JP3245184U - mobile object - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a moving body that can realize various operations. A moving body M includes a main body part 1 and a main body support part 2 that supports the main body part 1 during movement. The main body support parts 2 are arranged on the left and right sides so that the main body part 1 is sandwiched between the left rim part 2L and the left rim part 2L. and a right side rim portion that is removably connected. Each of the left and right rim parts extends in the front-rear direction DL and has a bent shape convex upward in side view, and includes a rim main body part 21 having a front hip joint part HJf and a rear hip joint part HJr; 21, a front leg 22f is connected to the rim body 21 via the front hip joint HJf and has a front wheel 23f, and a rear leg 22f is connected to the rim body 21 via the rear hip joint HJr and has a rear wheel 23r. 22r. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a moving body.

Patent Document 1 discloses a moving body that includes a raised part on which a passenger can ride, and a pair of arms or rim parts that are arranged on the left and right sides of the raised part and are formed in an arched shape as a whole. There is.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-234137

The moving body disclosed in the above-mentioned document 1 is arranged with an arm portion convex upward, and is able to travel by touching the ground with wheels provided at both front and rear ends of the arm portion. The raised part is connected to the left and right arm parts so as to be able to revolve around each other via a member that serves as a link, and the movable body is connected to the left and right arm parts at three or four points using the auxiliary wheels provided on the bottom of the raised part and the front and rear wheels. By appropriately forming a fulcrum, the raised part is caused to revolve around the connecting axis between the arm part and the link while maintaining balance. This allows the mobile object to climb over steps such as stairs using crutches.

However, although it has a simple configuration, there are restrictions on the movement of the arm, and when climbing over a step, it supports the entire moving body using the front and rear wheels as fulcrums, while also supporting the movement in a circle or circle around the connecting shaft. A movement of lifting the upright portion occurs along an arcuate trajectory. As a result, the trajectory of the raised section is accompanied by back-and-forth and up-and-down sway, and there is still room for improvement in ride comfort, as well as the inconvenience of limited usage.

In view of these circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a moving body that is capable of realizing more diverse operations and can be applied to a variety of uses.

In order to solve the above problems, a moving body according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body and a main body support that supports the main body on the ground or a floor surface during movement, and the main body support are arranged on the left and right sides so as to sandwich the main body between the first rim part and the first rim part, and are mutually swingable about an axis extending in the left-right direction with respect to the first rim part. a connected second rim part, each of the first rim part and the second rim part extending in the front-rear direction and convex upward in a side view when the moving body is viewed from one of the left and right sides. a rim main body portion having a bent shape and having a first hip joint portion formed at one end side in the front-rear direction and a second hip joint portion formed at the other end side; A first leg part that is connected to be able to be internally and externally rotated through a first hip joint part, and the height position of the first hip joint part can be changed, and a first leg part that is connected to the rim body part through the second hip joint part and a second leg portion connected to the hip joint so as to be able to be rotated inwardly and outwardly, and the height position of the second hip joint portion can be changed.

According to one form of the present invention, the movable body controls the movement of the first and second legs including internal rotation and external rotation at the first and second hip joints, and the axis that connects the first and second limbs. (that is, an axis extending in the left-right direction), the main body support part can be deformed into various postures by relative rocking displacement of the first and second rim parts about the axis extending in the left-right direction. Thereby, the mobile body can realize more diverse operations and can be applied to various uses.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a moving body according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which shows the same moving body as the above in the state which removed the left rim part. It is a side view of the main body support part with which the mobile body same as the above is equipped. It is a back view of the main body support part same as the above. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the rim main body (swing displacement of the left rim part and the right rim part about the waist link axis). FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the motion of the legs (adduction and abduction of the hip joint, flexion and extension of the knee joint, and rotation of the leg). It is an explanatory view showing operation of a main part (swinging with respect to a main part support part). FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control section. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the control which a control part performs at the time of movement. It is an explanatory view showing the posture (first getting on and off posture) which the main body support part can realize. It is an explanatory view showing the posture (second getting on and off posture) which the main body support part can realize. It is an explanatory view showing an example of the posture which a mobile object can take when climbing up a step.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are side views showing a moving body M according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from the left side (right side when viewed from the front) with respect to the traveling direction. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the left rim portion 2L is attached, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the left rim portion 2L is removed.

