JP2018117703A - Tongue device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tongue device that can improve reproducibility of natural tongue movement.SOLUTION: A tongue device includes: a tongue-like tongue part having flexibility; a first drive unit having a first drive part for moving the tongue part in a longitudinal direction; and a second drive unit having a second drive part for rolling back a front end part of the tongue part upward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a tongue device.

  For example, an artificial tongue as shown in Patent Document 1 is known. The artificial tongue of Patent Document 1 is intended to assist swallowing.

JP 2012-135392 A

  However, the artificial tongue (tongue device) as described above mainly focuses on enabling a tongue function such as a swallowing action, and has a problem that the natural movement of the tongue cannot be sufficiently reproduced. Therefore, for example, when the tongue is used as an artificial tongue of a patient who has been removed, the artificial tongue cannot be moved as expected by the patient wearing the artificial tongue, and the convenience and comfort of the patient may be insufficient. It was.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a tongue device that can improve the reproducibility of natural tongue movement.

  One aspect of the tongue device of the present invention includes a tongue-like tongue portion having flexibility, a first drive device having a first drive portion for moving the tongue portion in the front-rear direction, and a front end portion of the tongue portion. A second drive unit having a second drive unit that warps the upper side upward.

  The second driving device includes a linear first tension transmission member fixed to the tongue portion, and the second driving portion pulls the first tension transmission member so that a front end of the tongue portion is formed. The part may be configured to warp upward.

  The tongue has a plate-like portion having flexibility, the second driving device has a tubular tube portion extending in the front-rear direction, the tube portion has flexibility, The first tension transmission member is fixed to the upper surface of the plate-like portion, and is passed through the tube portion to extend in the front-rear direction. The front end portion of the first tension transmission member is on the upper surface of the front end portion of the plate-like portion. The rear end portion of the first tension transmission member may be fixed and connected to the second drive portion.

  The first drive device includes a support member to which the first drive unit is fixed, a movable member to which the tongue is attached, and a parallel link mechanism that connects the support member and the movable member. The first drive unit may be configured to move the tongue in the front-rear direction by driving the parallel link mechanism and moving the movable member in the front-rear direction.

  It is good also as a structure further provided with the 3rd drive device which has a 3rd drive part which bends the said tongue part below.

  The third driving device has a linear second tension transmission member fixed to the tongue, and the third driving unit pulls the second tension transmission member to lower the tongue. It is good also as a structure bent to the side.

  A tongue support portion for supporting the tongue portion, the tongue portion having a flexible plate-like portion; and the plate-like portion is fixed to an upper surface of the tongue support portion; A front portion of the second tension transmission member extends in the front-rear direction, and a front end portion of the second tension transmission member is disposed on the front side of the tongue support portion. A second end of the second tension transmission member is connected to the third drive unit; the third drive unit pulls the second tension transmission member; and It is good also as a structure which bends the said tongue part below by bend | folding below using the front end of the said tongue support part as a fulcrum.

  It is good also as a structure further equipped with the 4th drive device which has a 4th drive part which rocks | fluctuates the front-end part of the said tongue part in the left-right direction.

  It is good also as a structure further equipped with the 5th drive device which has a 5th drive part which bends the both sides of the left-right direction of the said tongue part to the left and right symmetrically upward.

  The fifth driving device is configured to support the tongue portion, bend left and right side portions symmetrically upward, and have one end fixed to the tongue support portion and the other end fixed to the fifth drive. A linear third tension transmission member connected to the portion, and an elastic member that applies an elastic force to the tongue support portion in a direction to bend left and right sides of the tongue support portion symmetrically upward The fifth drive unit maintains the tongue support portion in an unbent state by pulling the third tension transmission member, and loosens the force applied to the third tension transmission member. The tongue support portion may be bent by the elastic force of the elastic member, and both side portions of the tongue portion in the left-right direction may be bent upward and leftward symmetrically.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, a tongue device capable of improving the reproducibility of natural tongue movement is provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the tongue device of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the tongue device of the present embodiment as viewed from the left side. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the tongue device of the present embodiment as viewed from above. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the base unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a portion of the rotation unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a portion of the tongue device of the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a portion of the tongue device of the present embodiment. FIG. 8 is a view showing a portion of the tongue device of the present embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. FIG. 9 is a side view of the tongue device according to the present embodiment as viewed from the left side, and shows a state where the tongue is moved to the front side rather than the state shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view of the tongue device according to the present embodiment as viewed from the left side, and shows a state where the tongue is moved to the front side rather than the state shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the tongue device of the present embodiment, and shows a state where the front end portion of the tongue portion is warped upward. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the tongue device of the present embodiment, and shows a state where the tongue is bent downward. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a portion of the tongue device of the present embodiment, and shows a state in which both side portions of the tongue portion in the left-right direction are bent upward and left-right symmetrically.

  Hereinafter, a tongue device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. In the following drawings, the scale and number of each structure may be different from the scale and number of the actual structure in order to make each configuration easy to understand.

  In the XYZ-axis coordinate system shown in each figure, the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction, and the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction are horizontal directions orthogonal to the vertical direction and directions orthogonal to each other. In the following description, a direction parallel to the Z-axis direction is referred to as “vertical direction Z”, a direction parallel to the Y-axis direction is referred to as “front-rear direction Y”, and a direction parallel to the X-axis direction is referred to as “left-right direction X”. " The up-down direction Z, the front-rear direction Y, and the left-right direction X are simply names for explaining the relative positional relationship between the respective parts, and the actual arrangement relationship is an arrangement relationship other than the arrangement relationship indicated by these names. Etc.

  The positive side (+ Z side) in the Z-axis direction is referred to as “upper side”, and the negative side (−Z side) in the Z-axis direction is referred to as “lower side”. The positive side (+ Y side) in the Y-axis direction is referred to as “front side”, and the negative side (−Y side) in the Y-axis direction is referred to as “rear side”. The positive side (+ X side) in the X-axis direction is “right side”, and the negative side (−X side) in the X-axis direction is “left side”. Further, for a certain object, the side close to the center of the tongue device 1 in the left-right direction X is referred to as “inside the left-right direction”, and the side far from the center of the tongue device 1 in the left-right direction X is referred to as “outside left-right direction”.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the tongue device 1 of the present embodiment includes a base unit 10, a rotation unit 30, and a tongue portion 20. The rotation unit 30 is attached to the upper surface of the base unit 10 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis J4 extending in the vertical direction Z. The tongue portion 20 is attached to the front end portion of the rotation unit 30. In the present specification, the “tongue device” includes a device having a tongue and a driving device that drives the tongue.

As shown in FIG. 4, the base unit 10 includes a support member 11, a movable member 12, a parallel link mechanism 13, and a first drive unit 41.
The support member 11 includes a bottom plate portion 11a and side plate portions 11b and 11c. The bottom plate portion 11a has a plate shape orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. The bottom plate portion 11a has a rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction Y. The side plate portion 11b has a plate shape protruding upward from the left edge of the bottom plate portion 11a. The side plate portion 11c has a plate shape protruding upward from the right edge of the bottom plate portion 11a. The side plate portion 11b and the side plate portion 11c extend from the front end to the rear end of the bottom plate portion 11a.

