JP2016097904A - Attitude control device and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an attitude control device and a control method thereof capable of achieving a comfortable ride or maintaining the appropriate attitude of a transported article during article transportation.SOLUTION: The attitude control device 100 includes an inclination mechanism 30, an acceleration sensor 60, and a control unit 50. The inclination mechanism 30 is configured to incline a seat 10 to be controlled, and includes, for example, a mount part 31, a plurality of linear driving units 350 or the like. The acceleration sensor 60 can detect acceleration in a direction other than at least the direction of gravity applied on the seat 10 in the optional attitude of the seat 10. The control unit 50 controls the inclination mechanism 30 so as to reduce the acceleration detected in the direction other than the gravy direction by the acceleration sensor 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an attitude control device and a control method for controlling at least the attitude of a vehicle, a transporter, or the like during movement.

  Suspension devices mounted on vehicles such as automobiles use elements such as springs and shock absorbers to passively or actively suppress vibration from the road surface or control the posture of the vehicle body (for example, Patent Document 1). With such a suspension device, it is possible to improve steering stability and ride comfort.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-23416

  However, in recent years, further improvement in riding comfort has been demanded, and it has become difficult to meet the demand only with the suspension device.

  Further, in a transporter that loads and transports an object, it may be required to maintain the posture in an appropriate posture depending on the object to be transported even during transport.

  The objective of this invention is providing the attitude | position control apparatus which can implement | achieve comfortable riding comfort, or can maintain the attitude | position of a to-be-conveyed object in a suitable attitude | position during conveyance of an object, and its control method.

In order to achieve the above object, an attitude control device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a tilt mechanism, a detection unit, and a control unit.
The tilt mechanism is configured to tilt the control target.
The detection unit is attached to the control target, and can detect acceleration in a direction other than the gravitational direction acting on the control target in a state where the control target is in an arbitrary posture.
The control unit controls the tilt mechanism so that acceleration in a direction other than the gravity direction detected by the detection unit is reduced.
Since the control unit of the present invention controls the tilt mechanism so that the acceleration output value by the detection unit other than the gravity acting on the control target in a state where the control target is in an arbitrary posture is controlled, the control target is the user. If the seat is seated, a comfortable ride can be achieved. Or if a control object is a conveyed product, the attitude | position can be changed according to the attitude | position of a controlled object, and an appropriate attitude | position can be maintained at the conveyed object.

The tilt mechanism may have a mount portion and a drive mechanism.
The mount portion is connected to the base portion via at least one of a damping mechanism and an elastic mechanism.
The drive mechanism connects the mount unit and the control target, acquires a control command value issued from the control unit, and drives the control target based on the control command value.
Thereby, an inclination mechanism can be realized. The inclination mechanism may include a damping mechanism or an elastic mechanism.

The tilt mechanism may further include a joint portion provided at least one of the drive mechanism and the mount portion and between the drive mechanism and the control target.
As a result, the drive mechanism and / or the control target can easily be tilted in the joint drive direction, and the tilt mechanism has improved mechanical response accuracy with respect to the external force generated in the control target in the joint drive direction. To do.

The drive mechanism may include one or more linear drive units having a linear motor.
By using a linear drive unit having a linear motor, no rotational inertia force is generated when the rotational motion is converted into linear motion. Therefore, the response speed of the drive mechanism can be increased and the transmission of high-frequency vibrations to the controlled object can be suppressed.

The drive mechanism may include one or more dampers, and the tilt mechanism may further include an elastic member that connects the mount portion and the control target.
Thereby, the control part can implement | achieve control using a semi-active suspension technique, for example.

The detection unit may include a detection axis for acceleration due to vibration provided along a direction coinciding with the direction of gravity when the tilt of the control target is not generated by the tilt mechanism. The control unit may further control the drive mechanism based on the acceleration detected by the detection axis.
Thereby, the control part can control the vibration which acts on a control object.

The drive mechanism may include one or more dampers that attenuate vibrations in the direction of acceleration detected by the detection shaft.
Thereby, the control part can attenuate the vibration which acts on a controlled object substantially up and down using the semi-active suspension technology as described above.

Another attitude control device of the present invention includes a tilt mechanism, a damper, a detection unit, and a control unit.
The tilt mechanism is configured to be capable of passively controlling the tilt of the control target by applying an external force in a direction other than the gravitational direction to the control target.
The damper connects the tilt mechanism and the control target.
The detection unit includes a detection axis for acceleration due to vibration provided along a direction that coincides with the direction of gravity when the tilt of the control target is not generated by the tilt mechanism.
The control unit controls the damping characteristic of the damper based on the speed obtained from the acceleration detected by the detection axis of the detection unit.
This attitude control device performs attitude control by inclining the controlled object by an inclination mechanism, and controls the damping characteristics of the damper based on the speed obtained from the acceleration detected by the detection axis of the detection unit. Vibration control can be performed. Thereby, a comfortable riding comfort can be realized, or the posture of the object to be transported can be kept in an appropriate posture during transportation of the object.