1 and 2 show the front-back direction DL, the left-right direction DW, and the up-down direction DH of the moving body M, and the left-right direction in the plane of the paper is taken as the front-back direction DL of the moving body M. The longitudinal direction DL coincides with the moving direction of the moving body 1 when moving straight, and the left-right direction DW and the up-down direction DH of the moving body M are both perpendicular to the longitudinal direction DL. When the moving body M stands on a horizontal ground or floor surface, the front-rear direction DL and the left-right direction DW are defined in the horizontal direction, and the up-down direction DH is defined in the vertical direction.

The mobile object (hereinafter referred to as "multipurpose mobility" or simply "mobility") M according to this embodiment is used for transporting or moving people (hereinafter referred to as "occupants"). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the main body 1 of the mobility M can be replaced and used for transporting cargo other than people.

Mobility M includes a main body part 1 and a main body support part 2.

The main body part 1 has a standing part 11 on which a passenger can board. The upright section 11 includes a seat 11a on which an occupant sits during movement, and the direction in which the occupant sitting on the seat 11a faces forward, that is, the left side in the plane of FIG. 1, is the front in the forward direction. In this embodiment, the seating area 11 is a so-called saddle-type seating area on which an occupant can sit in a straddling position.

In addition to the raised part 11 , the main body part 1 includes an operating part 12 and a detection part 13 , as well as a footrest 15 .

In the present embodiment, the operating section 12 is a handle-type operating section, and the occupant can increase or decrease the moving speed of the mobility M via the operating section 12 when moving by the wheels 23f and 23r (that is, when traveling). ), a braking force is generated via the wheels 23f and 23r as necessary.

The detection unit 13 includes a camera 131 and an acceleration sensor 132.

The camera 131 is a camera for forward monitoring, and is installed in the main body 1 at a position where the route in front of the mobility M can be included in the field of view. The camera 131 analyzes the captured image and detects information regarding the shape of the route, such as the width of the route, slope, level difference, and ups and downs (hereinafter referred to as "route information").

The acceleration sensor 132 is a six-axis inertial sensor (IMU) and detects translational acceleration along three mutually orthogonal axes and angular velocity around each of these three axes. The acceleration sensor 132 detects the longitudinal acceleration αL, the lateral acceleration αW, the vertical acceleration αH, the pitching angular velocity θp, the yawing angular velocity θy, and the rolling angular velocity θr of the moving body M based on these translational accelerations and angular velocities.

The footrest 15 is disposed below the upright portion 11, specifically, the seat 11a, and supports the feet of the occupant seated on the seat 11a when the mobility M moves. Here, for a human occupant, the term "foot" refers to the part of the occupant from the ankle to the toe, and is distinguished from the "leg," which is a body part extending downward from the torso or waist. Therefore, the footrest 15 can be said to support the occupant's legs with the feet or soles placed thereon.

In this embodiment, the footrest 15 includes a footrest 151 that forms a placing surface on which the occupant's feet are placed, and a footrest 151 that extends upward from the footrest 151 and connects to the raised part 11. A foot support support part 152 is provided. The foot rest part 151 and the foot rest support part 152 are both plate-shaped and are connected to each other in a T-shape when viewed from the rear as shown in FIG. 4 . That is, the footrest 15 has a T-shape as a whole when the mobility M is viewed from the rear. With respect to such a footrest 15, the occupant places his or her right leg or right foot on the right side of the footrest support section 152 and the left leg or left foot on the left side of the footrest support section 152 with respect to the forward direction of the mobility M. Place your feet on the. The strength and weight of the footrest 15 are optimized by forming a cutout that penetrates each of the footrest 151 and the footrest support 152 in the thickness direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the footrest 15 is connected to the upright portion 11 so as to be movable in a rotational direction about an axis A6. Specifically, a shaft portion extending in the thickness direction is provided on each side of the front and back sides of the footrest support portion 152, and this shaft portion is provided in a bearing portion (not shown) provided concentrically with the shaft A6 in the raised portion 11. The shaft is rotatably attached. In this embodiment, the axis A6 is an axis parallel to the waist link axis A1 and is provided separately from the waist link axis A1. The footrest 15 can also be configured to be rotatable around the waist link axis A1 instead of the axis A6.

