JP2022035183A - Truck and wheel system thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

To make it possible to enhance traveling performance of a truck with six wheels while applying a power assisted function.SOLUTION: A truck 10 includes three wheels including a first intermediate wheel on the right side and three wheels including a second intermediate wheel on the left side. The truck 10 includes: a first support member 16 that is provided on an undersurface of a placing table to be movable around a first shaft and includes a first front wheel and the first intermediate wheel; a second support member 18 that is provided on the undersurface of the placing table to be movable around a second shaft and includes a second front wheel and the second intermediate wheel; a first motor 30 for assist driving of the first intermediate wheel; a second motor 34 for assist diving of the second intermediate wheel; and a control part that executes control of the first motor and control of the second motor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to a dolly having six wheels, three on each side and having an electric assist mechanism, and a wheel system detachably attached to the dolly.

For example, Patent Document 1 is an electric assist mechanism in which a motor and an electric assist mechanism provided with one drive wheel to which the driving force of the motor is transmitted are detachably attached to a trolley on which luggage or the like is loaded and carried by hand. Disclose the attached trolley. This dolly includes four rolling wheels provided at the bottom of the loading platform and a handle which is a U-shaped member. This bogie with an electric assist mechanism travels by generating a rotational force on the rolling wheels by the force acting on the handle of the bogie during manual driving, and during assist traveling, the rotational force is applied to the drive wheels by the driving force of the above-mentioned motor. Generate and run.

On the other hand, a trolley equipped with a total of 6 wheels, 3 on each of the left and right, is known. This 6-wheel trolley can improve the stability of the trolley as compared with the 4-wheel trolley, and can be used, for example, for transporting a long object or a heavy object. In such a six-wheel trolley, a caster is provided at the rear end of the base, a support member is rotatably attached to the front end of the base, a caster is attached to the front end of the support member, and the rear of the support member is rear. Patent Document 2 discloses a wheel having a normal wheel that rotates in one direction attached to the end portion. According to the description of Patent Document 2, when an obstacle exists on the track of the bogie, the caster of the support member rides on the obstacle, and at this time, since the support member is rotatable, the caster is upward. You can easily get over obstacles by turning to. Further, when the wheel of the support member subsequently rides on the obstacle, the wheel rotates upward and can easily get over the obstacle.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-151247 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-61168

As described above, the 6-wheel trolley is used for transporting heavy objects and the like. Therefore, when the 6-wheel trolley is used by hand, it is expected to provide an electric assist function. Further, in order to suitably expand the applicable range of the six-wheeled bogie, it is desired to be able to more preferably overcome obstacles on the track and to be able to more preferably travel on slopes and flat terrain. An object of the present disclosure is to make it possible to improve the running performance of a six-wheeled bogie while providing an electric assist function.

The first aspect of the present disclosure is a bogie including a first front wheel, a first intermediate wheel and a first rear wheel on the right side, and a second front wheel, a second intermediate wheel and a second rear wheel on the left side. A first support member provided on the lower surface of the pedestal and movable around the first axis, the first support member provided with the first front wheel and the first intermediate wheel, and the pedestal described above. A second support member provided on the lower surface of the vehicle and movable around the second axis, the second support member provided with the second front wheel and the second intermediate wheel, and the first support member. A first motor for assist driving of the intermediate wheels, a second motor for assist driving of the second intermediate wheels, and a control unit for executing control of the first motor and control of the second motor are provided. Provide a dolly.

Preferably, the control unit controls the output of the first motor and the output of the second motor in response to the inputs from the two operation units operated by the user. The dolly includes a first operation unit on the right side and a second operation unit on the left side, and the control unit detects and detects a force acting on each of the first operation unit and the second operation unit. The output of the first motor and the output of the second motor may be controlled according to the force.

Preferably, the dolly described above has a first clutch mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the power transmission of the first motor to the first intermediate wheel, and a second clutch mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the power transmission of the second motor to the second intermediate wheel. It also has a clutch mechanism.