  The movable member 12 is disposed on the upper side of the support member 11. The movable member 12 has a top plate portion 12a and side plate portions 12b and 12c. The top plate portion 12a has a plate shape orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. The top plate portion 12a has a rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction Y. The top plate portion 12a is formed with a through hole 12d that penetrates the top plate portion 12a in the vertical direction Z. The through hole 12d has a circular shape centered on the rotation axis J4.

  The side plate portion 12b has a plate shape protruding downward from the left edge of the top plate portion 12a. The side plate portion 12c has a plate shape protruding downward from the right edge of the top plate portion 12a. The side plate portion 12b and the side plate portion 12c extend from the front end to the rear end of the top plate portion 12a. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tongue portion 20 is attached to the movable member 12 via a rotation unit 30. The dimension of the movable member 12 in the left-right direction X is substantially the same as the dimension of the support member 11 in the left-right direction X.

  The parallel link mechanism 13 connects the support member 11 and the movable member 12. The movable member 12 is attached to the support member 11 so as to be relatively movable by the parallel link mechanism 13. The parallel link mechanism 13 includes a first link unit 14 and a second link unit 15.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first link unit 14 includes first link portions 14b and 14c and a first connection portion 14a. The first link portions 14b and 14c are plate-shaped extending in a direction orthogonal to the left-right direction X. The first link portion 14 b connects the side plate portion 11 b of the support member 11 and the side plate portion 12 b of the movable member 12. The first link portion 14 c connects the side plate portion 11 c of the support member 11 and the side plate portion 12 c of the movable member 12.

  The first link portions 14b and 14c are disposed on the outer side in the left-right direction with respect to the side plate portions 11b and 11c and the side plate portions 12b and 12c, respectively. The support member 11 is sandwiched in the left-right direction X by the first link portion 14b and the first link portion 14c. The lower end portions of the first link portions 14b and 14c are attached to the front end portions of the side plate portions 11b and 11c so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the left-right direction X. The upper end portions of the first link portions 14b and 14c are attached to the front end portion of the side plate portion 12b so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the left-right direction X. The first connection portion 14a has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction X. The 1st connection part 14a has connected the 1st link part 14b and the 1st link part 14c.

  The second link unit 15 includes second link portions 15b and 15c and a second connection portion 15a. The second link portions 15b and 15c are plate-shaped extending in a direction orthogonal to the left-right direction X. The second link portion 15 b connects the side plate portion 11 b of the support member 11 and the side plate portion 12 b of the movable member 12. The second link portion 15 c connects the side plate portion 11 c of the support member 11 and the side plate portion 12 c of the movable member 12.

  The second link portions 15b and 15c are disposed on the outer side in the left-right direction with respect to the side plate portions 11b and 11c and the side plate portions 12b and 12c, respectively. The support member 11 is sandwiched in the left-right direction X by the second link portion 15b and the second link portion 15c. Lower end portions of the second link portions 15b and 15c are attached to rear end portions of the side plate portions 11b and 11c so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis J1 parallel to the left-right direction X. The upper end portions of the second link portions 15b and 15c are attached to the rear end portion of the side plate portion 12b so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the left-right direction X. The second connection portion 15a has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction X. The 2nd connection part 15a has connected the 2nd link part 15b and the 2nd link part 15c.

  The first drive unit 41 is, for example, a servo motor. The first drive unit 41 is fixed to the support member 11. In more detail, the 1st drive part 41 is being fixed to the upper surface of the baseplate part 11a. The first drive unit 41 includes an output shaft that rotates about the rotation axis J1 and protrudes outward in the left-right direction, and a first output member 41a that is fixed to the output shaft. Although not shown, the output shaft penetrates the side plate portion 11b in the left-right direction X and protrudes outward in the left-right direction of the side plate portion 11b. The first output member 41a is disposed on the outer side in the left-right direction of the side plate portion 11b. The first output member 41a has a substantially disc shape with the rotation axis J1 as the center. The second link portion 15b of the second link unit 15 is fixed to the first output member 41a. The first drive unit 41 applies a rotational torque around the rotation axis J1 to the second link unit 15b via the first output member 41a.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rotation unit 30 includes a rotation member 31, a lid member 32, an attachment member 33, a left rotation member 34, a right rotation member 35, and an elastic member 36. Have. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation member 31 includes a rotation member main body 31a, a raised portion 31b, a left side support projection 31e, a right side support projection 31f, and a lower projection 31j. In addition, illustration of the tongue part 20 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG.

  The rotating member main body 31a has a plate shape orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. The rotating member main body 31a extends in the front-rear direction Y. The rear portion of the rotating member main body 31a has a smaller dimension in the left-right direction X toward the rear side. The outer shape seen from the upper side of the rear end portion of the rotating member main body 31a is an arc shape that protrudes rearward.

  In the center of the rotating member main body 31a, a long hole 31g penetrating the rotating member main body 31a in the vertical direction Z is formed. The long hole 31g is a substantially rectangular hole extending in the front-rear direction Y. A recess 31h is formed at the rear end of the rotating member main body 31a. The concave portion 31h is recessed downward from the upper surface of the rotating member main body 31a. The recess 31h opens to the rear side. A through hole 31i that penetrates the rotating member main body 31a in the vertical direction Z is formed at the bottom of the recess 31h. The through hole 31i has a circular shape centered on the rotation axis J4. The through hole 31 i overlaps with the through hole 12 d of the top plate portion 12 a in the movable member 12 in the vertical direction Z.

  The raised portion 31b protrudes upward from the upper surface of the front end portion of the rotating member main body 31a. The shape seen from the upper side of the raised portion 31b is a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction X. Lower housing recesses 31c and 31d that are recessed downward are formed on the upper surface of the raised portion 31b. The lower accommodation recess 31c and the lower accommodation recess 31d are arranged side by side in the left-right direction X with the center of the rotation member 31 in the left-right direction X interposed therebetween. The lower housing recesses 31c and 31d extend in the front-rear direction Y from the front end to the rear end of the raised portion 31b. The outer shape viewed from the front side of the lower housing recesses 31c and 31d is a semicircular arc shape that is recessed downward.

The left support protrusion 31e and the right support protrusion 31f have a quadrangular prism shape protruding upward from the upper surface of the rotating member main body 31a. The left support protrusion 31e is disposed on the left side of the long hole 31g. Two left side support protrusions 31e are provided along the front-rear direction Y with a space between each other. The right support protrusion 31f is disposed on the right side of the long hole 31g. Two right-side support protrusions 31f are provided in the front-rear direction Y with a space therebetween. The position of the two left side support protrusions 31e in the front-rear direction Y and the position of the two right side support protrusions 31f in the front-rear direction Y are shifted from each other.
The lower protruding portion 31j has a quadrangular prism shape protruding forward from the rotating member main body 31a. The lower protrusion 31j is disposed at the center in the left-right direction X of the rotating member main body 31a.

