JP2023054949A - Travel device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a small-sized travel device capable of stably traveling on an earth filling part.SOLUTION: A travel device 100 includes a body 10 traveling on a ridge 70 (an earth filling part) filled with soil, a pair of wheels 12 provided to the left/right of the body 10 and traveling on an upper face 72 of the ridge 70 by power from a motor 20 (a drive part), and travel guide bodies 40 respectively provided outside the pair of wheels 12, and coming into contact with a slope face 74 of the ridge 70 to guide the pair of wheels 12 such that the pair of wheels 12 travel along the ridge 70. Each travel guide body 40 includes a rotary shaft 41a coaxial with an axle 22a of the pair of wheels 12, and a plurality of contact parts 44 provided radially with respect to the rotary shaft 41a, and changing angles to the rotary shaft 41a so as to come into contact with the slope face 74 of the ridge 70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a travel device.

2. Description of the Related Art Traveling devices are known that travel along embankments such as ridges or ridges in which soil is heaped up in order to perform work such as mowing or harvesting. For example, there is known a traveling seedling transplanter that is guided to travel along a ridge by bringing a ridge-following roller body into contact with the slope of the ridge (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-307002

The traveling seedling transplanter described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which a ridge-following roller body that abuts on the slope of the ridge is provided at the tip of the arm portion extended from the main body. put away.

Moreover, even when the inclination angle of the slope with respect to the upper surface of the embankment changes, there is a demand for a travel device that travels stably along the embankment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact travel device that can travel stably on an embankment.

The traveling device of the present invention includes a main body that advances on an embankment section filled with soil, at least a pair of wheels that are provided on the left and right sides of the main body and that travel on the upper surface of the embankment section by power from a drive section, and a travel guide provided outside each of a pair of wheels and abutting on the slope of the embankment to guide the pair of wheels so that the pair of wheels travel along the embankment; The traveling guide has a rotation shaft coaxial with the axle of the pair of wheels, is provided radially with respect to the rotation shaft, and has a plurality of traveling guides whose angles with respect to the rotation shaft change so as to contact the slope of the embankment. a contact portion.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a travel device that is small in size and capable of stably traveling on an embankment.

FIG. 1(a) is a view of the traveling device according to the first embodiment as seen from the +Z direction, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view in the Y-axis direction. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the traveling guide in FIG. 1(b). FIG. 3 is a view of the running guide of FIG. 2 viewed from the -Y direction. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams showing the effect of providing a travel guide on the outside of the wheel. 5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams showing a gap adjusting mechanism for adjusting the gap between wheels. 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams showing a state when the traveling device according to the first embodiment travels on a ridge. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the traveling guide of the traveling device according to the modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 8(a) is a side view of the traveling guide in the second embodiment, and FIG. 8(b) is a perspective view. FIGS. 9(a) to 9(d) are diagrams showing the effect of the running induction in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a running guide in a modification of the second embodiment;

<<1st Embodiment>>
A traveling device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. The traveling device 100 of the first embodiment is, for example, a traveling device that performs mowing work on a ridge, and automatically travels on the ridge by rotating wheels powered by a motor, and performs mowing work while traveling. It is something to do.

FIG. 1(a) is a view of the traveling device 100 according to the first embodiment as seen from the +Z direction, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view in the Y-axis direction. The +X direction is the forward direction of the traveling device 100, and the -X direction is the reverse direction. The Y-axis direction is a direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the X-axis in the horizontal plane, and the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the travel device 100 includes a main body 10, wheels 12 and 14, a battery 18, a motor 20 (driving portion), and a cutting blade portion 30 (mowing operation). part) and a running guide 40 . For example, the traveling device 100 cuts grass with the cutting blade portion 30 while automatically traveling on the ridge 70 in the traveling direction DM (+X direction).

A pair of left and right wheels 12 are provided on the front side (near the +X side end) of the main body 10 . A motor 20 is provided for each of the two wheels 12 . The wheels 12 rotate on the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 around the axle 22a extending in the Y-axis direction by driving the motor 20 with current supplied from the battery 18 . On the other hand, a pair of left and right wheels 14 are provided on the rear side of the main body 10 (near the -X side end). A motor 20 is provided for each of the two wheels 14 . The wheels 14 rotate on the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 around the axle 22b extending in the Y-axis direction by driving the motor 20 with current supplied from the battery 18 . As the wheels 12 and 14 rotate on the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70, the traveling device 100 travels on the ridge 70 in the +X direction in four-wheel drive.

It should be noted that the two wheels 12 and 14 are not limited to being rotationally driven by one motor 20, and the two wheels 12 are rotationally driven by one motor 20 and the two wheels 14 are rotationally driven by one motor 20. , or all of the wheels 12 and 14 may be driven to rotate by one motor 20 . Traveling device 100 is not limited to four-wheel drive in which all wheels 12 and 14 are rotationally driven, and may be two-wheel drive in which only wheels 12 or only wheels 14 are rotationally driven.