The control method according to the present invention includes detecting an acceleration in a direction other than the gravitational direction acting on the control target in a state where the control target is in an arbitrary posture by a detection unit attached to the control target.
An inclination mechanism capable of inclining the control target is controlled by the control unit so that acceleration in a direction other than the gravity direction detected by the detection unit is reduced.

Another control method of the present invention includes passively controlling the tilt of the control object by an inclination mechanism by applying an external force in a direction other than the gravitational direction to the control object.
Acceleration of vibration by a detection axis provided along a direction that coincides with the direction of gravity when the tilt of the control target by the tilt mechanism does not occur, and by a detection axis of a detection unit attached to the control target Is detected.
Based on the speed obtained from the acceleration due to the vibration, the damping characteristic of the damper connecting the tilt mechanism and the control target is controlled.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a comfortable ride or to keep the posture of the object to be transported in an appropriate posture during the transportation of the object.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the attitude control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied to a vehicle seat. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the sheet. 3A to 3D respectively show the state of the seat whose posture is controlled in accordance with the state of various movements of the vehicle. 4A and 4B show the posture of the seat when the vehicle accelerates in the forward direction. 5A and 5B show the posture of the seat when the braking force is applied to the vehicle. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the attitude control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an attitude control device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 8A and 8C show the state of the liquid when an external force other than gravity acts on the container, and FIG. 8B shows the state of the liquid when only gravity works. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an attitude control device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram for explaining the principle thereof. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the attitude control device controls the attitude of the control target in response to the braking force. It is a perspective view which shows the one part structural example of the attitude | position control apparatus which concerns on the said 4th Embodiment. 12 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the structure shown in FIG. 14A and 14B show a structure in which a regulating member that regulates the movement of the spring is provided around the spring. FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically illustrating an attitude control device according to the fifth embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
(Configuration of attitude control device)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example in which the attitude control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied to a vehicle seat 10. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the attitude control device (drive mechanism 35) viewed from above the seat 10. FIG.

  Main hardware constituting the attitude control device 100 is mainly disposed in the lower part of the seat 10. Note that the seat 10 is not limited to the one mounted on the vehicle, and may be a seat applied to a navigation body such as an airplane or a ship or other vehicles.

  The attitude control device 100 includes an acceleration sensor (detection unit) 60, a tilt mechanism 30, and a control unit 50. The acceleration sensor 60 is attached to the lower part of the base 10a of the seat 10 to be controlled for posture control, for example. If the controlled object is a rigid body, the acceleration sensor 60 may be arranged in any part of the controlled object on the control principle. Typically, the acceleration sensor 60 is disposed at the center or the center of gravity of the base 10a of the seat 10.

  The acceleration sensor 60 is configured to detect acceleration in a direction other than the gravitational direction acting on the seat 10 in a state where the seat 10 is in an arbitrary posture. Typically, the acceleration sensor 60 has three orthogonal detection axes including the direction of gravity.

  Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a coordinate system fixed to the acceleration sensor 60 is represented by an (x ′, y ′, z ′) axis, and an inertial coordinate system on the earth, that is, a coordinate system in a three-dimensional space is represented by (x, y Z) axis. The (x ′, y ′, z ′) axes are the three orthogonal detection axes of the acceleration sensor 60. The z axis is a vertical axis along the direction of gravity. The direction of gravity is literally the direction toward the center of the earth. Then, the front-rear direction (front-rear direction of the vehicle) of the user sitting on the seat 10 is a direction along the y-axis, the left direction in FIG. 1 is the front direction (vehicle traveling direction), and the right direction is the rear direction.

  When controlling the inclination of the sheet 10 about only one axis of x or y, the acceleration sensor 60 may have only one detection axis corresponding thereto.

  As a direction other than the direction of gravity acting on the controlled object, for example, an inertia force can be cited. Moreover, even when the controlled object is stationary, when it is tilted from the horizontal plane (xy plane), the direction along the tilt is also a direction other than the gravitational direction. When the plane of the mount portion 31 on the base portion 15 described later is parallel to the horizontal plane (xy plane), the three axes (x ′, y ′, z ′) of the detection axes of the acceleration sensor 60 are (x , Y, z).

  The tilt mechanism 30 is configured to be able to tilt a control target, and includes, for example, a mount portion 31, a damping spring mechanism 20, and a drive mechanism 35. The mount portion 31 is provided on the base portion 15 constituted by a chassis, a frame, and the like via the damping spring mechanism 20. That is, the base portion 15 and the mount portion 31 are connected by the damping spring mechanism 20. The tilt mechanism 30 may be a concept that does not include the damping spring mechanism 20.