The lid member 32 includes a lid member main body 32a and an upper protrusion 32b. The lid member main body 32a has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Upper housing recesses 32c and 32d that are recessed upward are formed on the lower surface of the lid member main body 32a. The upper receiving recess 32c and the upper receiving recess 32d are arranged side by side in the left-right direction X with the center in the left-right direction X of the rotating member 31 interposed therebetween. The upper housing recesses 32c and 32d extend in the front-rear direction Y from the front end to the rear end of the lid member main body 32a. The outer shape viewed from the front side of the upper receiving recesses 32c and 32d is a semicircular arc shape that is concave upward.
The upper protrusion 32b has a quadrangular prism shape protruding forward from the lid member main body 32a. The upper protrusion 32b is disposed at the center in the left-right direction X of the lid member main body 32a.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the lid member 32 is fixed to the upper surface of the raised portion 31 b of the rotating member 31. The upper receiving recess 32c is disposed so as to face the lower receiving recess 31c in the vertical direction Z. The upper receiving recess 32d is disposed to face the lower receiving recess 31d in the up-down direction Z. A left-side accommodation portion 34h shown in FIG. 6 is formed by the upper accommodation recess 32c and the lower accommodation recess 31c. The left housing part 34h extends in the front-rear direction Y. The shape seen from the front side of the left side accommodating portion 34h is a circular shape centering on the rotation axis J6 extending in the front-rear direction Y. The upper housing recess 32d and the lower housing recess 31d form a right housing 35h. The right accommodating portion 35h extends in the front-rear direction Y. The shape viewed from the front side of the right accommodating portion 35h is a circular shape centering on the rotation axis J7 extending in the front-rear direction Y.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the attachment member 33 includes an attachment member main body 33 a and support protrusions 33 b and 33 c. The attachment member main body 33a has a square plate shape orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. The attachment member body 33 a is fixed to the lower surface of the front portion of the rotating member 31. In the present embodiment, the lid member 32, the rotation member 31, and the attachment member 33 are fastened together by two screws that penetrate the lid member 32, the rotation member 31, and the attachment member 33 together in the vertical direction Z. (See FIG. 8).

  As shown in FIG. 5, the support protrusion 33b has a quadrangular prism shape that protrudes downward from the front left corner of the mounting member body 33a. The support protrusion 33c has a quadrangular prism shape protruding downward from the left rear corner of the attachment member main body 33a. The support protrusions 33b and 33c are arranged side by side with a space in the front-rear direction Y.

The left rotation member 34 is attached to the rotation member 31 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis J6. The left rotation member 34 includes a base portion 34b, a shaft portion 34a, an engagement projection portion 34c, a left support portion 34d, and a wall portion 34g.
As shown in FIG. 6, the base portion 34 b is disposed on the rear side of the raised portion 31 b and the lid member 32. In the state shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when viewed from the front side, the portion on the inner side in the left-right direction of the base portion 34b has an arc shape that is convex inward in the left-right direction.

  Here, the state shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a non-bent state in which both side portions in the left-right direction X of the tongue portion 20 are not bent leftward and rightward symmetrically by a fifth driving device 500 described later. Note that FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 7 to 12 also show a non-bent state.

The shaft portion 34a has a cylindrical shape extending from the front surface of the base portion 34b to the front side. The shaft portion 34a is centered on the rotation axis J6. As shown in FIG. 6, the shaft portion 34a is housed in the left housing portion 34h so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis J6.
The engaging protrusion 34c has a quadrangular prism shape protruding outward in the left-right direction from the base 34b in the non-bent state.

As shown in FIG. 5, the left support part 34d is connected to the front end of the shaft part 34a. The left support part 34d includes a first part 34e and a second part 34f. The first portion 34 e has a plate shape that extends outward in the left-right direction from the shaft portion 34 a and is orthogonal to the up-down direction Z in the non-bent state. The second part 34f has a plate shape extending forward from the outer end in the left-right direction of the first part 34e. The second portion 34f is orthogonal to the vertical direction Z in the non-bent state.
The wall 34g rises upward from the rear edge of the first portion 34e in the non-bent state. The wall 34g extends from the left and right inner ends of the first portion 34e to the left and right outer ends.

  The right rotation member 35 is attached to the rotation member 31 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis J7. The right rotation member 35 includes a base portion 35b, a shaft portion 35a, an engagement projection portion 35c, a right support portion 35d, and a wall portion 35g. As shown in FIG. 6, the shaft portion 35a is housed in the right housing portion 35h so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis J7. As shown in FIG. 5, the right support portion 35d includes a first portion 35e and a second portion 35f. The shape of the right rotating member 35 is the same as the shape of the left rotating member 34 except that the right rotating member 35 is inverted in the left-right direction X.

  The left rotation member 34 and the right rotation member 35 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction X with the center of the rotation unit 30 in the left-right direction X interposed therebetween. The left support part 34d of the left rotation member 34 and the right support part 35d of the right rotation member 35 constitute a tongue support part 38. The tongue support part 38 supports the tongue part 20. The tongue support portion 38 can be bent upward in the left-right direction X in a bilaterally symmetrical manner. The left and right support portions 34d and the right support portion 35d are the left and right side portions X of the tongue support portion 38. Specifically, the left support part 34d rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the front side about the rotation axis J6, and the right support part 35d rotates clockwise from the front side about the rotation axis J7. The both side portions in the left-right direction X of the tongue support portion 38 can be bent upwards symmetrically (see FIG. 13).

  As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic member 36 applies an elastic force to the tongue support portion 38 in a direction in which both side portions in the left-right direction X of the tongue support portion 38 are bent leftward and rightward symmetrically. In the present embodiment, the elastic member 36 is an annular rubber member. The elastic member 36 is hooked on the engagement protrusion 34 c of the left rotation member 34 and the engagement protrusion 35 c of the right rotation member 35. In the non-bent state, the elastic member 36 applies an elastic force counterclockwise as viewed from the front side centering on the rotation axis J6 to the engaging protrusion 34c and rotates relative to the engaging protrusion 35c. A clockwise elastic force is applied as viewed from the front side centered on the axis J7.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the tongue portion 20 has a flexible tongue shape. The tongue 20 extends from the rotation unit 30 to the front side. The outer shape viewed from the upper side of the front end portion of the tongue portion 20 is a substantially semicircular arc shape that protrudes forward. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the tongue portion 20 has a plate-like portion 21 and a covering portion 22. In addition, illustration of the coating | coated part 22 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG.