Two cutting blades 30 are provided side by side in front of the main body 10 and include cutting blades 32 for cutting grass such as weeds. The cutting blades 32 are attached to a circular rotating plate 36 that rotates around a rotating shaft 34 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. Note that the cutting blade 32 is not limited to the case in which a plurality of cutting blades are provided, and may be the case in which only one cutting blade is provided. The cutting blade 32 is made of metal or nylon, for example. The cutting blade portion 30 rotates about the rotating shaft 34 by being driven by a motor (not shown) supplied with current from the battery 18 . Due to this rotation, the trajectory of the portion of the cutting blade 32 farthest from the rotary shaft 34 becomes a circle A. Therefore, the grass existing within the circle A is cut by the cutting blade 32 .

Note that the two cutting blades 30 are not limited to being provided side by side in front of the main body 10, and may be provided in front of the main body 10 with only one or three or more. Moreover, the cutting blade portion 30 is not limited to being provided in front of the main body 10 , and may be provided in the rear of the main body 10 or may be provided in both the front and rear of the main body 10 .

Travel guides 40 are provided outside each of the two wheels 12 and the two wheels 14 . A traveling guide 40 provided outside the wheel 12 has a rotating shaft 41a coaxial with the axle 22a and rotates about the rotating shaft 41a. That is, the wheels 12 and the traveling guide 40 provided outside the wheels 12 rotate about the same axis. Similarly, the traveling guide 40 provided outside the wheel 14 has a rotation shaft 41b coaxial with the axle 22b and rotates about the rotation shaft 41b. That is, the wheels 14 and the traveling guide 40 provided outside the wheels 14 rotate about the same axis. It should be noted that the travel guide 40 is not limited to being provided outside both the wheels 12 and 14 and may be provided only outside one of the wheels 12 and 14 .

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the traveling guide 40 in FIG. 1(b). FIG. 3 is a view of the running guide 40 of FIG. 2 viewed from the -Y direction. 2 and 3 show an example of the traveling guide 40 provided outside one of the two wheels 12 12, but the other wheel 12 and the two wheels 14 provided outside The same is true for the running derivative 40 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the traveling guide 40 has a plurality of contact portions 44 radially provided around the rotation shaft 41a. A plurality of contact portions 44 are fixed to the base portion 42 via connecting portions 46 . The base 42 is attached to the outer surface of the wheel 12 via a bearing 76 and is rotatable about the rotation shaft 41a. In this way, in the traveling guide 40, the plurality of contact portions 44 are connected to the base portion 42 rotatable about the rotation shaft 41a, so that the plurality of contact portions 44 are rotatable about the rotation shaft 41a. It has become.

The base portion 42 is, for example, a circular plate centered on the axle 22 a and having approximately the same size as the wheel 12 . The base 42 rotates independently of the wheel 12 because it is attached to the wheel 12 via bearings 76 . Therefore, the multiple contact portions 44 rotate independently of the wheel 12 . Note that the base portion 42 is not limited to a circular plate, and may have other shapes such as a rectangular plate centered on the axle 22a.

The connection portion 46 is, for example, a hinge, and connects the contact portion 44 to the base portion 42 so that the angle of the contact portion 44 with respect to the base portion 42 is variable. As a result, the angle of the contact portion 44 with respect to the rotation shaft 41a is variable. The connection portion 46 also has a biasing portion 62 that biases the contact portion 44 from the side opposite to the wheel 12 toward the wheel 12 side. When the connecting portion 46 is a hinge, the biasing portion 62 is a torsion coil spring provided on the hinge shaft. In this case, the connecting portion 46 is a spring hinge. When no force other than the biasing portion 62 is applied to the contact portion 44 , the contact portion 44 is aligned with the base portion 42 on the plane due to the biasing force of the biasing portion 62 . Although a spring is shown as an example of the biasing portion 62, other elastic members such as rubber may be used. In addition, the traveling guide 40 may be integrally molded entirely from the same member, and the abutting portion 44 may be fixedly connected to the base portion 42 via a connecting portion so as to be aligned on a plane. In this case, the connecting portion is deformable so that the angle of the contact portion 44 with respect to the base portion 42 is variable, and the contact portion 44 is moved from the side opposite to the wheel 12 to the wheel 12 side by its own restoring force. bias toward. Alternatively, the connection portion and the contact portion 44 may be formed of an elastic member such as a plate spring and connected to the base portion 42 .