Preferably, the dolly further comprises an automatic stop device.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is a wheel system for a bogie having six wheels, three on each of the left and right wheels, and a first support member provided on the lower surface of the mounting base of the bogie, around the first axis. A first support member that is movable and is provided with two wheels on the right side, one of which is the first intermediate wheel, and a second support member provided on the lower surface of the above-mentioned pedestal, the second axis. A second support member that is movable around and is provided with two wheels on the left side, one of which is a second intermediate wheel, a first motor for assist driving of the first intermediate wheel, and the second intermediate wheel. Provided is a wheel system including a second motor for assist driving of an intermediate wheel and a control unit for controlling the first motor and controlling the second motor.

This wheel system may include a first operation unit provided on the first support member side and a second operation unit provided on the second support member side. In this case, the control unit detects the force acting on each of the first operation unit and the second operation unit, and according to the detected force, the output of the first motor and the output of the second motor. It is good to control each.

According to the first aspect and the second aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the running performance of the six-wheeled trolley while providing the electric assist function.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a dolly according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the left rear side of the dolly of FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the dolly of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of traveling from a flat ground to a slope with the trolley of FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the dolly of FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the control unit of the dolly of FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wheel system that can be attached to a trolley.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The same parts (or configurations) are designated by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed explanations about them will not be repeated.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the dolly 10 for explaining the dolly 10 according to the embodiment, and shows the dolly 10 in a state of being well-balancedly located on a flat ground or the like. FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the left rear side of the carriage 10 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the carriage 10 of FIG. The dolly 10 has a mounting table 12 on which luggage can be placed, two handle portions 14A and 14B, and six wheels W.

The mounting table 12 can be referred to as a loading platform or a base, is a substantially rectangular member, and is configured in a flat plate shape. Here, the mounting table 12 is configured to have a substantially rectangular shape that is longer in the front-rear direction (second direction) D2 extending perpendicular to the left-right direction (first direction) D1 than in the left-right direction (first direction) D1, but various other shapes. , May have dimensions. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mounting table 12 extends substantially parallel to the left-right direction D1 and substantially parallel to the front-back direction D2. The mounting table 12 may be provided with slits, holes, or the like to reduce the weight.

As shown in FIG. 2, the dolly 10 has a first handle portion 14A on the right side and a second handle portion 14B on the left side. These first and second handle portions 14A and 14B have a substantially rod shape and are provided behind the mounting portion 12. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, here, the first and second handle portions 14A and 14B extend in the height direction (third direction) D3 orthogonal to each of the left-right direction D1 and the front-rear direction D2, respectively. As shown above, it is provided for the mounting table 12. These handle portions 14A and 14B are independent of each other. The two handles 14A and 14B each function as an operation unit, and are made of a material that can detect bending or strain to some extent according to the force applied by the user (operator of the loading platform 10). It is good. For example, the handles 14A and 14B may be made of an aluminum alloy, a plastic material, or the like.

As the wheels W, the bogie 10 has a first front wheel Wrf, a first intermediate wheel Wrm and a first rear wheel Wrr arranged in the front-rear direction D2, and a second front wheel Wlf, a second intermediate wheel Wlm and a second wheel W arranged in the front-rear direction D2. The rear wheels Wllr are provided on the left and right. The first front wheel Wrf, the first intermediate wheel Wrm and the first rear wheel Wrr are the wheels on the right side of the bogie 10, and the second front wheel Wlf, the second intermediate wheel Wlm and the second rear wheel Wrl are on the left side of the bogie 10. It is a wheel.