As shown in FIG. 7, the footrest 15 is movable between a first position P1 and a second position P2 in a rotational direction about an axis A6. The first position P1 is the position when the footrest 15 is displaced most forward in the forward direction of the mobility M, and the second position P2 is the position when the footrest 15 is displaced most backward.

The height of the footrest 15 relative to the seat 11a can be changed by displacement in the rotational direction about the axis A6. FIG. 7 shows the displacement angle θfr of the footrest 15 between the first position P1 and the second position P2. are shown respectively. The footrest 15' at the second position P2 has a higher relative height to the seat 11a than the footrest 15 at the first position P1, and is located relatively closer to the seat 11a.

As described later, the footrest 15 is set to the first position P1 when the mobility M is in the basic posture (FIG. 1) and the first getting on/off posture (FIG. 10), and when it is in the second getting on/off posture (FIG. 11). is set to the second position P2. When the footrest 15 is in the first position P1, the footrest 151 extends in parallel with the rim body 21, and a straight line connects the joint axis A2f of the front hip joint HJf and the joint axis A2r of the rear hip joint HJr. located parallel to On the other hand, in the second position P2, the foot rests 151 are inclined with respect to this straight line, and their rearward extension lines intersect with each other.

The main body 1 further includes a control section (not shown) and a power supply section such as a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

The control unit is composed of a microcomputer equipped with a central processing unit (CPU) and various storage devices such as ROM and RAM, and receives operation instruction signals input by the occupant via the operation unit 12 and receives signals from the detection unit 13. Detection signals from the camera 131 and the acceleration sensor 132 are received. The control section executes a predetermined calculation based on the operation instruction signal and the detection signal, and outputs the resultant drive command signal to various actuators provided in the movable section of the main body support section 2.

Here, the mobility M is provided with a power supply unit in the main body 1, so that when the main body 1 is attached, power is supplied and the mobility M becomes operable. When a secondary battery is used in the power supply section, the secondary battery can be charged by connecting it to an external power source while attached to the main body 1 or removed from the main body 1, or when the secondary battery is connected to the main body 1. It is possible to remove it from the battery and replace it with another charged secondary battery.

In this embodiment, the main body 1 can be replaced depending on the purpose. For example, instead of the straddle-type seating area 11, the main body 1 may include a chair-shaped seating area where the occupant can sit with his or her knees together, or a standing seating area where the occupant can ride while standing. It is possible to replace the main body with a main body. In addition to the above, the main body 1 can also be replaced with a main body that includes a loading platform on which luggage can be placed during transportation, or a main body that includes a stretcher that can transport a sick or injured person in a lying state. Like the main body section 1, each of these main body sections includes an operation section, a detection section, a control section, and a power supply section.

The main body support part 2 has front and rear leg parts 22f and 22r forming four limbs. The main body support part 2 stands by itself on the ground or floor surface by these legs 22f and 22r, and the main body part 1 is attached to support the main body part 1 on the ground or floor surface.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body support part 2 includes a rim part (hereinafter referred to as "left rim part") 2L located on the left side with respect to the forward direction of the mobility M, and a rim part (hereinafter referred to as "left rim part") located on the right side. (referred to as "right side rim part") 2R. The left rim part 2L and the right rim part 2R are arranged on the left and right sides of the main body part 1 so as to sandwich the main part 1 therebetween, and are aligned with each other around an axis A1 (hereinafter referred to as "waist link axis") extending in the left-right direction DW. Connected so that they can swing. Regarding this embodiment, the left rim part 2L corresponds to a "first rim part" and the right rim part 2R corresponds to a "second rim part".

3 is a side view showing the main body support part 2 as seen from the left side of the mobility M, and FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the main body support part 2 as seen from the rear of the mobility M. For reference, FIG. 4 schematically shows the main body portion 1 using a chain double-dashed line.

The main body part 1 has a shaft part 14 extending from the upright part 11 to the left and right sides (FIGS. 2 and 4). On the other hand, the left rim portion 2L and the right rim portion 2R each have a mounting portion 211 to which the shaft portion 14 can be attached. As shown in FIG. 4, by attaching the shaft portion 14 to the attachment portion 211, the main body portion 1 is supported by the left rim portion 2L and the right rim portion 2R.