Since the angle of the contact portion 44 with respect to the rotation axis 41a is variable, the angle with respect to the rotation axis 41a changes so as to correspond to the inclination angle of the slope 74 at the position facing the slope 74 of the ridge 70. It abuts on the slope 74 . A contact surface 52 is a surface where the contact portion 44 contacts the slope surface 74 of the ridge 70 . The inclination angle of the slope 74 is the angle between the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 and the slope 74 . The contact portion 44 is, for example, a rectangular plate, and the contact surface 52 is, for example, rectangular in plan view. Further, since the contact portion 44 is biased toward the wheel 12 side from the side opposite to the wheel 12 by the biasing portion 62, when the contact surface 52 is in contact with the slope surface 74 of the ridge 70, , the contact portion 44 is biased toward the slope 74 . Note that the contact portion 44 may have other shapes such as a cylinder, a cylinder, or a plate with a half-moon cross section.

FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams showing the effect of providing the travel guide 40 on the outside of the wheels 12, 14. FIG. In FIG. 4(a), the traveling device 100 travels on a ridge 70 having a cross section of a specified shape (for example, a trapezoidal shape with an upper width of 30 to 50 cm, a height of 30 to 40 cm, and a slope gradient of about 1:1). indicates when FIG. 4(b) shows a case where the traveling apparatus 100 travels on a portion where the inclination angle of the slope 74 of the ridge 70 has changed due to aged deterioration or the like. As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), while the traveling device 100 is traveling on the ridge 70 having a specified shape, the traveling device 100 travels at a location where the inclination angle of the slope 74 of the ridge 70 changes. In this case, the angle of the contact portion 44 with respect to the base portion 42 (the angle with respect to the rotation axis 41a) changes in accordance with the change in the inclination angle of the slope 74, and the contact portion 44 contacts the slope 74. continue.

In this way, when the wheels 12 and 14 run on the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 , the contact portion 44 keeps contacting the slope 74 of the ridge 70 , so that the wheels 12 and 14 move along the ridge 70 . induced to proceed. Even if the slope surface 74 of the ridge 70 has unevenness, the contact surface 52 of the contact portion 44 contacts the slope surface 74, so that the contact portion 44 is less likely to be affected by the unevenness, and the wheels 12 and 14 are stabilized. can be induced by Therefore, the travel device 100 travels stably on the ridge 70 . Further, when the contact portion 44 is in contact with the slope surface 74 of the ridge 70, the contact portion 44 is biased toward the slope surface 74 by the biasing force of the biasing portion 62 (in other words, the biasing force of the connecting portion 46). ing. As a result, the effect of guiding the wheels 12 and 14 along the ridge 70 is enhanced, and the traveling device 100 travels stably on the ridge 70 .

In addition, in the first embodiment, the distance between the two wheels 12 provided on the front side of the main body 10 and the distance between the two wheels 14 provided on the rear side of the main body 10 are adjustable. That is, when the width of the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 changes, the interval between the two wheels 12 and the interval between the two wheels 14 are adjusted to follow the change in the width of the upper surface 72 during running. ing.

5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams showing a gap adjusting mechanism 80 that adjusts the gap between the wheels 12. FIG. 5(a) and 5(b) show an example in which the gap between the wheels 12 is adjusted by the gap adjusting mechanism 80, but the gap of the wheels 14 is similarly adjusted. FIG. 5(a) shows a case where the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 is wide, and FIG. 5(b) shows a case where the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 is narrow.

As shown in FIGS. 5( a ) and 5 ( b ), a gap adjusting mechanism 80 is provided between the motors 20 of the wheels 12 . The gap adjustment mechanism 80 includes an elastic member 82 , a hollow member 84 , and a solid body 86 slidably inserted into the hollow member 84 . The hollow member 84 is fixed to the motor 20 of one of the two wheels 12 . The solid body 86 is fixed to the motor 20 of the other of the two wheels 12 . The elastic member 82 is fixed between the tip of the solid body 86 and the motor 20 to which the hollow member 84 is fixed and is built in the hollow member 84 . The elastic member 82 is, for example, an extension coil spring, and is biased in a direction to shorten the length of the interval adjusting mechanism 80 . A slide frame 88 is fixed to the motor 20 of each wheel 12 . The motor 20 is supported by the main body 10 (not shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)) through the slide frame 88. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5( a ), when the traveling device 100 travels on a portion where the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 is wide, the length of the interval adjusting mechanism 80 is increased, and the interval between the wheels 12 is widened on the upper surface. The interval corresponds to the width of 72. As shown in FIG. 5(b), when the traveling device 100 travels in a portion where the width of the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 is narrow, the length of the interval adjusting mechanism 80 is automatically shortened by the biasing force of the elastic member 82. As a result, the distance between the wheels 12 corresponds to the narrow width of the upper surface 72 . That is, the traveling device 100 can travel stably on the ridge 70 even if the width of the upper surface 72 changes while traveling on the ridge 70 .