  The plate-like portion 21 is a plate having flexibility. The plate-like portion 21 is made of a resin such as preproprene, for example. The shape viewed from the upper side of the plate-like portion 21 is a tongue shape extending in the front-rear direction Y. The outer shape seen from the upper side of the front end portion of the plate-like portion 21 is a substantially semicircular arc shape that protrudes forward. In the state shown in FIG. 8, the plate-like portion 21 is gently curved downward as it goes to the front side. The state shown in FIG. 8 is a state in which, for example, the plate-like portion 21 is not pulled from any of the second drive device 200 and the third drive device 300 described later.

  The plate-like portion 21 is fixed to the upper surface of the tongue support portion 38 as shown in FIG. More specifically, the plate-like portion 21 is fixed to the second portion 34f of the left support portion 34d and the second portion 35f of the right support portion 35d with screws. As shown in FIG. 8, the plate-like portion 21 is disposed between the upper and lower projections 32b of the lid member 32 and the lower projection 31j of the rotating member main body 31a. A front portion of the plate-like portion 21 extends to the front side of the tongue support portion 38.

  The covering portion 22 has a bag shape that opens to the rear side. The covering portion 22 accommodates the plate-like portion 21 and the tongue support portion 38 inside the plate-like portion 21 and the tongue support portion 38. The covering portion 22 has a flexible tongue shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the outer shape seen from the upper side of the front end part of the coating | coated part 22 is a substantially semicircular arc shape convex to the front side. As shown in FIG. 8, the covering portion 22 is gently curved downward as it goes to the front side. The dimension of the covering portion 22 in the vertical direction Z is slightly smaller toward the front side. The covering portion 22 is made of, for example, silicon resin.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the tongue device 1 further includes a first drive device 100, a second drive device 200, a third drive device 300, a fourth drive device 400, and a fifth drive device 500. . In the present embodiment, the second driving device 200, the third driving device 300, the fourth driving device 400, and the fifth driving device 500 are provided in the rotating unit 30.

  In the present embodiment, the first drive device 100 is the base unit 10 described above. The first drive device 100 includes each part of the base unit 10 described above, that is, the support member 11, the movable member 12, the parallel link mechanism 13, and the first drive unit 41.

  The first drive unit 41 moves the tongue 20 in the front-rear direction Y. More specifically, the first drive unit 41 drives the parallel link mechanism 13 to move the movable member 12 in the front-rear direction Y, thereby moving the tongue 20 in the front-rear direction Y. For example, in the state shown in FIG. 2, the tongue portion 20 is disposed on the rearmost side. As shown in FIG. 9, the first link 41 rotates the second link unit 15 counterclockwise around the rotation axis J1 from the state shown in FIG. Is driven, and the movable member 12 moves to the upper side and moves to the front side. Further, when the second link unit 15 is further rotated by the first drive unit 41, the movable member 12 moves to the lower side and moves to the front side as shown in FIG. Thereby, the tongue part 20 attached to the movable member 12 moves to the front side.

  In the state shown in FIG. 10, the tongue portion 20 is disposed on the most front side. In the state shown in FIG. 10, the position of the tongue 20 in the vertical direction Z is the same as the position of the tongue 20 in the vertical direction Z in the state shown in FIG. When the tongue portion 20 is moved from the state shown in FIG. 2 to the state shown in FIG. 10, the tongue portion 20 moves to the front side while drawing an arcuate locus that protrudes upward. The first drive unit 41 is rotated in the opposite direction from the state shown in FIG. 2 to the state shown in FIG. 10, thereby moving the movable member 12 to the rear side and moving the tongue 20 to the rear side. Can be made.

As shown in FIG. 7, the second drive device 200 includes a second drive unit 42, a first tension transmission member 24, and a tube part 23.
The second drive unit 42 is, for example, a servo motor. As shown in FIG. 6, the second drive unit 42 is disposed on the upper surface of the rotating member main body 31 a in the rotating member 31. The second drive part 42 has flange parts protruding on both sides in the front-rear direction Y. The second drive unit 42 is fixed to the rotating member 31 by fixing the flange portion of the second drive unit 42 to the left and right outer surfaces of the left support protrusion 31e with screws.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the second drive unit 42 rotates around a rotation axis J2 extending in the left-right direction X and protrudes inward in the left-right direction, a second output member 42 a fixed to the output shaft, Have As shown in FIG. 8, the second output member 42 a extends in one direction perpendicular to the left-right direction X from the output shaft of the second drive unit 42. The second output member 42 a has a plate shape orthogonal to the left-right direction X. The 2nd output member 42a is arrange | positioned in the position which overlaps with the long hole 31g and the up-down direction Z, as shown in FIG.

  The first tension transmission member 24 has a linear shape extending in the front-rear direction Y as shown in FIG. The first tension transmission member 24 is, for example, Tegs. The front end portion 24 a of the first tension transmission member 24 is fixed to the upper surface of the front end portion of the plate-like portion 21 in the tongue portion 20. Thereby, the first tension transmission member 24 is fixed to the tongue portion 20. The rear end 24 b of the first tension transmission member 24 is fixed to the tip of the second output member 42 a and is connected to the second drive unit 42. Thereby, the first tension transmission member 24 connects the second drive unit 42 and the tongue 20.

  The tube portion 23 is a tubular shape extending in the front-rear direction Y. The tube portion 23 extends from the front portion of the plate-like portion 21 to the rear side of the lid member 32. Both ends of the pipe portion 23 in the front-rear direction Y are open. The tube part 23 has flexibility. The tube part 23 is, for example, a silicon tube.

  The tube part 23 is fixed to the upper surface of the plate-like part 21. More specifically, the tube portion 23 is fixed to the upper surface of the plate-like portion 21 by two adhesive portions 61. The bonding portions 61 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction Y. The position in the front-rear direction Y of the adhesive portion 61 on the rear side is substantially the same as the position in the front-rear direction Y of the front end portion of the tongue support portion 38. The bonding part 61 is, for example, an adhesive. The first tension transmission member 24 is passed through the tube portion 23 and extends in the front-rear direction Y. As shown in FIG. 8, the front portion of the tube portion 23 is accommodated in the covering portion 22. The rear end portion of the tube portion 23 is exposed to the outside of the covering portion 22.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the second drive unit 42 causes the front end portion of the tongue portion 20 to warp upward. In the present embodiment, the second drive unit 42 pulls the first tension transmission member 24 to warp the front end of the tongue 20 upward. The second output member 42a of the second drive unit 42 is rotated clockwise around the rotation axis J2 as viewed from the left side, and the posture of the second output member 42a is changed from the posture shown in FIG. 8 to the posture shown in FIG. By doing so, the first tension transmission member 24 can be pulled rearward. Note that the posture of the second output member 42a is a posture extending obliquely upward in the front side in the state shown in FIG. 8, and a posture extending upward in the state shown in FIG.