Two support members 16 and 18 are provided on the lower surface 12B of the mounting table 12. One support member 16 is referred to here as a first support member, and is arranged on the right side of the carriage 10. The first support member 16 is configured to be movable around the first axis. Here, the first support member 16 is rotatably provided on the lower surface 12B of the mounting table 12 around the first shaft portion 20 provided so as to extend in the left-right direction D1. The first axis portion 20 corresponds to the first axis. The predetermined range of movement of the support member 16 is mainly determined by the positional relationship between the mounting table 12 and the first support member 16 and the shape of the first support member 16. The lower surface 12B is provided with a mounted portion. The first support member 16 is attached to the attached portion via the first shaft portion 20. Similarly, the other support member 18 is referred to here as a second support member and is arranged on the left side of the carriage 10. The second support member 18 is configured to be movable around the second axis. Here, the second support member 18 is rotatably provided on the lower surface 12B of the mounting table 12 around the second shaft portion 24 provided so as to extend in the left-right direction D1 (arrow A1 in FIG. 1). , See A2). The second axis portion 24 corresponds to the second axis. The predetermined range of movement of the second support member 18 is also mainly determined by the positional relationship between the mounting table 12 and the second support member 18 and the shape of the second support member 18. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower surface 12B is provided with a mounted portion 26. The second support member 18 is attached to the attached portion 26 via the second shaft portion 24. As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 3, the second support member 18 is positioned so as to face the first support member 16 in the left-right direction D1. The first and second support members 16 and 18 each constitute an equilibrium device.

The first front wheel Wrf and the first intermediate wheel Wrm are provided on the lower side of the first support member 16 and are positioned on both sides of the first shaft portion 20. In the first support member 16, the first front wheel Wrf is provided in front of the first shaft portion 20, and the first intermediate wheel Wrm is provided behind the first shaft portion 20. Similarly, with respect to the second front wheel Wlf and the second intermediate wheel Wlm positioned on both sides of the second shaft portion 24 on the lower side of the second support member 18, as shown in FIG. 1, the second shaft portion 24 A second front wheel Wlf is provided in front of the second shaft portion 24, and a second intermediate wheel Wlm is provided behind the second shaft portion 24.

Here, since the first support member 16 has the same configuration as the second support member 18, the second support member 18 will be mainly described here, and the detailed description of the first support member 16 will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 1, the second support member 18 is a member having a substantially isosceles triangle shape. In FIG. 1, when the plane P1 extending in the left-right direction D1 and the height direction D3 is defined along the axis 24A of the second shaft portion 24, the second support member 18 is substantially bisected by the plane P1 and the plane P1. It is almost symmetrical with respect to. The second shaft portion 24 is positioned at the apex portion of the second support member 18. Therefore, the second support member 18 can rotate around the second shaft portion 24 within a predetermined range, that is, can swing. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, when the bogie 10 moves from a flat ground to a slope, the second support member 18 rotates around the second shaft portion 24, and the second intermediate wheel Wlm firmly touches the ground. It will be possible to continue to do so. The grounding of the second intermediate wheel Wlm works effectively in various situations such as when the bogie 10 moves from a slope to a flat ground, when there is an obstacle on the track, and so on. This also applies to the first support member 16. In FIG. 4, the second intermediate wheel Wlm when fixed at a predetermined position on the lower surface 12B of the mounting table 12 without providing the second support member 18 is shown by a broken line. The second intermediate wheel Wlm shown by the broken line is away from the ground.

In the present embodiment, such a second intermediate wheel Wlm is used as a driving wheel. Similarly, the first intermediate wheel Wrm of the first support member 16 is also a drive wheel. However, although the first and second intermediate wheels Wrm and Wlm are fixed in direction so as to face the front-rear direction D2, the directions may be changeable. The other wheels Wrf, Wrr, Wlf, and Wllr adopt a caster structure so that the directions can be changed in any direction. Further, as is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, all the wheels W have the same size, but are not limited to this.

The carriage 10 further includes an electric assist mechanism 28. The configuration for realizing the electric assist function of the electric assist mechanism 28 and the configuration related to the wheels W associated therewith will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The electric assist mechanism 28 executes the control of the first motor and the control of the second motor, the motor 30 for assist driving of the first intermediate wheel Wrm, the second motor 34 for assist driving of the second intermediate wheel Wlm, and the second motor. It is provided with a control unit.

As shown in FIG. 3, a motor (first motor) 30 is provided so as to be able to supply a driving force to the first intermediate wheel Wrm provided on the first support member 16. A power transmission mechanism 32 is provided between the first motor 30 and the first intermediate wheel Wrm so as to transmit the driving force of the first motor 30 to the first intermediate wheel Wrm. Here, the power transmission mechanism 32 is a gear 32a provided on the output shaft of the first motor 30, a gear 32b provided on the axle of the first intermediate wheel Wrm, and a chain wound around the gears 32a and 32b. It is equipped with 32c. The power transmission mechanism 32 may have other configurations, for example, it may be composed only of gears, or a belt may be used instead of the chain 32c.