Although a spring is shown as an example of the elastic member 82, other elastic bodies such as rubber may be used. Instead of the elastic member 82, different poles of magnets may be provided at both ends of the gap adjusting mechanism 80 so that the attracting force of the magnets may be used to change the length of the gap adjusting mechanism 80. Alternatively, an actuator may be used. may be used to change the length of the spacing adjustment mechanism 80 . When an actuator is used, the surface pressure that the contact portion 44 receives from the slope 74 of the ridge 70 may be detected by a sensor or the like, and the actuator may be controlled so as to maintain a constant surface pressure.

6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams showing a state when the traveling device 100 according to the first embodiment travels on the ridge 70. FIG. FIG. 6(a) shows a case where the traveling apparatus 100 travels on a ridge 70 having a specified cross section. FIG. 6(b) shows a part of the ridge 70 that has collapsed due to aged deterioration, etc., and the traveling device 100 has changed the width of the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 and the inclination angle of the slope 74 with respect to the upper surface 72. It shows the case of running.

As shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), while the traveling device 100 is traveling on the ridge 70 having a specified shape, the ridge 70 partially collapses and the width of the upper surface 72 is reduced. When traveling on a widened area, the length of the interval adjusting mechanism 80 is increased to follow the width of the upper surface 72, and the interval between the wheels 12 and 14 corresponds to the width of the upper surface 72.例文帳に追加Further, when the vehicle travels in a place where the inclination angle of the slope 74 with respect to the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 is changed, the contact part 44 changes the angle with respect to the base part 42 ( angle with respect to the rotation axis 41 a ) changes, and the contact portion 44 continues to contact the slope 74 . As a result, even if the cross-sectional shape of a part of the ridge 70 changes, the contact portion 44 continues to contact the slope 74 of the ridge 70, so that the wheels 12 and 14 move along the ridge 70. Thus, the traveling device 100 continues to travel on the ridge 70 stably. In addition, since the length of the interval adjusting mechanism 80 changes according to the shape of the ridge 70 and the contact portion 44 continues to abut on the slope 74 of the ridge 70, the biasing force of the connecting portion 46 is adjusted to the interval adjusting mechanism. It is preferably smaller than the biasing force of the elastic member 82 possessed by 80 .

[Modification]
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the traveling guide 40 of the traveling device according to the modification of the first embodiment. Note that FIG. 7 shows an example of the travel guide 40 provided outside one of the two wheels 12 , but the travel guide 40 provided outside the other wheel 12 and the two wheels 14 . The same is true for As shown in FIG. 7, in the modification of the first embodiment, a projection 54 projecting toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70 is provided on the contact surface 52 of each of the plurality of contact portions 44. there is The protrusion 54 has, for example, a hemispherical shape, but may have other shapes such as a cylindrical shape, a conical shape, a triangular prism shape, a triangular pyramid shape, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, a quadrangular pyramid shape, or a combination thereof. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, illustration and description thereof are omitted.

Since the contact portion 44 is provided with the projecting portion 54 protruding toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70, the contact portion 44 is prevented from sliding on the slope 74, thereby stabilizing the wheel 12. can be induced by In addition, since the contact portion 44 is less likely to stick into the slope 74, it is possible to prevent the ridge 70 from collapsing or the like.

In addition, in the modification of the first embodiment, it is preferable that the protrusions 54 are provided on all the contact surfaces 52 of the plurality of contact portions 44 , but one of the plurality of contact portions 44 The contact surfaces 52 of the contact portions 44 at intervals may be provided with the protrusions 54 , or the contact surfaces 52 of the contact portions 44 positioned in a cross shape may be provided with the protrusions 54 . good. The contact surface 52 of at least one contact portion 44 may be provided with a protrusion 54 . Moreover, it is preferable that the protrusion 54 provided on the contact surface 52 of the contact portion 44 is provided at least around the end opposite to the base 42 , but the contact surface 52 is provided entirely. may be

In the modified example of the first embodiment, a protrusion 54 is provided on the contact portion 44 of the traveling guide 40 provided on one set of the two wheels 12 and the two wheels 14, and the other The abutting portion 44 of the traveling guide 40 provided in the pair may not be provided with the projecting portion 54 . From the viewpoint of guiding the traveling device 100 with good left-right balance, when the protrusion 54 is provided on the contact portion 44 of the traveling guide 40 provided on one of the two wheels 12, the other wheel 12 It is preferable that the contact portion 44 of the provided running guide 40 is also provided with the projection portion 54 . The same is true for the two wheels 14 as well.