  When the first tension transmission member 24 is pulled rearward, the front end portion of the plate-like portion 21 to which the first tension transmission member 24 is fixed is pulled rearward and moved rearward and upward. As the front end portion of the plate-like portion 21 moves, the plate-like portion 21, the tube portion 23, and the covering portion 22 are bent, and the front portion of the tongue portion 20 is bent. Thereby, the front end part of the tongue part 20 warps upward. In the state of FIG. 11, the front portion of the tongue portion 20 is curved so that the inclination with respect to the front-rear direction Y increases toward the front side.

  For example, by pulling the first tension transmission member 24 rearward from the state of FIG. 11 by the second drive unit 42, the front side portion of the tongue 20 can be deformed to be rounded toward the rear side. The second output member 42a can be returned to the state shown in FIG. 8 by rotating the second output member 42a in a direction opposite to that when the front end of the tongue 20 is warped upward.

The third drive device 300 includes a third drive unit 43, a second tension transmission member 26, and a pipe unit 25.
The third drive unit 43 is, for example, a servo motor. As shown in FIG. 6, the third drive unit 43 is disposed on the upper surface of the rotation member main body 31 a in the rotation member 31. The third drive unit 43 has flange portions protruding on both sides in the front-rear direction Y. The third drive unit 43 is fixed to the rotating member 31 by fixing the flange portion of the third drive unit 43 to the outer side surface in the left-right direction of the right support protrusion 31f with screws.

  The third drive unit 43 includes an output shaft that rotates about the rotation axis J3 extending in the left-right direction X and protrudes inward in the left-right direction, and a third output member 43a that is fixed to the output shaft. The output shaft of the third drive unit 43 is disposed in front of the output shaft of the second drive unit 42. The third output member 43 a extends from the output shaft of the third drive unit 43 in one direction orthogonal to the left-right direction X. The third output member 43a has a plate shape orthogonal to the left-right direction X. The third output member 43a is disposed at a position overlapping the long hole 31g in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. 8, the third output member 43a is inserted into the elongated hole 31g from the upper side and protrudes downward from the rotating member main body 31a.

  The second tension transmission member 26 has a linear shape extending in the front-rear direction Y. The second tension transmission member 26 is, for example, Tegs. The front end portion 26 a of the second tension transmission member 26 is fixed to the lower surface of the plate-like portion 21 of the tongue portion 20 on the front side of the tongue support portion 38. In the present embodiment, the front end portion 26 a of the second tension transmission member 26 is fixed to the lower surface of the front end portion of the plate-like portion 21. Accordingly, the second tension transmission member 26 is fixed to the tongue portion 20. The rear end portion 26 b of the second tension transmission member 26 is fixed to the distal end of the third output member 43 a and is connected to the third drive unit 43. Accordingly, the second tension transmission member 26 connects the third drive unit 43 and the tongue 20.

  The tube portion 25 is a tubular shape extending in the front-rear direction Y. The tube portion 25 extends from the front portion of the plate-like portion 21 to the rear side of the lid member 32. Both ends of the pipe part 25 in the front-rear direction Y are open. The tube part 25 has flexibility. The tube part 25 is a silicon tube, for example.

  The tube part 25 is fixed to the lower surface of the plate-like part 21. More specifically, the tube portion 25 is fixed to the lower surface of the plate-like portion 21 by two adhesive portions 62. The bonding portions 62 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction Y. The bonding part 62 is, for example, an adhesive. In the present embodiment, the positions of the two bonding portions 62 in the front-rear direction Y are, for example, the same as the positions of the two bonding portions 61 in the second drive device 200 in the front-rear direction Y, respectively. The second tension transmission member 26 is passed through the tube portion 25 and extends in the front-rear direction Y. A front side portion of the tube portion 25 is accommodated in the covering portion 22. The rear end portion of the tube portion 25 is exposed to the outside of the covering portion 22.

  The third drive unit 43 bends the tongue 20 downward. In the present embodiment, the third drive unit 43 pulls the second tension transmission member 26 to bend the tongue 20 downward. The third output member 43a of the third drive unit 43 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the left about the rotation axis J3, and the posture of the third output member 43a is shown in FIG. 12 from the posture shown in FIG. By adopting the posture, the second tension transmission member 26 can be pulled rearward. Note that the posture of the third output member 43a is a posture extending downward in the state shown in FIG. 8, and a posture extending obliquely downward on the rear side in the state shown in FIG.

  When the second tension transmission member 26 is pulled rearward, the front end portion of the plate-like portion 21 to which the second tension transmission member 26 is fixed is pulled rearward and moves rearward and downward. As the plate-like portion 21 moves, the plate-like portion 21, the tube portion 23, and the covering portion 22 are curved. Here, when the front end portion of the plate-like portion 21 moves downward, the portion of the plate-like portion 21 arranged on the upper surface of the tongue support portion 38 is restricted from moving downward by the tongue support portion 38. Is done. On the other hand, a portion of the plate-like portion 21 located on the front side of the tongue support portion 38 is bent downward with the front end of the tongue support portion 38 as a fulcrum. In this way, the third drive unit 43 pulls the second tension transmission member 26 and bends the plate-like part 21 downward with the front end of the tongue support part 38 as a fulcrum, so that the tongue part 20 is lowered. Bend it.

  In the state of FIG. 12, a portion of the tongue 20 that is in front of the portion bent with the front end of the tongue support portion 38 as a fulcrum extends obliquely downward on the front side. For example, by pulling the second tension transmission member 26 further to the rear side than in the state shown in FIG. 12, the front end portion of the tongue portion 20 can be deformed to warp rearward. By rotating the third output member 43a in the direction opposite to that when the tongue 20 is bent downward, the tongue 20 can be returned to the state shown in FIG.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the fourth driving device 400 includes a fourth driving unit 44. The fourth drive unit 44 is, for example, a servo motor. The fourth drive unit 44 is fitted in the recess 31 h of the rotating member 31 and is fixed to the rotating member 31. As shown in FIG. 2, the fourth drive unit 44 includes an output shaft that rotates about the rotation axis J4 and protrudes downward, and a fourth output member 44a that is fixed to the output shaft. The output shaft of the fourth drive unit 44 projects through the through hole 31 i of the rotating member 31 and projects below the rotating member 31. The fourth output member 44a has a substantially disc shape with the rotation axis J4 as the center. The fourth output member 44 a is fixed to the through hole 12 d of the movable member 12 in the base unit 10. Thereby, the output shaft of the fourth driving unit 44 is fixed to the movable member 12 (base unit 10).

  The fourth drive unit 44 swings the front end of the tongue 20 in the left-right direction X. Since the output shaft of the fourth drive unit 44 is fixed to the base unit 10 via the fourth output member 44a, when the output shaft of the fourth drive unit 44 is rotated, as shown in FIG. The main body of the fourth drive unit 44 fixed to 30 rotates about the rotation axis J4. As a result, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the rotating unit 30 can be swung in the left-right direction X, and the front end portion of the tongue 20 is swung in the left-right direction X about the rotation axis J4. Can be made.