Similarly, a motor (second motor) 34 is provided so that a driving force can be supplied to the first intermediate wheel Wlm provided on the second support member 18. A power transmission mechanism 36 is provided between the second motor 34 and the second intermediate wheel Wlm so as to transmit the driving force of the second motor 34 to the second intermediate wheel Wlm. The power transmission mechanism 36 has the same configuration as the power transmission mechanism 32 described above, and has a gear 36a provided on the output shaft of the second motor 34, a gear 36b provided on the axle of the second intermediate wheel Wlm, and these gears. A chain 36c wound around 36a and 36b is provided. The power transmission mechanism 36 may also have another configuration like the power transmission mechanism 32 described above.

The first motor 30 may be provided at various locations. Here, the first motor 30 is provided inside the first shaft portion 20 on the lower surface 12B of the mounting table 12, but may be provided at another location, for example, the first support member 16. Similarly, although the second motor 34 is also provided inside the second shaft portion 24 on the lower surface 12B of the mounting table 12, it may be provided at another location, for example, the second support member 18.

Brakes 38 and 40 are provided on the first and second intermediate wheels Wrm and Wlm, which are the driving wheels, respectively. The brakes 38 and 40 constitute an automatic stop device. The operating lever 38a of the brake 38 is provided on the first handle portion 14A. Unless the user grips the operating lever 38a, the brake is applied, and therefore the first intermediate wheel Wrm cannot move due to the driving force of the first motor 30. Similarly, the operating lever 40a of the brake 40 is provided on the second handle portion 14B. Unless the user grips the operating lever 40a, the brake is applied, and therefore the second intermediate wheel Wlm cannot move due to the driving force of the second motor 34. Therefore, when the trolley 10 is moving using the electric assist mechanism 28, the trolley 10 automatically stops when the user releases his / her hand from the operation levers 38a and 40a. The brakes 38 and 40 are mechanically operated by wires or the like, but may be electrically operated.

Further, the first intermediate wheel Wrm, which is a driving wheel, is provided with a first clutch mechanism 42 for disconnecting and connecting the power transmission of the first motor 30 to the first intermediate wheel Wrm. The second intermediate wheel Wlm, which is also a drive wheel, is provided with a second clutch mechanism 44 for disconnecting and connecting the power transmission of the second motor 34 to the second intermediate wheel Wlm. Here, the first clutch mechanism 42 is provided between the first motor 30 and the gear 32a, and the second clutch mechanism 44 is provided between the second motor 34 and the gear 36a. In these first and second clutch mechanisms 42 and 44, the operation mechanism portions 42a and 44a are mechanically operated by operating the clutch levers 46 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, and the engagement and disengagement thereof are switched. When the clutch lever 46 is operated in a state where the power transmission is disconnected, the carriage 10 cannot be moved by using the electric assist mechanism 28 and can be manually operated. At this time, for example, the carriage 10 may be towed by another vehicle. When the carriage 10 can be moved using the electric assist mechanism 28, the clutch lever 46 is operated so that power can be transmitted. The clutch lever of the first clutch mechanism 42 may be provided separately from the clutch lever of the second clutch mechanism 44. Further, the first clutch mechanism 42 may be provided at any place where the power transmission of the first motor 30 to the first intermediate wheel Wrm can be connected and disconnected. This also applies to the second clutch mechanism 44.

In the electric assist mechanism 28, each of the handles 14A and 14B is an operation unit operated by the user. That is, two operation units 14A and 14B are provided. The handles 14A and 14B have detectors 48A and 48B that detect the force in the left-right direction D1 (hereinafter, left-right force detector) 48A and 48B, and detectors 50A that detect the force in the front-rear direction D2 (hereinafter, front-back force detector) 50A. , 50B are provided respectively. Both the left and right force detectors 48A and 48B and the front and rear force detectors 50A and 50B are strain gauges, and function as force detectors for detecting the force acting on the handles 14A and 14B, respectively. Any one or all of the left-right force detectors 48A and 48B and the front-back force detectors 50A and 50B may be sensors other than strain gauges, and may be pressure-sensitive sensors, for example.