As described above, according to the first embodiment and its modification, as shown in FIGS. In addition, a running guide 40 is provided to guide the wheels 12 and 14 so that the running direction of the wheels 12 and 14 follows the ridge 70 by contacting the slope 74 of the ridge 70 (embankment). The traveling guide 40 has rotating shafts 41a and 41b coaxial with the axles 22a and 22b of the wheels 12 and 14, and is provided radially with respect to the rotating shafts 41a and 41b so as to abut on the slope 74 of the ridge 70. has a plurality of contact portions 44 whose angles with respect to the rotation shafts 41a and 41b are changed. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, even when the inclination angle of the slope 74 of the ridge 70 changes, the contact portion 44 continues to contact the slope 74. The wheels 12 , 14 can continue to be guided so that the running direction of the wheels 12 , 14 is along the ridge 70 . Therefore, the traveling device 100 continues to travel on the ridge 70 stably. Further, since the traveling guide 40 has a configuration in which a plurality of contact portions 44 are provided radially with respect to the rotation shafts 41a and 41b coaxial with the axles 22a and 22b of the wheels 12 and 14, 1, the traveling apparatus 100 can be made smaller than the configuration in which the follow-up roller body is provided at the tip of the arm attached to the vehicle body.

Further, in the first embodiment and its modification, the contact portion 44 of the traveling guide 40 is biased toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70 . Thereby, the wheels 12 and 14 can be stably guided so that the wheels 12 and 14 run along the ridge 70. - 特許庁

In addition, in the first embodiment and its modification, the traveling guide 40 has a base portion 42, a plurality of contact portions 44, and a plurality of connection portions 46, as shown in FIGS. The base portion 42 is attached to the wheels 12 and 14 so as to be rotatable around the rotation shafts 41a and 41b, and one ends of the plurality of contact portions 44 are connected. The plurality of connection portions 46 connect one end of the contact portion 44 to the base portion 42 so that the angle of the contact portion 44 with respect to the base portion 42 is variable, and direct the contact portion 44 toward the wheels 12 and 14. energize. The contact portion 44 is urged toward the slope 74 by the urging force of the connecting portion 46 . As a result, the effect of stably guiding the wheels 12, 14 so that the wheels 12, 14 run along the ridge 70 can be obtained with a small number of types of parts and a simple configuration. Further, since each of the plurality of contact portions 44 is connected to the base portion 42 by a separate connection portion 46, even if the biasing force of one or two connection portions 46 among the plurality of connection portions 46 weakens, the wheel 12 , 14 along the ridge 70, the wheels 12, 14 can be stably guided.

In addition, in the first embodiment and its modification, the traveling guide 40 is attached to the wheels 12 and 14 via the bearings 76 . Therefore, the plurality of contact portions 44 of the traveling guide 40 rotate independently of the wheels 12 and 14 . As a result, the contact portion 44 rotates without being affected by the rotational speed of the wheels 12 and 14 , so that the contact portion 44 can rotate at a speed suitable for rotating the slope 74 . Therefore, the wheels 12 , 14 can be stably guided so that the wheels 12 , 14 run along the ridge 70 . The traveling guide 40 may rotate naturally as in the first embodiment and its modification, or may be rotationally driven by a drive unit such as a motor (not shown). The motor that rotates the traveling guide 40 may be a motor that rotates the wheels 12 and 14 or may be a motor that is different from the motor that rotates the wheels 12 and 14 . When the running guide 40 rotates naturally, it is difficult to apply an excessive load to the running guide 40, and damage to the running guide 40 can be suppressed. When the traveling guide 40 is rotationally driven by a motor or the like, the contact portion 44 is prevented from slipping and moving on the slope 74, and the wheels 12 and 14 can be stably guided. Moreover, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of collapse or the like in the ridge 70 .

In addition, in the modified example of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the contact portion 44 has a projecting portion 54 projecting toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70 . As a result, the contact portion 44 is prevented from slipping and moving on the slope 74, so that the wheels 12 and 14 can be stably guided. In addition, since the contact portion 44 is less likely to stick into the slope 74, it is possible to prevent the ridge 70 from collapsing or the like.

Further, in the first embodiment and its modification, the pair of wheels 12 and 14 are spaced apart according to the width of the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b). provided to be adjustable. As a result, even when the width of the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 changes, the pair of wheels 12 and 14 travel on the upper surface 72 with the distance adjusted corresponding to the change in the width of the upper surface 72 . That is, the traveling device 100 can travel stably on the ridge 70 even if the width of the upper surface 72 changes while traveling on the ridge 70 .