FIG. 5 is an explanation showing the relative rocking motion between the left rim portion 2L and the right rim portion 2R. As shown in FIG. 5, the left rim portion 2L and the right rim portion 2R are swingable relative to each other about the waist link axis A1. Due to this rocking motion, the left rim portion 2L and the right rim portion 2R form an angle formed by the respective rim body portions 21, 21 in side view, specifically, the front and rear hip joint portions HJf of the left rim portion 2L, The angle formed by the straight line (hereinafter referred to as "rim body extension line") VL1 connecting the joint axes A2f and A2r of HJr and the rim body extension line VL1 of the right rim portion 2R in side view changes.

The left rim portion 2L and the right rim portion 2R have a configuration that is plane symmetrical to each other with respect to a plane perpendicular to the waist link axis A1. Therefore, the configurations of the left and right rim portions 2L and 2R will be explained using the left rim portion 2L as a representative. That is, the following description regarding the left rim portion 2L can be used as a description of the right rim portion 2R.

The left rim portion 2L includes a rim body portion 21, a front leg portion 22f, and a rear leg portion 22r.

The rim body portion 21 extends in the front-rear direction DL in the normal posture shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "basic posture"), and has a bent shape that is convex upward in a side view. In this embodiment, the rim main body portion 21 has a bent shape as a whole and has a bent portion near the center in the front-rear direction DL. The waist link axis A1 is disposed at this bent portion, deviates from the rim body extension line VL1, and is located above the rim body extension line VL1 in the basic posture. The rim body portion 21 includes a front beam portion 21f that extends forward with the waist link axis A1 as a boundary, and a rear beam portion 21r that extends rearward and is longer than the front beam portion 21f in the front-rear direction DL. That is, the longitudinal dimension Lf of the front beam-shaped portion 21f and the longitudinal dimension Lr of the rear beam-shaped portion 21r have the following relationship.
Lf<Lr…(1)

The rim body 21 has a front hip joint HJf at the tip of the front beam 21f (that is, the front end of the rim body 21), and a front hip joint HJf at the tip of the rear beam 21r (that is, the front end of the rim body 21). It has a rear hip joint HJr at its rear end (rear end). In other words, the rim main body portion 21 forms a link that connects the front and rear hip joint portions HJf and HJr. The front hip joint HJf and the rear hip joint HJr have hip joint axes A2f and A2r, respectively, extending in the left-right direction DW. In this embodiment, the joint axis A2f of the front hip joint HJf (hereinafter referred to as the "front hip joint axis") and the joint axis A2r of the rear hip joint HJr (hereinafter referred to as the "posterior hip joint axis") are connected to the lumbar link axis A1. parallel to the

The front leg portion 22f is connected to the rim body portion 21 via the front hip joint portion HJf, and is capable of internal rotation and external rotation relative to the rim body portion 21 about the front hip joint axis A2f. Here, the rotation in the direction in which the angle made by the straight line VL2f connecting the front hip joint axis A2f and the front knee joint axis A3f (hereinafter referred to as the "front leg upper thigh extension line") with respect to the rim body extension line VL1, which will be described later, narrows is "internal rotation". The rotation in the direction in which this spreads out is called "abduction." The front leg 22f corresponds to the "first leg" according to this embodiment.

The rear leg portion 22r is connected to the rim body portion 21 via the rear hip joint portion HJr, and is capable of internal rotation and external rotation relative to the rim body portion 21 about the rear hip joint axis A2r. Similar to the front leg portion 22f, the angle that the straight line VL2r (hereinafter referred to as "rear leg upper thigh extension line") connecting the rear hip joint axis A2r and the rear knee joint axis A3r makes with the rim body extension line VL1 is narrowed. Rotation in this direction is called "adduction," and conversely, rotation in the direction in which this spreads out is called "abduction." However, the adduction and abduction of the rear leg 22r are rotations in the opposite direction to that of the front leg 22f. be. The rear leg portion 22r corresponds to the "second leg" according to the present embodiment.