  The damping spring mechanism 20 may have any configuration as long as it has a damping function (damping mechanism) and an elastic function (elastic mechanism), for example. For example, the damping spring mechanism 20 includes a passive damper 24 as a damping mechanism and a coil spring 22 as an elastic mechanism. Of course, it is not limited to the coil spring 22, and may be a rubber, an air spring, a leaf spring, or the like. The damping coefficient, spring constant, structure, etc. of the damping spring mechanism 20 are designed so as to suppress vibration having a relatively high frequency component such as about 10 Hz to 20 Hz, and the number of passive dampers 24 and the number of coil springs 22 are the same. Designed. Only one of the passive damper 24 and the coil spring 22 may be provided.

  The drive mechanism 35 connects the mount portion 31 and the seat 10. The drive mechanism 35 includes a linear drive unit 350 having a linear motor (not shown) such as a linear servo motor. Since a linear motor does not generate a rotational driving force unlike a rotary motor, an inertial force is not generated when converting rotational motion into linear motion, and the response speed can be increased. Further, it is possible to eliminate the concern that high-frequency vibrations that cannot be removed by the damping spring mechanism 20 are transmitted to the controlled object due to the generation of inertial force during the conversion.

  Although the number of linear drive units 350 may be single, it is preferable that a plurality of linear drive units 350 be provided. In the case of a plurality, the number may be two, but for example, it is preferable that three are provided at the vertices of the triangle or four at the vertices of the quadrangle when viewed in the z direction. Or five or more may be sufficient.

  When the number of the linear drive units 350 is one or two, the attitude control device 100 controls the attitude of the seat 10 by controlling the inclination around any one axis (for example, the x axis) orthogonal to the z axis. be able to. When the number of linear drive units 350 is three or more, the attitude control device 100 controls the attitude of the sheet 10 in any direction by controlling the inclinations around any axis parallel to the xy plane. can do. In principle, as the number of linear drive units 350 increases, the control directions that can be handled increase. Hereinafter, a mode in which four linear drive units 350 (indicated by reference numerals 350F (350F1, 350F2) and 350R (350R1, 350R2) in FIG. 2) are provided will be described.

  A spherical joint 38 is provided as a joint between the drive mechanism 35 and the mount 31 and between the drive mechanism 35 and the seat 10. As a result, the seat 10 can take a posture such that the seat 10 is inclined with respect to the mount portion 31 with three degrees of freedom.

  When controlling the posture only around one axis, the joint may be a joint having at least one degree of freedom. The joint part, for example, the spherical joint 38 may be provided only between the drive mechanism 35 and the mount part 31, or may be provided only between the drive mechanism 35 and the seat 10.

  A spring 33 as an elastic member is provided between the mount portion 31 and the seat 10. The number, arrangement, spring constant, etc. of the springs 33 are appropriately designed. Further, the mount portion 31 is provided with a stopper 39 that restricts the inclination of the sheet 10. The number and arrangement of the stoppers 39 are also designed as appropriate. The stopper 39 may be a coil spring.

  The control unit 50 acquires a signal output from the acceleration sensor 60, that is, an acceleration signal, and controls driving of the drive mechanism 35 in the tilt mechanism 30 based on the acceleration. In the present embodiment, the control unit 50 controls each linear drive unit 350 as a control signal based on the acceleration in a direction other than the above-described gravity direction so that the acceleration decreases, for example, the acceleration becomes zero. Outputs the command value. Each linear drive unit 350 receives the control command value and controls the posture (inclination) of the seat 10 according to the control command value. When the linear drive unit 350 uses a linear servo motor as a drive source, the control command value is a current value or a voltage value.

  The control unit 50 can be realized by hardware elements used in a computer such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory) and necessary software. Instead of or in addition to the CPU, a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) may be used.

(Attitude control method by attitude control device)
Next, a method of posture control by the posture control apparatus 100 will be described. Here, in order to describe only “posture control”, acceleration due to vibration from the road surface (mainly vibration acceleration in the z direction) is ignored. “Vibration control” will be described later.