<<Second embodiment>>
FIG. 8(a) is a side view of the traveling guide 40a in the second embodiment, and FIG. 8(b) is a perspective view. In addition, in FIG. 8(a), the wheels 12 and 14 and the bearing 76 are illustrated by dotted lines. As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), in the second embodiment, the traveling guide 40a provided outside the wheels 12 and 14 includes a base portion 42, a plurality of contact portions 44, It includes a plurality of connecting portions 46a, a plate-like portion 48, and a plurality of urging portions 50. As shown in FIG. The base 42 is attached to the wheels 12 and 14 via the bearings 76 and is rotatable around the rotation shafts 41a and 41b, as in the first embodiment. The plurality of contact portions 44 are fixed to the base portion 42 via the connection portion 46a and radially provided around the rotation shafts 41a and 41b. The connection portion 46a is, for example, a hinge, and connects the contact portion 44 to the base portion 42 so that the angle of the contact portion 44 with respect to the base portion 42 is variable. Unlike the connecting portion 46 of the first embodiment, the connecting portion 46a does not have an urging portion. Therefore, the connection portion 46 a does not apply a biasing force to the contact portion 44 . The connection portion 46 a may have a biasing force and apply a biasing force to the contact portion 44 in the direction of the plate-like portion 48 . When the contact portion 44 is not in contact with the slope 74 of the ridge 70 and the contact portion 44 is biased toward the plate-like portion 48, the contact portion 44 contacts the plate-like portion 48. In this state, the angle is stabilized, and the contact part 44 is less likely to stick into the slope 74. - 特許庁

The plate-like portion 48 is, for example, a disk having an outer shape larger than that of the base portion 42 , and is arranged on the side opposite to the wheels 12 and 14 with the base portion 42 and the plurality of contact portions 44 interposed therebetween. The plate-like portion 48 has a through hole at its center, and is supported by inserting a support rod 55 into this through hole. One end of the support rod 55 is fixed to the base 42 . The plate-like portion 48 is slidable with respect to the support rod 55 and movably contacts the plurality of contact portions 44 .

The plurality of urging portions 50 are arranged, for example, between the base portion 42 and the plate portion 48 . One end of the biasing portion 50 is fixed to the base portion 42 and the other end is fixed to the plate-like portion 48 . A plurality of urging portions 50 are provided so as to surround the support rod 55, for example. The biasing portion 50 is an elastic member such as a tension spring or tension rubber, and is biased in a direction to draw the plate-like portion 48 toward the base portion 42 . 8(a) and 8(b), the plate-like portion 48 is drawn toward the base portion 42 by the biasing portion 50, so that the ends of the plurality of contact portions 44 opposite to the base portion 42 are widened. state. Since other configurations of the traveling device according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, illustration and description thereof are omitted.

FIGS. 9(a) to 9(d) are diagrams showing the effect of the running guide 40a in the second embodiment. FIG. 9(a) is a diagram showing a case where the traveling device travels on a ridge 70 having a prescribed shape, and FIG. 9(b) is a perspective view of the traveling guide 40a of FIG. 9(a). . FIG. 9(c) is a diagram showing a case where the traveling device travels on the ridge 70 where a part of the ridge 70 has collapsed and the inclination angle of the slope 74 with respect to the upper surface 72 has changed. (d) is a perspective view of the traveling guide 40a of FIG. 9(c).

As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the inclination angle of the slope 74 of the ridge 70 having the prescribed shape is relatively small. When the traveling device travels on such a ridge 70, the ends of the plurality of contact portions 44 opposite to the base portion 42 are pushed apart by the plate-like portions 48 pulled by the biasing portion 50. The plurality of contact portions 44 are inclined at an angle corresponding to the inclination angle of the slope 74 . Thereby, the contact surfaces 52 of the plurality of contact portions 44 contact the slope surface 74 of the ridge 70 . In addition, since the biasing portion 50 is biased in a direction to pull the plate-like portion 48 toward the base portion 42 , the plurality of contact portions 44 cause the plate-like portion 48 to move toward the base portion 42 by the biasing portion 50 . It is urged toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70 by the force drawn by the ridge.

As shown in FIGS. 9(c) and 9(d), the traveling device travels on the ridge 70 where a part of the ridge 70 has collapsed and the inclination angle of the slope surface 74 has increased. In this case, the plurality of contact portions 44 are pushed by the slope 74 to move the plate-like portion 48 away from the base portion 42 . As a result, the plurality of contact portions 44 that have been spread out by the plate-like portion 48 narrow so as to approach each other. Therefore, even when the inclination angle of the slope 74 of the ridge 70 increases, the contact surfaces 52 of the plurality of contact portions 44 continue to contact the slope 74 of the ridge 70 . Further, the plurality of abutment portions 44 continue to be urged toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70 by the force with which the plate-like portion 48 is drawn toward the base portion 42 by the urging portion 50 .

When the traveling device starts traveling on the ridge 70 having a slope 74 with a large inclination angle and again on the ridge 70 having a prescribed shape, the plate-like portion 48 is pushed toward the base portion 42 by the biasing portion 50 . Gravitate. As a result, the plurality of contact portions 44 are spread again by the plate-like portion 48 and continue to contact the slope 74 of the ridge 70 as shown in FIG. 9(a). Further, the plurality of abutment portions 44 continue to be urged toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70 by the force with which the plate-like portion 48 is drawn toward the base portion 42 by the urging portion 50 .