The front leg section 22f includes a front leg upper leg section 221f extending from the front hip joint section HJf, and a front leg lower leg section 222f connected to the front leg upper leg section 221f via the front knee joint section KJf so as to be able to bend and extend. Equipped with. Here, the straight line VL3f (hereinafter referred to as the "front leg lower leg extension axis") connecting the joint axis A3f of the front knee joint part KJf (hereinafter referred to as the "front knee joint axis") and the front wheel axis A4f described later is the front leg upper leg extension line. Rotation in the direction in which the angle made with respect to VL2f narrows is called "bending," and conversely, rotation in the direction in which it widens is called "extension." The front knee joint axis A3f extends in the left-right direction DW in the basic posture, and is parallel to the lumbar link axis A1 and the front hip joint axis A2f. A front wheel 23f is attached to the tip of the front leg crus 222f, and the front wheel 23f forms a grounding point for the front leg 22f of the mobility M during movement. The front leg upper leg section 221f and the front leg lower leg section 222f correspond to the "first upper leg" and "first lower leg" according to the present embodiment, respectively, and the front wheel 23f corresponds to the "first lower leg" according to the present embodiment. Equivalent to "wheel".

The rear leg section 22r includes a rear leg upper leg section 221r extending from the rear hip joint section HJr, and a rear lower leg section connected to the rear leg upper leg section 221r via the rear knee joint section KJr so as to be able to bend and extend. A thigh portion 222r is provided. Similar to the front leg 22f, a straight line connecting the joint axis A3r of the rear knee joint KJr (hereinafter referred to as the "rear knee joint axis") and the rear wheel axis A4r described later (hereinafter referred to as the "rear leg lower leg extension line") The rotation in the direction in which the angle that VL3r makes with respect to the hind leg upper thigh extension axis VL2r narrows is called "flexion," and conversely the rotation in the direction in which it widens is called "extension." The rear knee joint axis A3r extends in the left-right direction DW in the basic posture, and is parallel to the lumbar link axis A1 and the rear hip joint axis A2r. A rear wheel 23r is attached to the tip of the rear leg crus 222r, and the rear wheel 23r forms a grounding point for the rear leg 22r of the mobility M during movement. The rear leg upper leg 221r and the rear leg lower leg 222r correspond to the "second upper leg" and the "second lower leg" according to the present embodiment, respectively, and the rear wheel 23r corresponds to the "second lower leg" according to the present embodiment. This corresponds to the second wheel.

Mobility M is the vertical dimension from the central axis of the front wheel 23f (the wheel axis of the front wheel 23f, hereinafter referred to as "front wheel axis") A4f to the front hip joint axis A2f due to the movements of the front hip joint HJf and the front knee joint KJf. In other words, it is possible to change the height position Hf of the front hip joint HJf with respect to the grounding point of the front wheel 23f. On the other hand, the mobility M is caused by the movement of the rear hip joint HJr and the rear knee joint KJr, from the center axis of the rear wheel 23r (the wheel axis of the rear wheel 23r, hereinafter referred to as "rear wheel axis") A4r to the rear side. The vertical dimension up to the hip joint axis A2r can be changed, in other words, the height position Hr of the rear hip joint HJr relative to the grounding point of the rear wheel 23r can be changed. In this embodiment, the height position of the front hip joint axis A2f is taken as the height position Hf of the front hip joint part HJf, and the height position of the rear hip joint axis A2r is taken as the height position Hr of the rear hip joint part HJr.

In this embodiment, the front leg crus 222f and the rear leg crus 222r each have a non-linear shape, and have lower leg bending parts formed to deviate from the lower leg extension lines VL3f and VL3r. The front leg crus 222f and the rear leg crus 222r have a generally C-shape as a whole, with the knee joint KJf and the wheels 23f, 23r connected through the crus flexure. The front leg lower leg portion 222f and the rear leg lower leg portion 222r may have a shape other than a C-shape, for example, an L-shape. The direction in which the lower leg flexion part deviates from the lower leg extension lines VL3f and VL3r is upward in the basic posture of the mobility M or outward in the front-rear direction DL, specifically, for the front leg 22f, it is forward in the forward direction and backward. The side legs 22r are at the rear.

In addition to the above, the mobility M includes movable parts 24f and 24r for rotational movement of the front and rear leg parts 22f and 22r, respectively. Specifically, the mobility M includes a front leg rotation part 24f for rotation of the front leg 22f, and a rear leg rotation part 24r for rotation of the rear leg 22r. The front leg rotation part 24f gives the front leg 22f a rotational movement about the front leg rotation axis A5f perpendicular to the front knee joint axis A3f, and the rear leg rotation part 24r A rotational movement is applied to the portion 22f around the rear leg rotational axis A5r that intersects perpendicularly to the rear knee joint axis A3r. The front leg rotation part 24f corresponds to a "first leg rotation part" according to this embodiment, and the rear leg rotation part 24r corresponds to a "second leg rotation part" according to this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing internal and external rotation movements of the hip joints HJf and HJr, flexion and extension movements of the knee joints KJf and KJr, and rotational movements of the legs 22f and 22r.