As shown in FIG. 6, the fifth drive device 500 includes a fifth drive unit 45, the tongue support unit 38 described above, and third tension transmission members 37 a and 37 b.
The fifth drive unit 45 is, for example, a servo motor. The fifth drive unit 45 is disposed on the lower surface of the rotation member main body 31 a of the rotation member 31. The fifth drive unit 45 has flange portions protruding on both sides in the front-rear direction Y. Each of the flange portions of the fifth drive portion 45 is fixed to the outer lateral surface of the support protrusions 33b and 33c of the attachment member 33 with screws, so that the fifth drive portion 45 is fixed to the rotating member 31. Yes.

  The fifth drive unit 45 includes an output shaft that rotates about a rotation axis J5 extending in the left-right direction X and protrudes inward in the left-right direction, and a fifth output member 45a fixed to the output shaft. The fifth output member 45 a extends from the output shaft of the fifth drive unit 45 in one direction orthogonal to the left-right direction X. In FIG. 6, the fifth output member 45a extends downward. The fifth output member 45a has a plate shape orthogonal to the left-right direction X. The fifth output member 45 a is disposed at the center in the left-right direction X of the tongue support portion 38. The fifth output member 45 a is disposed below the tongue support portion 38.

  The third tension transmission members 37a and 37b are linear. The third tension transmission members 37a and 37b are, for example, Tegs. The third tension transmission members 37 a and 37 b have upper ends (one end) fixed to the tongue support portion 38 and lower ends (other end) fixed to the fifth output member 45 a and connected to the fifth drive portion 45. Thus, the third tension transmission members 37a and 37b connect the fifth drive unit 45 and the tongue support unit 38 to each other. An upper end of the third tension transmission member 37a is fixed to an end portion on the outer side in the left-right direction of the first portion 34e in the left support portion 34d. An upper end of the third tension transmission member 37b is fixed to an end portion on the outer side in the left-right direction of the first portion 35e in the right support portion 35d.

  The fifth drive unit 45 bends both side portions of the tongue 20 in the left-right direction X symmetrically upward. In the state shown in FIG. 6, the fifth drive unit 45 applies a downward oblique leftward and rightward inward force to the third tension transmission members 37a and 37b via the fifth output member 45a. Therefore, the left support part 34d and the right support part 35d are pulled downward by the third tension transmission members 37a and 37b. Thereby, the left support part 34d and the right support part 35d resist the elastic force of the elastic member 36, and the tongue support part 38 is maintained in a non-bending state. In the non-bent state, the upper surface of the left support portion 34d and the upper surface of the right support portion 35d are orthogonal to the vertical direction Z.

  The fifth output member 45a of the fifth drive unit 45 is rotated clockwise as viewed from the left about the rotation axis J5, and the posture of the fifth output member 45a is changed from the posture shown in FIG. 6 to the posture shown in FIG. By doing so, the third tension transmission members 37a and 37b are loosened. Therefore, until the third tension transmission members 37a and 37b are re-tensioned, the left and right outer ends of the left support portion 34d rotate upward about the rotation axis J6 by the elastic force of the elastic member 36, and the right support The outer end portion in the left-right direction of the portion 35d rotates upward about the rotation axis J7. Accordingly, both side portions of the tongue support portion 38 in the left-right direction X, that is, the left side support portion 34d and the right side support portion 35d are bent leftward and rightward symmetrically, and both side portions of the tongue portion 20 in the left and right direction X are leftward and leftward symmetrically upward. Bend. In the bent state shown in FIG. 13, the upper surface of the left support portion 34d and the upper surface of the right support portion 35d are inclined with respect to a horizontal plane (XY plane) orthogonal to the vertical direction Z, and are directed upward and inward in the left-right direction. Yes.

  By rotating the fifth output member 45a in the opposite direction to when the left and right side portions X of the tongue portion 20 are bent symmetrically upward, the left and right outer end portions and the right support portion of the left support portion 34d are rotated. The outer end in the left-right direction of 35d is pulled by the third tension transmission members 37a and 37b. As a result, the left and right outer end portions of the left support portion 34d and the right and left outer end portions of the right support portion 35d are rotated downward about the rotation axes J6 and J7 against the elastic force of the elastic member 36. Can be made. Therefore, the tongue part 20 can be returned to the non-bending state shown in FIG.

  As mentioned above, the 5th drive part 45 maintains the tongue support part 38 in a non-bending state by pulling the 3rd tension transmission members 37a and 37b. Further, the fifth drive part 45 bends the tongue support part 38 by the elastic force of the elastic member 36 by loosening the force applied to the third tension transmission members 37a, 37b, and both side parts of the tongue part 20 in the left-right direction X Is bent symmetrically upward.

  The tongue device 1 further includes a control device (not shown). The above-described first driving device 100 to fifth driving device 500 are controlled by a control device (not shown). Each drive device may be driven separately, or two or more drive devices may be driven simultaneously.

  According to this embodiment, the first drive device 100 can move the tongue portion 20 in the front-rear direction Y, and the second drive device 200 can warp the front end portion of the tongue portion 20 upward. Therefore, for example, it is possible to naturally perform an operation of licking with the tongue portion 20, and the tongue device 1 that can improve the reproducibility of natural tongue movement is obtained. Thereby, for example, the convenience and comfort of the wearer (patient) can be improved by using the tongue device 1 as an artificial tongue. In addition, operations such as speech and swallowing can be performed more suitably. The natural tongue movement includes a movement of the tongue of a human tongue or another animal itself, or a movement close to the movement of the tongue.

  Further, for example, by using the tongue device 1 of the present embodiment for the tongue of a biological robot, it is possible to simulate a more natural creature. In particular, when the tongue device 1 is applied as a tongue of a robot simulating a dog and a cat, the licking operation performed by the dog and the cat can be suitably reproduced, and a robot closer to a real dog and cat can be realized. Is possible.

  Further, for example, by using the tongue device 1 of the present embodiment as a human tongue movement reproduction device, it is possible to visually and easily transmit the movement of the tongue when performing operations such as speech and swallowing. . Thereby, assistance, such as rehabilitation of a tongue, can be performed. In addition, by mounting the tongue device 1 of the present embodiment on a robot for training of a dental hygienist, a training robot that can move the tongue closer to the real thing can be obtained. Therefore, a dental hygienist training can be suitably performed.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the second driving unit 42 of the second driving device 200 pulls the linear first tension transmission member 24 fixed to the tongue 20, so that the front end of the tongue 20 is moved. Warp upward. Therefore, it is easy to reproduce the more natural shape of the tongue portion 20 by bending the linear first tension transmission member 24. Further, for example, when an external force is applied to the tongue portion 20, the first tension transmission member 24 expands and contracts, so that the shape of the tongue portion 20 is flexibly deformed. Therefore, it is possible to reproduce a more natural operation of the tongue portion 20.