Although illustration is omitted, in the traveling device according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a gap adjusting mechanism 80 is provided between the pair of wheels 12 and between the pair of wheels 14. ing. Therefore, the distance between the pair of wheels 12 and 14 changes following the change in width of the upper surface 72 of the ridge 70 .

According to the second embodiment, the wheels 12 and 14 are brought into contact with the slope 74 of the ridge 70 outside the wheels 12 and 14 so that the running direction of the wheels 12 and 14 is along the ridge 70. A running guide 40a is provided. The traveling guide 40a has rotating shafts 41a and 41b coaxial with the axles 22a and 22b of the wheels 12 and 14, is provided radially with respect to the rotating shafts 41a and 41b, and contacts the slope 74 of the ridge 70. has a plurality of contact portions 44 whose angles with respect to the rotation shafts 41a and 41b are changed. As a result, as in the first embodiment, even if the inclination angle of the slope 74 of the ridge 70 changes, the contact portion 44 continues to contact the slope 74. The wheels 12 , 14 can continue to be guided along the ridge 70 . Therefore, the traveling device 100 continues to travel on the ridge 70 stably. In addition, since the traveling guide 40a has a configuration in which a plurality of contact portions 44 are provided radially with respect to the rotating shafts 41a and 41b coaxial with the axles 22a and 22b of the wheels 12 and 14, the traveling device can be made compact. can be

Further, in the second embodiment, the traveling guide 40 a has a base portion 42 , a plurality of contact portions 44 , a plate portion 48 and an urging portion 50 . The base portion 42 is attached to the wheels 12 and 14 so as to be rotatable around the rotation shafts 41a and 41b, and one ends of the plurality of contact portions 44 are connected. The plate-like portion 48 is disposed on the opposite side of the wheels 12 and 14 with the base portion 42 and the plurality of contact portions 44 interposed therebetween. there is The angles of the plurality of contact portions 44 with respect to the base portion 42 change as the positions of the plate-like portions 48 move. The biasing portion 50 biases the plate-like portion 48 toward the base portion 42 . The plurality of contact portions 44 are biased toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70 by the force of the biasing portion 50 biasing the plate-like portion 48 toward the base portion 42 . By urging the abutting portion 44 toward the slope 74 in this manner, the wheels 12 and 14 move along the ridge 70 as in the first embodiment. can be stably induced. In addition, in the second embodiment, since the angles of the plurality of contact portions 44 with respect to the rotating shafts 41 a and 41 b are collectively changed by the plate-like portion 48 , all of the plurality of contact portions 44 are aligned with the ridge 70 . The angle changes to correspond to the inclination angle of the slope 74 , and the plurality of contact portions 44 can be stably kept in contact with the slope 74 .

In the second embodiment, the plate-like portion 48 is arranged on the side opposite to the wheels 12 and 14 with the base portion 42 and the plurality of contact portions 44 interposed therebetween, and the other end of the plurality of contact portions 44 is It corresponds to a deployment portion that applies force to the plurality of contact portions 44 so as to spread them. It should be noted that any configuration other than that of the second embodiment may be used as the deployment portion as long as it can apply force to the plurality of contact portions 44 so as to spread the other ends of the plurality of contact portions 44. may be adopted.

[Modification]
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a running guide 40a in a modified example of the second embodiment. 10, the wheels 12, 14, the bearings 76, and the ridge 70 are illustrated with dotted lines. As shown in FIG. 10, the modified example of the second embodiment includes an actuator 92 that abuts on the plate-like portion 48 and adjusts the drawing force of the biasing portion 50, and the drawing force of the plate-like portion 48 by the biasing portion 50. and a tension control unit 90 that controls by an actuator 92 . Each of the contact portions 44 is provided with a sensor 94 (for example, a load sensor) that detects the surface pressure that the contact portion 44 receives from the slope 74 of the ridge 70 . Actuator 92 and sensor 94 are electrically connected to tension controller 90 . The tension control unit 90 is configured using, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and controls the actuator 92 according to the detection result detected by the sensor 94. do. For example, the tension controller 90 controls the actuator 92 so that the surface pressure detected by the sensor 94 maintains a predetermined surface pressure. Since other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

In the modification of the second embodiment, the tension controller 90 controls the actuator 92 according to the detection result of the sensor 94, so that the contact portion 44 is directed toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70. In order to control the urged force, the abutment 44 can be urged toward the slope 74 of the ridge 70 with an appropriate force, and the wheels 12, 14 can be stably guided.