Further, the trolley 10 is provided with brake position sensors 52A and 52B for detecting the positions of the operation levers 38a and 40a of the brakes 38 and 40, and a clutch lever position sensor 54 for detecting the position of the clutch lever 46.

Further, the carriage 10 is provided with a battery 56 as a power source for operating the first and second motors 30, 34 and the like. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the battery 56 is arranged on the lower surface 12B of the mounting table 12. The battery 56 is provided with a power switch 58, a charging terminal 60, and a battery fuel gauge 62.

The electric assist mechanism 28 of the carriage 10 includes a control device 70 that functions as a control unit in addition to the motors 30 and 34. Outputs from the left and right force detectors 48A and 48B, the front and rear force detectors 50A and 50B, the brake position sensors 52A and 52B, and the clutch lever position sensor 54 are input to the control device 70. The control device 70 is configured as a so-called computer, and includes a processing unit (for example, CPU) 70C which is a so-called processor, a storage unit (for example, ROM, RAM), and an input / output port. The control device 70 can control the operation of the first and second motors 30 and 34 based on the output from them. The control device 70 operates each of the first and second motors 30 and 34 in order to assist the user who is the operator who operates the trolley 10 to reduce the force exerted on the handles 14A and 14B which are the operation units. Control. The control device 70 can independently control the operations of the first and second motors 30 and 34, or can synchronize their operations. For example, the control device 70 makes the rotation speed of the first intermediate wheel Wrm the same as the rotation speed of the second intermediate wheel Wlm so as to simply move forward or simply move backward. It is also possible to control each operation of 30 and 34. Further, the control device 70 rotates only one of the first intermediate wheel Wrm and the second intermediate wheel Wrm, or reverses the rotation direction of the first intermediate wheel Wrm and the rotation direction of the second intermediate wheel Wlm. It is also possible to control each operation of the first and second motors 30 and 34 so as to be.

In the present embodiment, the control device 70 controls the operation of the first and second motors 30 and 34 so as to enable the bogie 10 to move forward, backward, and rotate. The control device 70 stores programs and data for this purpose. The control device 70 realizes various functional modules by executing a program stored in the storage unit by the processing unit 70C which substantially bears the function as the control unit. FIG. 5 shows a functional block diagram of the processing unit 70C of the control device 70, that is, the control unit. Specifically, the control device 70 has a brake detection unit 701, a clutch detection unit 702, a front-rear force detection unit 703, a left-right force detection unit 704, a control amount calculation unit 705, and a command transmission unit 706 as functional modules. The command transmission unit 706 includes a functional module called a first motor transmission unit 707 for transmitting a command signal to the first motor 30 and a second motor transmission unit 708 for transmitting a command signal to the second motor 34. Some of the functional modules may be hardware such as other processors, digital circuits, or analog circuits.

The brake detection unit 701 detects the state of the brakes 38 and 40 based on the input of signals from the brake position sensors 52A and 52B. The brake position sensor 52A is provided on the first handle portion 14A, and the brake position sensor 52B is provided on the second handle portion 14B. Here, when at least one of the operating levers 38a and 40a of the brakes 38 and 40 is not operated, it is determined that the brake is in the ON state. As a result, it is possible to prevent the execution of the electric assist that the user does not want.

The clutch detection unit 702 detects the state of the clutch lever 46 based on the input of a signal from the clutch lever position sensor 54. Here, when the clutch lever 46 is in the state of disconnecting the power transmission, it is determined that the clutch mechanisms 42 and 44 are in the disconnected state. As a result, it is possible to prevent the execution of the electric assist that the user does not want.