The front leg portion 22f of the left rim portion 2L will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The front leg portion 22f can be internally and externally rotated about its joint axis A2f by the front hip joint HJf. In the front leg portion 22f, due to this movement, the angle that the front leg upper thigh extension line VL2f makes with the rim body extension line VL1 changes. If we look at this for the entire front leg 22f, the angle that the front leg 22f makes with the rim body 21, specifically, the straight line connecting the front hip joint axis A2f and the front wheel axis A4f is the rim body extension line VL1. The angle made with respect to the object changes.

The front leg 22f can be bent and extended about the joint axis A3f by the front knee joint KJf. Due to this movement, the front leg portion 22f changes the angle that the front leg lower leg portion 222f makes with the front leg upper leg portion 221f, specifically, the angle that the front leg lower leg extension line VL3f makes with the front leg upper leg extension line VL2f. changes.

The front leg portion 22f is capable of rotation, specifically internal and external rotation, about its rotation axis A5f by the front leg rotation portion 24f. In the basic posture shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, rotation in a direction that brings the crus flexion of the front leg lower leg 222f closer to the center of the main body support section 2 in the left-right direction DW is called internal rotation. Rotation in the direction away from the body is called external rotation. In other words, the internal rotation of the front leg 22f causes the front wheel 23f to move toward the center of the main body support portion 2, and the external rotation causes the front wheel 23f to move away from the center. Due to this movement, the front leg 22f changes the direction of the front lower leg 222f with respect to the rim body 21f, in other words, the front knee joint axis A3f changes with respect to the front hip joint axis A2f in a plan view of the mobility M from above. The angle formed changes. By rotating the front leg 22f, the traveling direction of the mobility M can be changed both when moving by the front leg 22f and when traveling by the front wheels 23f. In other words, the steering of the mobility M during running using the wheels 23f and 23r is based on the operation of the front leg rotation section 24f. Similarly, the rear leg portion 22r includes a rear leg rotation portion 24r, and can rotate internally and externally around its rotation axis A5f.

In this embodiment, the front leg rotation part 24f is arranged adjacent to the front knee joint KJf, so that the direction of the front lower leg part 222f can be changed. It may be placed at a position closer to the front hip joint HJf than the front knee joint KJf. This makes it possible to rotate a portion of the front leg portion 22f that is closer to the entirety with respect to the rim body portion 21, and through cooperation between the front hip joint portion HJf and the front leg rotation portion 24f, it is possible to realize a motion that is closer to the actual hip joint. becomes.

Furthermore, the front leg rotation part 24f and the front knee joint part KJf are arranged in reverse order, with the front knee joint part KJf on the upper side, that is, on one side closer to the front hip joint part HJf, and the front leg rotation part 24f on the lower side. It is also possible to arrange it on the other side, that is, on the other side closer to the front wheel 23f.

The above description of the front leg 22f of the left rim 2L also applies to the rear leg 22r of the left rim 2L, and the front and rear legs 22f, 22r of the right rim 2R.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the rocking movement of the main body part 1 with respect to the main body support part 2.

In addition to the degrees of freedom set for the main body support part 2, the mobility M has an additional degree of freedom set for the main body part 1. Specifically, the main body portion 1 is swingable around the central axis of the shaft portion 14 with respect to the main body support portion 2 . In other words, the main body 1 can be tilted forward or backward with respect to the horizontal position. In the present embodiment, the shaft portion 14 is disposed concentrically with the waist link axis A1 of the main body support portion 2, and its central axis coincides with the waist link axis A1. It is in a state where it can swing around the link axis A1. In other words, the center axis when the main body part 1 swings relative to the main body support part 2 matches the center axis when the left rim part 2L and the right rim part 2R swing relative to each other. .