  Also, for example, when changing the shape of the tongue using a shape memory alloy or the like, when the tongue device is used as an artificial tongue, the shape memory alloy changes its shape due to temperature change. May not be easily deformed. On the other hand, when the first tension transmission member 24 is used as in the present embodiment, the first tension transmission member 24 is made of a material that is relatively resistant to temperature changes, so that the tongue portion can be used regardless of the temperature in the oral cavity. 20 can be suitably deformed.

  For example, when the shape of the tongue portion is changed using air pressure, when the tongue portion is moved, the tongue portion swells due to air, and it may be difficult to reproduce natural movement of the tongue. On the other hand, when using the 1st tension transmission member 24 like this embodiment, when pulling the 1st tension transmission member 24 and moving the tongue part 20, it can suppress that the tongue part 20 swells. Therefore, the reproducibility of natural tongue movement can be further improved.

  Further, for example, when the tongue is deformed by an articulated manipulator, when the tongue device is used as an artificial tongue, the tongue including the hard articulated manipulator is inserted into the oral cavity, so that the wearer (patient ) Comfort may be reduced. On the other hand, when the linear first tension transmission member 24 is used as in the present embodiment, the tongue portion 20 can be deformed without using a hard member, thereby improving the comfort of the wearer (patient). Can be improved.

  When the first tension transmission member 24 is pulled, the first tension transmission member 24 is stretched linearly between the portion fixed to the tongue portion 20 and the portion fixed to the second drive portion 42. Power is applied in the direction that is given. Therefore, for example, when the first tension transmission member 24 is pulled rearward while the first tension transmission member 24 is simply fixed to the front end portion of the tongue portion 20, the first tension transmission member 24 is not bent. In addition, the tongue portion 20 may be swollen by the first tension transmission member 24 that is stretched linearly. Further, the shape when the front end portion of the tongue portion 20 warps upward may be an unnatural shape.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the first tension transmission member 24 is passed through the flexible tube portion 23, and the tube portion 23 is fixed to the plate-like portion 21. Therefore, when the first tension transmission member 24 is pulled, even if a force is applied in a direction in which the first tension transmission member 24 is linearly stretched, the first tension transmission member 24 is linearly formed by the pipe portion 23. It can suppress being stretched. Thereby, it can suppress that the tongue part 20 swells. Further, since the flexible tube portion 23 is bent by receiving a force from the first tension transmission member 24, the front end portion of the tongue portion 20 can be more naturally bent upward.

  Moreover, since the pipe part 23 is being fixed to the plate-shaped part 21, the plate-shaped part 21 can be deform | transformed because the pipe part 23 deform | transforms. Thereby, it is easy to deform the whole tongue part 20. Further, in the present embodiment, the pipe portion 23 is fixed to the plate-like portion 21 by two adhesive portions 61 arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction Y. The pipe part 23 can be expanded and contracted between them. Thereby, the pipe part 23 can be easily bent and the movement of the tongue part 20 can be made more natural.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the first drive device 100 moves the tongue portion 20 in the front-rear direction Y using the parallel link mechanism 13. Therefore, for example, the dimension in the front-rear direction Y with respect to the stroke in the front-rear direction Y can be easily reduced as compared with the case where a linear actuator or the like that drives in the front-rear direction Y is used.

  In addition, since the tongue is arranged behind the lower dentition in the oral cavity, when the tongue is moved to the front side of the lower dentition, the tongue is moved forward over the lower dentition. Need to be moved to. Therefore, when moving the tongue forward, it is necessary not only to move the tongue forward, but also to move the tongue upward. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, since the parallel link mechanism 13 is used, when the tongue 20 is moved to the front side by the first driving device 100, the tongue 20 has an arc that is convex upward. It moves to the front side while moving in the vertical direction Z as shown. Thereby, it is possible to reproduce the natural movement of the tongue as it gets over the lower dentition.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the tongue 20 can be bent downward by the third driving device 300. Therefore, the movement of the tongue portion 20 can be made more diverse, and the reproducibility of the natural tongue movement can be further improved. Further, the state of the tongue portion 20 is continuously switched from the state where the tongue portion 20 is bent downward as shown in FIG. 12 to the state shown in FIG. 8 and further warped upward as shown in FIG. Thus, the stroke of licking in the vertical direction Z by the tongue portion 20 can be increased. Thereby, the reproducibility of natural tongue movement can be further improved. Moreover, the stroke which licks to the up-down direction Z with the tongue part 20 by adding the motion which drives the parallel link mechanism 13 and moves the tongue part 20 to the upper side (rear side) with respect to switching of said continuous state. Can be made larger.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the third drive unit 43 of the third drive device 300 pulls the linear second tension transmission member 26 fixed to the tongue part 20 so that the tongue part 20 is lowered. Bend it. Therefore, similar to the second drive device 200 described above, more natural operation of the tongue portion 20 can be reproduced, and the comfort of the wearer (patient) when the tongue device 1 is used as an artificial tongue can be improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the second tension transmission member 26 is passed through the flexible tube portion 25, and the tube portion 25 is fixed to the plate-like portion 21. Therefore, like the 2nd drive device 200 mentioned above, it can suppress that the tongue part 20 swells and can bend the tongue part 20 more naturally below.

  In addition, since the tube portion 25 is fixed to the plate-like portion 21, it is easy to deform the entire tongue portion 20 as with the second driving device 200. Further, in the present embodiment, since the pipe portion 25 is fixed to the plate-like portion 21 by two adhesive portions 62 arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction Y, the pipe portion is similar to the second drive device 200. 25 can be bent easily and the movement of the tongue 20 can be made more natural.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the third drive unit 43 pulls the second tension transmission member 26 and bends the plate-like part 21 downward with the front end of the tongue support part 38 as a fulcrum, so that the tongue 20 Bend down. Therefore, it is easier to bend the tongue portion 20 with the front end of the tongue support portion 38 as a fulcrum than when the second tension transmission member 26 is simply pulled to bend the tongue portion 20 downward.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the front end portion of the tongue portion 20 can be swung in the left-right direction X by the fourth driving device 400. Therefore, the movement of the tongue portion 20 can be made more diverse, and the reproducibility of the natural tongue movement can be further improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, both side portions in the left-right direction X of the tongue portion 20 can be bent symmetrically upward by the fifth driving device 500. Therefore, the movement which rounds the tongue part 20 to the left-right direction X can be reproduced, and the movement of the tongue part 20 can be made more various. Thereby, the reproducibility of natural tongue movement can be further improved.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the fifth drive unit 45 of the fifth drive device 500 uses the third tension transmission members 37a and 37b so that both side portions of the tongue 20 in the left-right direction X are symmetrically upward. Bending motion is realized. Therefore, similar to the second drive device 200 and the third drive device 300 described above, more natural operation of the tongue portion 20 can be reproduced, and the wearer (patient) of the tongue device 1 as an artificial tongue can be reproduced. Comfort can be improved.