The front-rear force detection unit 703 detects the input of the handles 14A and 14B, that is, the front-rear direction D2 from the front-rear force detectors 50A and 50B based on the input of signals from the front-rear force detectors 50A and 50B. The front-rear force detector 50A of the first handle portion 14A, which is the first operation unit, detects the force in the front-rear direction acting on the first handle portion 14A. Similarly, the front-rear force detector 50B of the second handle portion 14B, which is the second operation unit, detects the force in the front-rear direction acting on the second handle portion 14B. For example, when a forward force is input via both handles 14A and 14B and the difference between them is within the first predetermined range, the front-rear force detecting unit 703 detects a forward force. Further, for example, the input via the first handle portion 14A is a backward force, the input via the second handle portion 14B is a forward force, and the difference in the magnitudes of these forces is the first. 2 When it is within a predetermined range, the force for turning to the right on the spot is detected. In the opposite case, the force for turning to the left is detected. For example, when the bogie 10 is traveling in the forward direction at a predetermined speed and the forward force detected by the front-rear force detection unit 703 becomes weaker than before, it is forward, but the forward speed is weakened. Force is detected. Further, for example, when the bogie 10 is traveling in the forward direction at a predetermined speed and the force detected by the front-rear force detection unit 703 becomes zero or a rearward force, the force changes according to the degree of change in the force. The force for stopping the bogie 10 at the same speed is detected.

The left-right force detection unit 704 detects the input of the handles 14A and 14B, that is, the left-right direction D1 from the left-right force detectors 48A and 48B based on the input of signals from the left-right force detectors 48A and 48B. The left-right force detector 48A of the first handle portion 14A, which is the first operation unit, detects the force acting on the first handle portion 14A in the left-right direction D1. Similarly, the left-right force detector 48B of the second handle portion 14B, which is the second operation unit, detects the force of the user acting on the second handle portion 14B in the left-right direction D1. The left-right force detected by the left-right force detection unit 704 may be used for control in the control amount calculation unit 705 so as to supplement the front-rear direction force detected by the front-rear force detection unit 703. For example, when the force input via the first handle portion 14A is a rightward force and the force input via the second handle portion 14B is also a rightward force, it is detected by the front-rear force detection unit 703. If the force is a forward force, a force corresponding to the forward right can be detected. Further, in the left / right detection unit 704, when the force in the left-right direction from the first handle portion 14A and the force in the left-right direction from the second handle portion are opposite to each other and both of them are larger than a predetermined amount, the carriage 10 It is also possible to determine that there was a special operation input such as an emergency stop.

The control amount calculation unit 705 has a control amount to the first motor 30 and a second motor 34 based on the force, that is, the input detected by the front-rear force detection unit 703 and the force, that is, the input detected by the left-right force detection unit 704. Calculate each of the control amounts to. The data for calculating the control amount and the like are stored in advance in the storage unit of the control device 70. For example, when a force for turning to the right is detected, a control amount for moving the first intermediate wheel Wrm backward is calculated, and the second intermediate wheel Wlm is moved forward at the same rotation speed as the first intermediate wheel Wrm. The control amount for this is calculated. The control amount is, for example, the amount of current from the battery 56.

The command transmission unit 706 transmits a signal corresponding to the control amount calculated by the control amount calculation unit 705 to each of the first motor 30 and the second motor 34. The first motor transmission unit 407 transmits a signal for the first motor 30 to the driver 30A of the first motor 30, and the second motor transmission unit 408 transmits a signal for the second motor 34 to the driver 34A of the second motor 34. do.

In this way, the control device 70 as the control unit, that is, the processing unit 70C, responds to the input from the first handle unit 14A, which is the first operation unit, and the input from the second handle unit 14B, which is the second operation unit, that is, respectively. The output of the first motor 30 and the output of the second motor are controlled according to the force acting on the motor. The left-right force detectors 48A and 48B and the front-back force detectors 50A and 50B correspond to the force detectors of the present disclosure, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be configured. In this case, the left-right force detection unit 704 is not provided, and for example, only the front-rear force detection unit 703 may be provided as the force detection unit.

The control by the control device 70, that is, the processing unit 70C will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 6 may be repeated at predetermined time intervals.