In this way, the mobility M according to the present embodiment has a total of 14 degrees of freedom as the degrees of freedom of the movable parts related to changes in its posture. However, this is a freedom when the rocking motion of the main body part 1 with respect to the main body support part 2 and the relative rocking motion between the left rim part 2L and the right rim part 2R are conceptually different movements. It is the number of degrees. Here, the arrangement of the actuators ACT (ACT1 to ACT3, ACT5) that provide these 14 degrees of freedom will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. 3 and 4 schematically show the position of the actuator ACT by hatching the two-dot chain frame. In this embodiment, the actuators ACT are both realized by electric motors.

The mobility M includes fourteen drive motors ACT1 to ACT3 and ACT5 as the actuators ACT in each of the first rim part 2L and the second rim part 2R.

The first drive motor ACT1 is built into the casings of the left and right rim body parts 21 in which mounting parts 211 for attaching the shaft part 14 are provided, and drives the swinging motion of the rim body part 21 about the waist link axis A1. Give. The first drive motor ACT1 provided on the left rim portion 2L and the first drive motor ACT1 provided on the right rim portion 2R cooperate to realize relative rocking motion between the left rim portion 2L and the right rim portion 2R. At the same time, it is possible to realize a rocking motion of the main body part 1 with respect to the main body support part 2.

The second drive motors ACT2f, ACT2r are built into the casing of the rim body 21 at the front end of the rim body 21 to which the front and rear hip joints HJf, HJr are attached, and drive the front and rear hip joint axes A2f, A2r, respectively. Provides internal and external rotation movements of the legs 22f and 22r.

The third drive motors ACT3f, ACT3r are built into the housings of the front and rear knee joints KJf, KJr, and provide bending and extension movements of the front and rear legs 22f, 22r, respectively, about the knee joint axes A3f, A3r. .

The fifth drive motors ACT5f and ACT5r are built into the housings of the front and rear leg rotation parts 24f and 24r, and drive the internal and external rotation movements of the front and rear legs 22f and 22r, respectively, about the leg rotation axes A5f and A5r. Give.

The above seven electric motors (14 in total if the electric motors provided on the left and right rim parts 2L and 2R are counted separately) are equipped with reduction gears and drive the respective movable parts when the posture of the mobility M changes. At the same time, it is possible to form a holding torque that maintains the position of the movable part after changing the posture, that is, the rotation angle of the electric motor after the change. In addition to or in place of the torque formation, a locking mechanism may be provided on the movable part, and the position of the movable part depending on the posture of the mobility M may be maintained by this locking mechanism.

In addition to the above, the mobility M includes fourth electric motors ACT4f, ACT4r, and a sixth electric motor ACT6. The fourth electric motors ACT4f and ACT4r rotationally drive the traveling wheels (front wheels 23f and 23r), and generate a regenerative braking force in the wheels. The sixth electric motor ACT6 is provided in the main body 1 and transmits rotational power to the footrest 15. A reduction gear train is interposed between the sixth electric motor ACT6 and the footrest 15, and the rotational power generated by the sixth electric motor ACT6 can be transmitted to the footrest 15 at an appropriate reduction ratio via this gear train. be.

Specific examples of postures that can be realized by the mobility M will be described below.

In addition to the basic postures shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the mobility M can realize a first riding posture shown in FIG. 10 and a second riding posture shown in FIG. 11.

The basic attitude is suitable as an attitude that the mobility M takes when moving or waiting before running, and is also suitable as an attitude that the mobility M takes when traveling by the wheels 23f and 23r. In the basic posture, the left rim portion 2L and the right rim portion 2r are in a state of plane symmetry. In other words, there is no relative rocking displacement between the left rim part 2L and the right rim part 2R, and the left rim part 2L and the right rim part 2R are at the same position in the rotational direction around the waist link axis A1. be. The waist link axis A1, the front and rear hip joints HJf and HJr joint axes A2f and A2r, the front and rear knee joints KJf and KJr joint axes A3f and A3r, and the wheel axes A4f and A4r of the front wheel 23f and rear wheel 23r are as follows: They are parallel to each other, parallel to the ground or floor surface on which the wheels 23f and 23r are installed, and perpendicular to the forward direction of the mobility M.