  3A to 3D show a state in which the posture of the seat 10 is controlled according to an arbitrary traveling state of the vehicle. Specifically, FIG. 3A shows a state in which the posture of the seat 10 is controlled when the vehicle accelerates and moves forward, and FIG. 3B shows the posture of the seat 10 when the vehicle decelerates by the braking force. Indicates a controlled state. FIG. 3C shows a state in which the posture of the seat 10 is controlled and the seat is viewed from the rear side when the vehicle runs on the left curve or makes a left turn. FIG. 3D shows a state in which the posture of the seat 10 is controlled and the seat is viewed from the rear side when the vehicle runs on the right curve or makes a right turn. FIG. 1 shows a state where only gravity is working on the sheet 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, when the front / rear inclination of the seat 10 is controlled, the driving of the front / rear linear drive units 350F and 350R in the drive mechanism 35 is controlled. As shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, when the left / right inclination of the seat 10 is controlled, the drive of the linear drive units [350F1 and 350R1] and / or [350F2 and 350R2] in the drive mechanism 35 is controlled. Actually, the driving mechanism 35 performs the driving shown in FIGS. For example, when the vehicle accelerates while traveling on a right curve, the drive mechanism 35 performs both of the drives shown in FIGS. 3A and 3D.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the vehicle accelerates, the acceleration sensor 60 detects an acceleration in the rearward direction of the y ′ axis due to an inertial force that is an external force other than gravity. The control unit 50 calculates a force command value for reducing the detected acceleration in the rearward direction of the y′-axis or making it zero, and outputs this to the drive mechanism 35. As a result, the drive mechanism 35 tilts the seat 10 so as to raise the rear portion of the seat 10 and / or lower the front portion of the seat 10 as shown in FIGS. 3A and 4B. Thereby, the detected acceleration in the rearward direction of the y ′ axis can be reduced or made zero. That is, the drive mechanism 35 reduces the detected acceleration in the rearward direction of the y ′ axis by driving the seat 10 so as to give the acceleration of the gravity component due to the tilt in the forward direction of the y ′ axis (see FIG. 4B). Or it can be zero.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the vehicle decelerates, the acceleration sensor 60 detects an acceleration in the y′-axis forward direction due to an inertial force that is an external force other than gravity. The control unit 50 calculates a command value for reducing the detected acceleration in the y′-axis forward direction or making it zero, and outputs this to the drive mechanism 35. As a result, the drive mechanism 35 tilts the seat 10 so as to lower the rear portion of the seat 10 and / or raise the front portion of the seat 10 as shown in FIGS. 3B and 5B. Thereby, the detected acceleration in the forward direction of the y ′ axis can be reduced or made zero. That is, the drive mechanism 35 reduces the detected acceleration in the front direction of the y ′ axis by driving the seat 10 so as to give the acceleration of the gravity component due to the tilt in the rear direction of the y ′ axis (see FIG. 5B). Or it can be zero.

  As shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, the principle of driving in the horizontal direction (tilt around the y-axis) is the same as the principle of driving in the front-rear direction (tilt around the x-axis) described above.

  The control unit 50 may have a lookup table in which the detected acceleration is associated with a control command value for obtaining the drive amount (stroke amount) of the linear drive unit 350. In this case, since a plurality of linear drive units 350 are provided, a lookup table may be provided for each linear drive unit 350.

  By the control as described above, even if the user receives a force backward and forward due to acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, the user leans so that the force is reduced or canceled so that the riding comfort is improved. . In addition, even if the user receives a force from side to side due to a curve or a left or right turn, the body tilts so that the force is reduced or canceled, so that the riding comfort is improved. For example, even when drinking a beverage while traveling, the external force acting on the user and the beverage is reduced, so that the beverage can be drunk without spilling. In addition, it is possible to provide a comfortable moving environment such as easy reading of newspapers, magazines, books, etc. during traveling, or working using a computer during traveling.

  In the present embodiment, since the spherical joint 38 is provided as the joint portion, the mechanical response accuracy is improved with respect to the external force generated in all directions in the seat 10.

  Note that the hardware constituting the attitude control device 100 may be provided only on all or a part of the rear seat if it is a passenger car.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, description of the same mechanism, function, and the like included in the attitude control device 100 according to the first embodiment will be simplified or omitted, and different points will be mainly described. The description of the hardware configuration of the attitude control device 200 according to the present embodiment will suffice if at least FIG. 1 is used.

  The posture control apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment controls, for example, vibration in a direction (vibration direction) mainly along the z axis in addition to the posture control described above. This vibration frequency is a relatively low frequency of about 1 Hz to 2 Hz (up to several Hz).

  In the first embodiment, the linear drive unit 350 using a linear motor is used as the drive mechanism 35. However, in this attitude control device 200, the drive unit included in the drive mechanism 35 in order to control vibration in the z ′ direction. One or more dampers 360 (see FIG. 6) are used. The damper 360 is a shock absorber used, for example, in an active suspension or semi-active suspension system. The number of dampers 360 is preferably 3, 4, or 5 or more, as in the first embodiment.

  The acceleration sensor 60 has, for example, detection axes with three orthogonal axes (x ′, y ′, z ′). The detection axis used for vibration control is the z ′ axis. The detection axis in the z′-axis direction is “a detection axis provided in a direction that coincides with the direction of gravity when the tilt of the control target by the tilt mechanism is not generated”. The attitude control device 200 according to the present embodiment suppresses the acceleration of vibration in the z′-axis direction.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the attitude control device 200 according to the second embodiment. The control unit 55 includes an attitude control command value calculation unit 51, an integration calculation unit 53, and a vibration control command value calculation unit 52.