In addition, in the second embodiment and its modification, as in the modification of the first embodiment, protrusions 54 may be provided on the contact surfaces 52 of the plurality of contact portions 44. .

In the second embodiment and its modification, the travel guide 40a is not limited to being provided outside both the wheels 12 and 14, and is provided only outside one of the wheels 12 and 14. It is acceptable if

In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof, the wheels 12 and 14 are rotationally driven by power from the motor 20, and the cutting blade portion 30 is rotationally driven by power from a motor (not shown). However, the wheels 12, 14 and/or the cutting blade 30 may be rotationally driven by power from the motor.

In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof, if it is possible to change the angle of the plurality of contact portions 44 until they are substantially parallel to the axles 22a and 22b, for example, before and after traveling on the ridge 70, It is also possible to travel on flat ground or on slopes.

In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof, the case where the traveling device automatically travels on the ridge to mow the grass has been exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the traveling device may automatically travel on a ridge to carry out transportation work, or may be used to spray chemicals and/or fertilizers in a field. Further, the traveling device is not limited to the case of automatically traveling on the ridge, but may be the case of automatically traveling on the ridge or the case of automatically traveling on other embankments. When the traveling device automatically travels on the ridge, the traveling device may perform tasks such as harvesting, planting seedlings, and/or seeding. When the traveling device performs harvesting, the working section for harvesting is preferably provided in front of the vehicle body. is preferably provided in Further, the travel device is not limited to automatic travel, and may be traveled by an operator.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the scope of claims. Change is possible.

10 Main Body 12, 14 Wheel 18 Battery 20 Motor 22a, 22b Axle 30 Cutting Blade 32 Cutting Blade 34 Rotating Shaft 36 Rotating Plate 40, 40a Travel Guide 41a, 41b Rotating Axis 42 Base 44 Abutting Part 46 Connecting Part 48 Plate-like Part (Development part)
50 urging portion 52 contact surface 54 projection 55 support rod 62 urging portion 70 ridge 72 upper surface 74 slope 76 bearing 80 interval adjustment mechanism 82 elastic member 84 hollow member 86 solid body 90 tension control section 92 actuator 94 sensor 100 travel device

Claims (11)

a main body that advances on an embankment section on which soil is piled;
At least a pair of wheels provided on the left and right sides of the main body and running on the upper surface of the embankment by power from a driving unit;
A travel guide provided outside each of the pair of wheels, and guiding the pair of wheels so that the pair of wheels travel along the embankment in contact with the slope of the embankment,
The traveling guide has a rotating shaft coaxial with the axle of the pair of wheels, is provided radially with respect to the rotating shaft, and changes the angle with respect to the rotating shaft so as to contact the slope of the embankment. A traveling device comprising a plurality of contact portions. The travel device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact portions are biased toward the slope of the embankment portion. The travel guide is attached to the pair of wheels so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft, and has a base to which one ends of the plurality of contact portions are connected, and an angle of the plurality of contact portions with respect to the base is variable. a plurality of connection portions that connect the one end of the plurality of contact portions and the base portion so as to bias the plurality of contact portions toward the pair of wheels,
The traveling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of contact portions are biased toward the slope of the embankment portion by biasing force of the connection portion. The travel guide is attached to the pair of wheels so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft, and includes a base to which one ends of the plurality of contact portions are connected, and the base and the plurality of contact portions. a deployment portion disposed on the opposite side of the pair of wheels and applying force to the plurality of contact portions so as to spread the other ends of the plurality of contact portions;
The travel device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of contact portions are biased against the slope of the embankment portion by the unfolding portion. The travel guide is attached to the pair of wheels so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft, and includes a base to which one ends of the plurality of contact portions are connected, and the base and the plurality of contact portions. a plate-shaped portion disposed on the opposite side of the pair of wheels, having an outer shape larger than that of the base portion, and movably contacting the plurality of contact portions to change the angle of the plurality of contact portions with respect to the base portion; , and a biasing portion that biases the plate-like portion toward the base,
3. The plurality of contact portions according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plate-shaped portion is biased toward the slope of the embankment portion by a force of the biasing portion biasing the plate portion toward the base portion. running gear. a sensor that detects a force that the plurality of contact portions receive from the slope of the embankment;
an actuator that adjusts the pulling force of the biasing unit;
6. The travel apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a tension control section that controls the pulling force of the biasing section by the actuator according to the detection result detected by the sensor. The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality of contact portions have protrusions that protrude toward the slope of the embankment portion. The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the plurality of contact portions rotate independently of the pair of wheels. The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pair of wheels are provided so that the spacing between them can be adjusted according to the width of the upper surface of the embankment. The traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the embankment portion is a ridge or a ridge. The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the main body includes a mowing unit on at least one of the front and rear sides in the traveling direction.

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