  Further, the fifth drive part 45 maintains the tongue support part 38 in an unbent state by pulling the third tension transmission members 37a and 37b, and loosens the force applied to the third tension transmission members 37a and 37b. Thus, the tongue support portion 38 is bent by the elastic force of the elastic member 36, and both side portions of the tongue portion 20 in the left-right direction X are bent leftward and rightward symmetrically. Therefore, it is possible to easily switch between the bent state and the non-bent state with one fifth drive unit 45, and the configuration of the fifth drive device 500 can be simplified.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, by providing the five drive devices from the first drive device 100 to the fifth drive device 500 described above, almost all movements of the tongue can be reproduced by the tongue portion 20. .

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to said embodiment, Other forms can also be employ | adopted.

  The 1st drive device 100 will not be specifically limited if the tongue part 20 can be moved to the front-back direction Y. As shown in FIG. The first drive device 100 may be configured to move the tongue portion 20 in the front-rear direction Y without moving it in the up-down direction Z.

  Moreover, the 2nd drive device 200 will not be specifically limited if the front-end part of the tongue part 20 can bend upward. The second drive device 200 may not have the tube portion 23. In addition, the second driving device 200 may move the tongue portion 20 with a shape memory alloy, may move the tongue portion 20 with air pressure, or may move the tongue portion 20 with an articulated manipulator.

  The third driving device 300 is not particularly limited as long as the tongue portion 20 can be bent downward. The third drive device 300 may not have the tube portion 25. Further, the third driving device 300 may not be provided.

  The fourth driving device 400 is not particularly limited as long as the front end portion of the tongue portion 20 can swing in the left-right direction X. The fourth drive device 400 may not be provided.

  Further, the fifth driving device 500 is not particularly limited as long as both side portions of the tongue portion 20 in the left-right direction X can be bent leftward and rightward symmetrically. The fifth drive device 500 may have two drive units, a drive unit that is in a non-bent state and a drive unit that is in a bent state. Further, the fifth driving device 500 may be configured to rotate the left side support part 34d and the right side support part 35d in the tongue support part 38 in the reverse direction using a gear. Further, the fifth driving device 500 may not be provided.

  Moreover, the tongue part 20 will not be specifically limited if it has flexibility. The tongue portion 20 may not have the plate-like portion 21. The tongue portion 20 may be a single member made of resin. In addition, the shape of the tongue portion 20 can be changed as appropriate depending on the device on which the tongue device 1 is mounted. Moreover, the material of the plate-shaped part 21 and the coating | coated part 22 will not be specifically limited if it has flexibility.

  Each tension transmission member is not particularly limited as long as it can transmit tension, and may be a wire, a string, or a thread. Moreover, each tube part will not be specifically limited if it is a tubular shape which has flexibility, A rubber tube etc. may be sufficient.

  Moreover, the use of the tongue apparatus 1 of embodiment mentioned above is not specifically limited. As described above, the tongue device 1 may be used as an artificial tongue of a patient whose tongue has been removed, may be used as a tongue of a biological robot, or may be used as a device for reproducing tongue movement. Also good. Moreover, you may use for the remote communication tool etc. through operation | movement, such as licking. In this case, for example, the movement of the tongue of an animal in a remote place is reproduced by a tongue device, and a simulated experience of communication becomes possible.

  In addition, each structure mentioned above can be combined suitably in the range which is not mutually contradictory.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Tongue apparatus, 10 ... Base unit (1st drive apparatus), 11 ... Support member, 12 ... Movable member, 13 ... Parallel link mechanism, 20 ... Tongue part, 21 ... Plate-shaped part, 23 ... Pipe part, 24 ... 1st tension transmission member, 26 ... 2nd tension transmission member, 36 ... elastic member, 37a, 37b ... 3rd tension transmission member, 38 ... tongue support part, 41 ... 1st drive part, 42 ... 2nd drive part, 43 ... 3rd drive part, 44 ... 4th drive part, 45 ... 5th drive part, 100 ... 1st drive unit, 200 ... 2nd drive unit, 300 ... 3rd drive unit, 400 ... 4th drive unit, 500 ... Fifth drive device, X ... left-right direction, Y ... front-back direction

Claims (10)

A tongue-like tongue having flexibility;
A first drive unit having a first drive unit for moving the tongue in the front-rear direction;
A second drive unit having a second drive unit that warps the front end of the tongue upward.
Tongue device comprising: The second drive device has a linear first tension transmission member fixed to the tongue portion,
The tongue device according to claim 1, wherein the second driving unit pulls the first tension transmission member to warp the front end of the tongue upward. The tongue portion has a flexible plate-like portion,
The second drive device has a tubular tube portion extending in the front-rear direction,
The tube portion has flexibility and is fixed to the upper surface of the plate-like portion,
The first tension transmission member is passed through the pipe portion and extends in the front-rear direction.
The front end portion of the first tension transmission member is fixed to the upper surface of the front end portion of the plate-like portion,
The tongue device according to claim 2, wherein a rear end portion of the first tension transmission member is connected to the second drive portion. The first driving device includes:
A support member to which the first drive unit is fixed;
A movable member to which the tongue is attached;
A parallel link mechanism connecting the support member and the movable member;
Have
4. The first drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the first drive unit drives the parallel link mechanism to move the movable member in the front-rear direction, thereby moving the tongue in the front-rear direction. 5. Tongue device.   The tongue device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a third drive device having a third drive unit that bends the tongue portion downward. The third driving device has a linear second tension transmission member fixed to the tongue,
The tongue device according to claim 5, wherein the third drive unit bends the tongue portion downward by pulling the second tension transmission member. A tongue support part for supporting the tongue part;
The tongue portion has a flexible plate-like portion,
The plate-like portion is fixed to the upper surface of the tongue support portion,
The front portion of the plate-like portion extends to the front side of the tongue support portion,
The second tension transmission member extends in the front-rear direction,
The front end portion of the second tension transmission member is fixed to the lower surface of the plate-like portion on the front side of the tongue support portion,
A rear end portion of the second tension transmission member is connected to the third driving unit;
The third drive unit pulls the second tension transmission member and bends the tongue part downward by bending the plate-like part downward with the front end of the tongue support part as a fulcrum. Tongue device according to.   The tongue device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a fourth drive device having a fourth drive portion that swings a front end portion of the tongue portion in a left-right direction.   The tongue device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a fifth drive device having a fifth drive portion that bends left and right side portions of the tongue portion in a left-right symmetrical manner upward. The fifth driving device includes:
A tongue support part that supports the tongue part and is capable of bending left and right side parts symmetrically upward and downward;
A linear third tension transmission member having one end fixed to the tongue support portion and the other end connected to the fifth drive portion;
An elastic member that applies an elastic force to the tongue support portion in a direction to bend left and right sides of the tongue support portion symmetrically upward;
Have
The fifth driving unit includes:
Maintaining the tongue support in an unbent state by pulling the third tension transmitting member; and
10. The tongue support portion is bent by the elastic force of the elastic member by loosening a force applied to the third tension transmission member, and both left and right side portions of the tongue portion are bent symmetrically upward. Tongue device according to.

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