  The acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 60 is input to the attitude control command value calculation unit 51, and a command value for attitude control is calculated as in the first embodiment.

  In addition, the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 60 is input to the integration calculation unit 53 and integrated to calculate the speed. The calculated speed is input to the vibration control command value calculation unit 52, and the vibration control command value calculation unit 52 calculates a command value for vibration control based on the speed. The control unit 55 has a look-up table indicating the relationship between the damping coefficient (damping characteristics) of the damper 360 and the damper speed (piston speed), for example, and based on this, a control command value ( Current value and voltage value). That is, an appropriate damping force can be obtained by setting the damping coefficient of the damper 360 based on the speed (corresponding to the damper speed) obtained by integrating the acceleration in the z ′ direction obtained by the acceleration sensor 60.

  The speed obtained by integrating the acceleration in the z ′ direction obtained by the acceleration sensor 60 is the speed due to the vibration of the z ′ direction component of the seat 10.

  The control unit 55 adds the command value calculated by the attitude control command value calculation unit 51 and the command value calculated by the vibration control command value calculation unit 52, and outputs this to each damper 360. As a result, the drive mechanism 35 can simultaneously perform drive for posture control similar to that in the first embodiment and drive for vibration control in the z ′ direction. As a result, vibration is suppressed and a more comfortable ride can be realized.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an attitude control device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This attitude control device 300 is mounted on a base portion 115 having a curved surface, typically a spherical surface. Specifically, the posture control device 300 mainly includes a tilt mechanism 70 provided on the base portion 115 and configured to tilt the seat 10 to be controlled. A damper 750 or the like is provided as a drive mechanism 75 that connects the tilt mechanism 70. An elastic mechanism 73 such as a spring is also provided in parallel with the damper 750. Although one damper 750 may be provided, it is preferable to provide a plurality of dampers.

  The tilt mechanism 70 is configured to passively tilt the sheet 10 and control the tilt by an external force acting in a direction other than the gravitational direction acting on the sheet 10. For example, the tilt mechanism 70 includes a mount portion 71 and a plurality of balls 72 provided between the mount portion 71 and the base portion 115. These balls 72 are rotatably provided at fixed positions.

  At least the lower surface of the mount portion 71 is formed in a curved surface shape or a spherical shape along the surface of the base portion 115. That is, the mount portion 71 has a degree of freedom of rotation on the curved surface and spherical surface on the base portion 115. In the present embodiment, the joint portion such as the above-described spherical joint is not provided between the damper 750 and the seat 10 or between the damper 750 and the mount portion 71. Therefore, when an external force other than gravity, such as inertial force due to acceleration at the time of start or brake deceleration, acts on the seat 10 and the mount portion 71 by the tilt mechanism 70, the seat 10 and the mount portion 71 naturally (passively) the direction of the external force. Tilt to move together.

  A plurality of stoppers 39 for restricting the movement range of the mount portion 71 are disposed around the mount portion 71. Also,

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 150 performs vibration control in the z ′ direction by controlling the damper 750. The acceleration sensor 60 attached to the seat 10 only needs to detect at least one-axis acceleration in the z ′ direction. The control unit 150 integrates the detected acceleration in the z ′ direction in the same manner as in the second embodiment, and controls the damper 750 to control the damping characteristic of the damper 750 based on the obtained speed. Output the value. Thereby, an appropriate damping force can be obtained.

  As described above, a comfortable riding comfort can also be realized by passively controlling the posture of the seat 10 by the tilt mechanism 70 and controlling the vibration of the seat 10 by the control unit 150.

[Fourth Embodiment]
(Principle explanation of attitude control device)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. When acceleration accompanying braking or starting acts on the container 1 containing the liquid 2 shown in FIG. 8B, an inertial force acts on the liquid 2, and the liquid surface is tilted by the inertial force as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8C. The purpose of the attitude control according to the present embodiment is to control the inclination of the container 1 so as to eliminate the inclination of the liquid surface with respect to the container 1, that is, so that the liquid 2 does not spill, as shown in FIGS. It is. That is, this embodiment has a feature common to the first and second embodiments in which the tilt mechanism is controlled so that the acceleration in the direction other than the gravity direction acting on the control target is reduced.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the attitude control device 400 according to the present embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining the principle. This attitude control device 400 is typically a device that is applied to a food delivery device mounted on a vehicle such as a two-wheeled vehicle. The posture control device 400 has a configuration in which the posture control devices 100 and 200 according to the first or second embodiment are turned upside down. For example, hardware constituting the attitude control device 400 is connected to the frame 12 fixed to the vehicle. In the figure, for convenience of explanation, the left direction of the y-axis is the direction in which the vehicle moves forward, and the opposite right direction is the rear direction of the vehicle.