When the remaining amount of the battery fuel gauge 62 is equal to or more than a predetermined amount and the power switch 58 is turned on, the process based on the flowchart of FIG. 6 is executed. In step S601, it is determined whether or not the clutch mechanism, that is, the first clutch mechanism 42 and the second clutch mechanism 44 are in the connected state. When it is determined that the clutch lever 46 is in the position corresponding to the connected state based on the input of the signal from the clutch lever position sensor 54, an affirmative determination is made in step S601. On the other hand, when it is determined that the clutch lever 46 is in the position corresponding to the disconnected state, that is, the disengaged state, a negative determination is made in step S601.

When the affirmative determination is made in step S601, it is determined in the next step S603 whether or not both the brakes 38 and 40 are released. When it is determined that both the brakes 38 and 40 are in the OFF state, that is, released, based on the input of the signals from the brake position sensors 52A and 52B, a positive determination is made in step S603, and both the brakes 38 and 40 are released. When it is determined that this is not the case, a negative determination is made in step S603. The order of steps S601 and S603 may be reversed.

When a negative determination is made in step S601 or step S603, the operations of the first motor 30 and the second motor 34 are turned off in step S605. That is, in this case, the execution of the assist control is prohibited. This ends the routine.

When the affirmative determination is made in step S601 and step S603, the operation of the first motor 30 and the second motor 34 is turned on in step S607. As a result, as described above, the output of the first motor 30 and the output of the second motor 34 are controlled in response to the inputs from the two operation units operated by the user. The output of the first motor 30 and the output of the second motor 34 are controlled so as to reduce the force on the first and second handle portions 14A and 14B of the user. Further, the output of the first motor 30 and the output of the second motor 34 are controlled so that the bogie 10 does not travel at a predetermined speed (for example, 3.5 km / h) or higher. Each output of the first motor 30 and the second motor 34 can be a rotational speed and / or a driving force.

As described above, according to the carriage 10 having the above configuration, the following effects are achieved.

Since the trolley 10 is provided with the electric assist mechanism 28, the trolley 10 can be provided with the electric assist function. Since the intermediate wheels Wrm and Wlm of the six wheels are provided on the support members 16 and 18 that can rotate around the shaft members 20 and 24, the carriage 10 is, for example, as described with reference to FIG. It will be possible to flexibly respond to the track. Further, since the intermediate wheels Wrm and Wlm serve as driving wheels, the bogie 10 can make small turns such as turning on the spot. As described above, according to the bogie 10 with the electric assist mechanism 28, it is possible to improve the running performance of the six-wheeled vehicle.

Further, a first motor 30 is provided for driving the first intermediate wheel Wrm, a second motor 34 is provided for driving the second intermediate wheel Wlm, and the intermediate wheels Wrm and Wlm can be driven individually. Therefore, the output of the first intermediate wheel Wrm and the output of the second intermediate wheel Wlm can be controlled individually. For example, the rotation speed of the first intermediate wheel Wrm can be made different from the rotation speed of the second intermediate wheel Wlm, whereby the bogie 10 is further excellent in turning, such as turning on the spot.

Further, in the bogie 10, the left and right handle portions 14A and 14B are independently provided, and the user can input a command by using each of the handle portions 14A and 14B independently. Therefore, the control device 70, that is, the processing unit 70C can more appropriately execute various traveling controls such as turning, forward movement, reverse movement, and stoppage.

Further, in the bogie 10, the first clutch mechanism 42 for connecting and disconnecting the power transmission of the first motor 30 to the first intermediate wheel Wrm and the second clutch for connecting and disconnecting the power transmission of the second motor 34 to the second intermediate wheel Wlm. A mechanism 44 is provided. Therefore, by switching the engagement and disengagement of these clutch mechanisms, the timing of power transmission from the motors 30 and 34 to the intermediate wheels Wrm and Wlm can be suitably adjusted, and the bogie 10 is also excellent in safety.

Further, the bogie 10 is provided with an automatic stop device, which includes, for example, brakes 38, 40 configured to stop the bogie 10 when the user releases the operating levers 38a, 40a. Therefore, the dolly 10 is more excellent in safety.

