it is possible to determine whether or not the stability margin S or the stride is larger than the threshold by a simple method.

10 Car 12 Car Body 14 Casing 16 Mounting Base 18 Supporting Arm 20 Wheel 21 Left Front Wheel 22 Right Front Wheel 23 Left Rear Wheel 24 Right Rear Wheel 30 Motor 31 Left Front Motor 32 Right Front Motor 33 Left Rear Motor 34 Right Rear Motor 38 Wheel Support Arm 40 Front wheel support arm 42 Rear wheel support arm 50 Convex part 100 First actuator 102 Arm support part 104 Drive motor 106 Driving force transmission part 110 First actuator 200 Second actuator 201 Driving motor 202 Rotating shaft 203 Driving force transmission part 203a Driving pulley 203b Belt 203c Driven pulley 203d Shaft 204 Linking portion 205 Actuator holding portion 205a Upper end portion 205b Lower end portion 206 Shaft mounting portion 207 Lower shaft 207a Shaft portion 207b Fixing portion 210 Second actuator Over 300 third actuator 302 driving motor 304 rotation shaft 306 driving-force transmitting unit 400 controller 402 CPU
404 Memory 406 Control circuit 500 Attitude sensor 510 Internal sensor

Claims (6)

Four wheels, left front wheel, right front wheel, left rear wheel, right rear wheel,
Two support bodies, a front support body and a rear support body, the front support body rotatably support the left front wheel and the right front wheel at both longitudinal ends, and the rear support body is a longitudinal A front support and a rear support that rotatably support the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel at both ends in the direction;
Each of the two supports can execute a first rotation operation in which the wheel rotates so as to move in the vertical direction and a second rotation operation in which the wheel rotates so as to move in the front-rear direction. And
When at least one of the four wheels approaches a convex portion on the road surface, one of the two supports that support the one wheel is The first rotating operation is performed so as to move in the direction, and the second rotating operation is performed so that the one wheel moves in the forward direction. A vehicle that performs a wheel-climbing operation
The one support body that supports the one wheel performs the second rotation operation with the one wheel as a fulcrum as a preparation operation for the wheel mounting operation. The vehicle according to claim 1,
The preparation operation is a second preparation operation,
The other support of the two supports is the stability of the vehicle when the vehicle is supported by three wheels other than the raised one wheel as the first preparation operation of the wheel-mounting operation. A vehicle characterized in that the position of the wheel supported by the other support body on the road surface is changed by executing the second rotation operation so as to increase the degree. The vehicle according to claim 2,
A stability determination process for determining whether or not the stability is greater than a threshold based on a position on the road surface of the wheel that is changed by execution of the second turning operation as the first preparation operation;
When the one support member performs the second turning operation so that the one wheel moves in the forward direction and performs the wheel mounting operation, the one wheel moves when the one wheel moves in the forward direction. Stride determination processing for determining whether the stride is larger than a threshold;
Equipped with a controller to carry out
The one support body executes the second preparatory operation when the stability step clear determination that the controller determines to be good in both the stability determination process and the stride determination process is not obtained,
When the controller determines NO in the stability determination process, the one support body performs the second rotation operation so as to increase the stability as the second preparation operation,
When the controller determines NO in the stride determination process, the one support member performs the second rotation operation so as to increase the stride as the second preparation operation. Car. The vehicle according to claim 3,
The controller is
Based on the position, whether the stability is greater than a threshold,
A determination is made based on whether or not the imaginary line drawn vertically from the center of gravity of the vehicle intersects the interior of a triangle connecting the grounding point where each of the three wheels other than the one wheel contacts the road surface,
Whether or not the stride is greater than a threshold value,
A vehicle characterized by determining whether or not a maximum stride that can be moved when the one wheel moves forward is larger than a radius of the one wheel. The vehicle according to claim 3 or claim 4,
When the one support is the front support and the other support is the rear support,
When the controller determines NO in the stability determination process and when the controller determines NO in the stride determination process, the one support body is not the one wheel as the second preparation operation. A vehicle characterized in that the second turning operation with the one wheel as a fulcrum is executed so that the wheel with no wheel moves forward. A vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
When the one support body is the rear support body and the other support body is the front support body,
When the controller determines NO in the stability determination process, the one support is configured so that, as the second preparation operation, the wheel that is not the one wheel moves backward. Performing the second turning operation with one wheel as a fulcrum,
When the controller determines NO in the stride determination process, the one support is configured so that, as the second preparation operation, the one wheel that is not the one wheel moves forward. A vehicle characterized in that the second turning operation is performed with the wheel of the vehicle as a fulcrum.

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