  The posture control device 400 includes a mount 31, a damping spring mechanism 20 that connects the mount 31 and the L-shaped frame 12 as viewed from the side, a mount 31 and a storage box (general) A drive mechanism 35 (for example, a linear drive unit 350) and a spring 33. The damping spring mechanism 20 is configured to suppress vibration at a relatively high frequency (for example, 10 Hz to 20 Hz). A container 1 (for example, a bowl) containing food and drink is placed on a placement portion 11 a provided in the storage box 11. For example, an acceleration sensor 60 is fixed to the lower portion of the placement portion 11 a. For example, the spring 33 is connected to the center or the center of gravity of the mount 31 and the storage box 11.

  The tilt mechanism 30 is configured by at least the mount portion 31 and the drive mechanism 35.

  When only attitude control is performed as in the first embodiment, the detection axis of the acceleration sensor 60 may have at least one arbitrary axis (x ′ or y ′ axis) in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the z ′ axis. That's fine. In this case, both the x ′ and y ′ axes are required when performing front / rear and left / right posture control.

  When performing both posture control and vibration control as in the second embodiment, at least one arbitrary axis in the horizontal plane and a z ′ axis for detecting vibration acceleration in the vertical direction are provided. That's fine.

  The attitude control device 400 includes a control unit 50 that acquires the acceleration obtained from the acceleration sensor 60 and controls the drive mechanism 35 based on the acceleration. When performing only the attitude control, the linear drive unit 350 described above is used as the drive mechanism 35. One or a plurality of linear drive units 350 are provided.

  When performing both attitude control and vibration control, the above-described damper 360 is used as the drive mechanism 35. In this case, the above-described control unit 55 (see FIG. 6) is used as the control unit.

  Between the drive mechanism 35 and the mount part 31 and between the drive mechanism 35 and the storage box 11, a spherical joint 38 as a joint part is provided. The frequency range of vibration to be subjected to vibration control by the drive mechanism 35 is, for example, 1 Hz to 2 Hz (up to several Hz).

  When the posture control device 400 performs posture control, for example, the acceleration sensor 60 detects acceleration in the forward direction of the y ′ axis as acceleration due to an external force other than gravity due to the braking force of the vehicle (see FIG. 9). . At this time, if the storage box 11 (container 1) maintains the posture as it is, as shown in FIG. 8A, the food and drink in the container 1 moves forward, and if this is left unattended, a sloshing phenomenon may occur. .

  However, as shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 50 outputs a control command value to the drive mechanism 35 so that the acceleration in the forward direction of the y ′ axis decreases or becomes zero, as shown in FIG. The storage box 11 is tilted. In this case, the front linear drive unit 350 is contracted and the rear linear drive unit 350 is extended, so that the front side of the storage box 11 moves upward and the rear side moves downward. Forward acceleration decreases. Depending on the magnitude of the forward acceleration of the y ′ axis, only the front linear drive unit 350 may be contracted, or only the rear linear drive unit 350 may be extended.

  Alternatively, when the posture control device 400 performs posture control, for example, acceleration in the forward direction of the vehicle acts, so that the acceleration sensor 60 detects acceleration in the backward direction of the y ′ axis as acceleration due to an external force other than gravity. And At this time, if the storage box 11 (container 1) maintains the posture as it is, the food and drink in the container 1 moves backward as shown in FIG. 8C, and if this is left unattended, a sloshing phenomenon may occur. .

  However, although not shown, the control unit 50 outputs a control command value to the drive mechanism 35 so that the acceleration in the rearward direction of the y ′ axis decreases or becomes zero, and the storage box 11 Tilt. In this case, the rear linear drive unit 350 is contracted and the front linear drive unit 350 is extended, so that the rear side of the storage box 11 moves upward and the front side tilts so that it moves downward. The acceleration in the backward direction decreases. Depending on the magnitude of the acceleration in the rearward direction of the y ′ axis, only the rear linear drive unit 350 may be contracted, or only the front linear drive unit 350 may be extended.

  With the above operation, the posture of the storage box 11 and the container 1 can be maintained in an appropriate posture, so that it is possible to prevent food and drink in the container 1 from spilling and a sloshing phenomenon to occur.

  Moreover, since the vibration acceleration is suppressed by the vibration control in the z ′ direction, it contributes to the suppression of the spilling of food and drink in the container 1 and the occurrence of the sloshing phenomenon.

(Structural example of attitude control device)
Next, a structural example of the attitude control device 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of the structure. FIG. 12 is a plan view thereof. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the attitude control device 400 ′.