In the bogie 10, the wheels W, the electric assist mechanism 28, and the like are provided integrally with the bogie 10 in advance. However, the wheel system 110 including the electric assist mechanism 28 may be attached to and removed from the existing trolley as an attachment. The wheel system 110 is shown in FIG. The wheel system 110 includes an electric assist mechanism 28. Specifically, the support members 16, 18, the motors 30, 34, the clutch mechanisms 42, 44, various sensors, the battery 56, and the control device 70 are provided in the wheel system 110, but some of them are omitted. You may. Further, the wheel system 110 includes handles 14A and 14B as two operation units. Further, the wheel system 110 includes brakes 38 and 40. By removing the front wheels of a general four-wheeled dolly and mechanically attaching the wheel system 110, a dolly like the dolly 10 can be made. However, the wheel system of the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration of the wheel system 110, and may not include, for example, the handles 14A, 14B and / or the brakes 38, 40. In this case, the size and / or mounting of each wheel so that the mounting portion 12 supported by the front wheel and the intermediate wheel of the wheel system 110 and the rear wheel of the existing bogie is substantially horizontal on a flat ground. The position or the like with respect to the portion 12 may be adjusted.

Although the embodiments and variations thereof according to the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Various substitutions and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims of the present application.

For example, the processing described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. For example, the control device 70, which is an information processing device and has a function as a control unit, does not have to be one computer, and may be configured as a system including a plurality of computers.

Further, in the bogie 10, the front wheels Wrf and Wlf, the middle wheels Wrm and Wlm, and the rear wheels Wrr and Wrl are each composed of one wheel. However, each wheel W may be composed of a plurality of wheels provided side by side in the left-right direction D1 so as to be suitable for transporting a heavier object. That is, each of the wheels W may be a double tire.

10 Bogie 12 Mounting stand 14A 1st handle (1st operation)
14B 2nd handle (2nd operation)
16 1st support member 18 2nd support member 20 1st shaft part 24 2nd shaft part 28 Electric assist mechanism 30 1st motor 34 2nd motor 42 1st clutch mechanism 44 2nd clutch mechanism 48A, 48B Left / right force detector 50A , 50B Front-rear force detector 56 Battery 70 Control device

Claims (7)

A bogie equipped with a first front wheel, a first middle wheel and a first rear wheel on the right side, and a second front wheel, a second middle wheel and a second rear wheel on the left side.
A first support member provided on the lower surface of the mounting table and movable around the first axis, wherein the first front wheel and the first intermediate wheel are provided.
A second support member provided on the lower surface of the above-mentioned pedestal and movable around a second axis, wherein the second front wheel and the second intermediate wheel are provided.
The first motor for assist driving of the first intermediate wheel and
The second motor for assist driving of the second intermediate wheel and
A dolly including a control unit that executes control of the first motor and control of the second motor. The control unit
The output of the first motor and the output of the second motor are controlled, respectively, according to the inputs from the two operation units operated by the user.
The dolly according to claim 1. It has a first operation unit on the right side and a second operation unit on the left side.
The control unit detects a force acting on each of the first operation unit and the second operation unit, and controls the output of the first motor and the output of the second motor according to the detected force. do,
The dolly according to claim 2. A first clutch mechanism for disconnecting and connecting the power transmission of the first motor to the first intermediate wheel,
Further, a second clutch mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the power transmission of the second motor to the second intermediate wheel is provided.
The dolly according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Further equipped with an automatic stop device,
The dolly according to any one of claims 1 to 4. It is a wheel system for bogies that has 6 wheels, 3 on each side.
A first support member provided on the lower surface of the mounting table of the dolly, which is movable around the first axis and is provided with two wheels on the right side, one of which is a first intermediate wheel. With members
A second support member provided on the lower surface of the pedestal described above, which is movable around a second axis and is provided with two wheels on the left side, one of which is a second intermediate wheel. When,
The first motor for assist driving of the first intermediate wheel and
The second motor for assist driving of the second intermediate wheel and
A wheel system including a control unit that executes control of the first motor and control of the second motor. A first operation unit provided on the first support member side and a second operation unit provided on the second support member side are provided.
The control unit detects a force acting on each of the first operation unit and the second operation unit, and controls the output of the first motor and the output of the second motor according to the detected force. do,
The wheel system according to claim 6.

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