  The attitude control device 400 ′ according to this structural example includes a plate-like or frame-like mount portion 31. The mount part 31 is configured in a rectangular shape, for example. As shown in FIG. 13, the upper end of an air spring 21 (bladder) having an elastic function is connected to the four corners on the lower surface side of the mount portion 31. The air spring 21 is provided with, for example, a small hole, thereby realizing a damping function, and as a result, the damping spring mechanism 20 is configured.

  A base frame 12 ′ serving as a base portion is connected to the lower end of the air spring 21. The base frame 12 ′ is fixed to the L-shaped frame 12 described above. The base frame 12 ′ has leg portions 12 ′ a that expand radially when viewed in plan, and air springs 21 are connected to the end portions of the leg portions 12 ′ a, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, a drive mechanism 35 is connected via a spherical joint 38 on the lower surface side of the mount portion 31 and at the center of each of the four sides. The drive mechanism 35 is the above-described plurality of linear drive units 350 (or may be dampers 360). The upper end of the spring 33 is connected to the center of the mount portion 31.

  A storage box 11 to be controlled is connected to the lower end of the drive mechanism 35 via a spherical joint 38 (see FIG. 11). The spring 33 is led out below the base frame 12 ′ through a central hole 12 ′ b provided in the base frame 12 ′, and the storage box 11 is connected to the lower end of the spring 33. The spring 33 is preferably connected to the substantial center or the center of gravity of the mount 31 and the storage box 11 respectively. Thereby, the storage box 11 can be balanced around the spring when stationary.

  The attitude control device 400 ′ according to this structural example is different from the structure of the attitude control device 400 shown in FIG. 9 in that the base frame 12 ′ is disposed below the mount portion 31. However, the operating principle of both is the same. That is, the operation and effect of the attitude control device 400 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 can be realized by the attitude control device 400 ′ according to the above structural example.

  In the attitude control device 400 ′ according to this structural example, in order to set the upper limit of the inclination angle of the storage box 11, a regulating means for regulating the movement of the spring 33 may be provided. FIG. 14A shows a main part of the attitude control device including a regulating member 40 that realizes the regulating means. The restricting member 40 is a cylindrical member having a shape in which the outer diameter and the inner diameter increase in the axial direction (vertical direction in the drawing) from one end (upper end) to the other end (lower end). That is, the shape is a skirt shape or a cone shape.

  The upper end portion of the restricting member 40 is attached and fixed to the lower surface of the mount portion 31, and the lower end portion is open. Both ends of the restricting member 40 are opened, and springs 33 that connect the mount portion 31 and the storage box 11 are inserted and disposed inside the restricting member 40.

  The angle of the side surface of the lower end portion of the regulating member 40 with respect to the upper surface 11b of the containing box 11 (a surface substantially parallel to the horizontal plane when stationary) is set to a predetermined angle α. The angle α is, for example, 20 to 45 °, or 30 to 45 °. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 14B, the bending angle of the spring 33 is limited to the angle α, and the storage box 11 can be prevented from tilting beyond the angle α.

  The reason why the maximum value of the angle α of the side surface of the lower end portion of the regulating member 40 is 45 ° is as follows. For example, inertial forces such as forward acceleration and braking force can be estimated by about 0.5G. However, if the inertial force is estimated to be about 1 G in consideration of resonance or the like, the containment box 11 in principle is inclined at a maximum of 45 ° due to the resultant force of gravity and 1G.

  The shape of the restricting member 40 is not limited to the shape shown in the figure. The restricting member may have a shape that can restrict the bending angle according to the axis to be controlled (for example, the inclination about the x axis or the inclination about the y axis) and the direction in which the spring 33 is bent. Any shape may be used. In that case, a plurality of restricting members may be arranged separately at necessary positions.

[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically illustrating an attitude control device according to the fifth embodiment. This attitude control device 500 has the same structure as the third embodiment (see FIG. 7) in terms of operation principle.

  For example, the attitude control device 500 includes a tilt mechanism 170 that passively tilts the storage box 11 to be controlled by an external force other than gravity. The tilt mechanism 170 includes, for example, a spherical joint 178, a damping mechanism 172, and the like (which may include an elastic mechanism), and a mount portion 171 connected to the frame 12 through these. By the tilt mechanism 170 having such a configuration, the tilt of the storage box 11 is passively controlled.

  The damper 175 as a drive unit of the drive mechanism 75 connects the mount portion 171 and the storage box 11, and its drive is controlled by the control portion 150 so as to mainly suppress vibration in the z′-axis direction. That is, the control unit 150 can suppress the vibration in the z ′ direction by controlling the damping characteristic based on the acceleration in the z ′ direction detected by the acceleration sensor 60 (integration to obtain the speed). A spring 33 is provided between the mount portion 171 and the storage box 11. A drive mechanism 75 and a spring 33 are attached to the storage box 11 via an attachment member 19.

  With the above configuration, the attitude control device 500 passively controls the attitude of the storage box 11 with the tilt mechanism 170 and controls the vibration of the storage box 11 with the control unit 150. Thereby, the attitude | position of a to-be-conveyed object can be maintained in a suitable attitude | position.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and other various embodiments can be realized.

  In the third embodiment, the tilt mechanism 30 or the like that controls the tilt of the seat 10 with the degrees of freedom around the x and y axes, that is, around the two axes is shown, but the tilt mechanism 30 or the like is only around the x axis, or The configuration may be such that the tilt is controlled only with respect to the y axis, that is, with a degree of freedom around one axis.

  When performing both attitude control and vibration control, for example, both the linear drive unit 350 and the damper 360 may be used as the drive mechanism 35.

  The drive mechanism 35 according to each of the above embodiments is the damper 360 or the linear drive unit 350, but an articulated link mechanism may be used as another drive mechanism (tilt mechanism). However, when an articulated link mechanism is used, since a rotary motor is used, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that a rotational inertia force is generated as described above.

  The attitude control devices 400 and 500 according to the fourth and fifth embodiments have been described as examples applied to delivery vehicles. However, the attitude control device is not limited to the food and drink contained in the storage box 11, but can be applied to a transporter that transports other objects that need to be transported while maintaining the attitude. .

  It is also possible to combine at least two feature portions among the feature portions of each embodiment described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Seat 11 ... Storage box 15, 115 ... Base part 20 ... Damping spring mechanism 30, 70, 170 ... Inclination mechanism 31, 71, 171 ... Mount part 33 ... Spring 35, 75 ... Drive mechanism 38 ... Spherical joint 40 ... Restriction Members 50, 55, 150 ... Control unit 51 ... Attitude control command value calculation unit 52 ... Vibration control command value calculation unit 53 ... Integration calculation unit 60 ... Acceleration sensor 100, 200, 300, 400, 400 ', 500 ... Attitude control device 350 ... Linear drive unit 360, 750 ... Damper

Claims (10)

A tilt mechanism configured to tilt the control target; and
A detection unit that is attached to the control target and that can detect acceleration in a direction other than at least a gravitational direction acting on the control target in a state where the control target is in an arbitrary posture;
An attitude control device comprising: a control unit that controls the tilt mechanism so that acceleration in a direction other than the gravitational direction detected by the detection unit decreases. The attitude control device according to claim 1,
The tilt mechanism is
A mount portion connected to the base portion via at least one of a damping mechanism and an elastic mechanism;
An attitude control apparatus comprising: a drive mechanism that connects the mount unit and the control target, acquires a control command value issued from the control unit, and drives the control target based on the control command value. The attitude control device according to claim 2,
The inclination control device further includes a joint portion provided at least one of the drive mechanism and the mount portion and between the drive mechanism and the control target. The attitude control device according to claim 2 or 3,
The drive mechanism includes at least one linear drive unit having a linear motor. The attitude control device according to claim 2 or 3,
The drive mechanism includes one or more dampers,
The inclination control device further includes an elastic member that connects the mount unit and the control target. The attitude control device according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The detection unit includes a detection axis of acceleration caused by vibration provided along a direction that coincides with the direction of gravity when the tilt of the control target by the tilt mechanism is not generated,
The control unit further controls the drive mechanism based on the acceleration detected by the detection axis. The attitude control device according to claim 6,
The attitude control device, wherein the drive mechanism includes one or more dampers that attenuate vibrations in the direction of acceleration detected by the detection shaft. An inclination mechanism configured to be able to passively control the inclination of the control object by applying an external force in a direction other than the gravitational direction to the control object;
A damper connecting the tilt mechanism and the control object;
A detection unit having a detection axis of acceleration due to vibration, provided along a direction coinciding with the direction of gravity when the tilt of the control object by the tilt mechanism is not generated;
An attitude control device comprising: a control unit that controls a damping characteristic of the damper based on a speed obtained from an acceleration detected by a detection axis of the detection unit. A detection unit attached to the control object detects acceleration in a direction other than the gravitational direction acting on the control object in a state where the control object is in an arbitrary posture;
A control method for controlling, by the control unit, a tilting mechanism capable of tilting the control target so that acceleration in a direction other than the gravitational direction detected by the detection unit is reduced. As the external force in the direction other than the gravitational direction acts on the control object, the inclination of the control object is passively controlled by the tilt mechanism,
Acceleration of vibration by a detection axis provided along a direction that coincides with the direction of gravity when the tilt of the control target by the tilt mechanism does not occur, and by a detection axis of a detection unit attached to the control target Detect
A control method for controlling a damping characteristic of a damper connecting the tilt mechanism and the control target based on a speed obtained from acceleration due to the vibration.

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