In the front and rear legs 22f, 22r, the rotation angles of the hip joints HJf, HJr are set so that the upper thighs 221f, 221r incline inward and approach the rim body 1, and furthermore, the front and rear wheels 23f, The rotation angles of the knee joints KJf, KJr are set so that the knee joints 23r are located further outward than the knee joints KJf, KJr. Here, the front wheel axis A4f is located forward of the extension line of the front leg rotation axis A5f, and the rear wheel axis A4r is located rearward of the extension line of the rear leg rotation axis A5r.

With this setting, in the basic position, the seat 11a provided in the main body 1 is set at a height suitable for the moving occupant. This height is higher than the height of any seat 11a in the first getting on/off position and the second getting on/off position, which will be described later. The distance between the front wheel 23f and the rear wheel 23r in the basic posture, that is, the wheelbase of the mobility M, is set to a predetermined first distance, and the first distance is the longitudinal direction between the front hip joint axis A2f and the rear hip joint axis A2r. For example, it is 1100 millimeters.

On the other hand, the first getting on/off posture shown in FIG. 10 is suitable as a posture taken when the occupant gets on/off the mobility M. In the first getting on/off position, while maintaining the left rim part 2L and right rim part 2R in the same position with respect to the basic position, the upper thigh parts 221f and 221r are connected to the rim body in the front and rear legs 22f and 22r, respectively. The inward rotation angle (i.e., adduction angle) of the hip joints HJf, HJr is adjusted so that the upper thighs 221f, 221r and the lower legs 222f, 222r move closer to each other. , and the outward rotation angle (that is, the bending angle) of the knee joints KJf and KJr. In other words, the angle that the upper leg extension lines VL2f, VL2r make with the rim body extension line VL1 is narrowed, and the angle that the lower leg extension lines VL3f, VL3r make with the upper leg extension lines VL2f, VL2r is reduced. The first getting on/off position can also be called a crouching position due to its appearance.

With this setting, in the first getting on/off position, the seat 11a provided in the main body 1 is set at a lower position than in the basic position. The wheelbase in the first getting on/off position is set to a predetermined second distance that is shorter than the first distance. The second distance is, for example, 1000 millimeters. The mobility M assumes the first getting on and off attitude not only when getting on and off, but also when its power is cut off and the power supply to the actuator ACT is stopped.

Furthermore, the second getting on/off posture shown in FIG. 11 is a variation of the posture that the occupant can take when getting on/off the moving body M. When getting on and off the vehicle, the occupant can selectively set a first getting on/off position and a second getting on/off position.

The second getting on and off posture maintains the rotation angle of the front hip joint HJf and the front knee joint KJf in the front leg 22f with respect to the first getting on and off posture, and maintains the rotation angle of the front hip joint HJf and the front knee joint KJf, and the rim main body extension line VL1, the front leg upper thigh extension line VL2f, and the front While maintaining the relative positional relationship between the leg and lower leg extension lines VL3f, in the rear leg portion 22r, by widening the rear hip joint HJr outward, the rear leg upper leg extension line VL2r is extended to the rim body. While widening the angle made with line VL1, the rear knee joint KJr is rotated inward, that is, extended, increasing the angle that hind leg lower leg extension line VL3r makes with hind leg upper leg extension line VL2r. This can be achieved by The second getting on/off position can also be called a stretched position due to its appearance.

With such a setting, the rear wheel 23r is located further away from the rear hip joint HJr in the front-rear direction DL in the second getting on/off position than in the first getting on/off position. Then, the position of the rear hip joint HJr is lowered than the front hip joint HJf, the rim main body 21 is tilted rearward so that the raised part 11 looks diagonally upward, and the seat 11a provided in the main body 1 is It is set at a lower position than the first boarding/disembarking position. The wheelbase in the second getting on/off position is set to a predetermined third distance that is longer than the first distance. The third distance is, for example, 1430 millimeters. In this embodiment, the rear hip joint HJr is lowered to a position where it contacts the ground or floor surface, and the rear hip joint HJr and the rear wheel 23r are aligned at approximately the same height position. In this case, the mobility M contacts the ground at a total of six points: the left and right front wheels 23f, the left and right rear wheels 23r, and the left and right rear hip joints HJr.

In addition to the above, in the second getting on/off posture, the footrest 15 is displaced from the first position P1 in the basic posture and the first getting on/off posture to the second position P2 (FIG. 7), and the relative height of the footrest 15 with respect to the seat 11a is increased. . As a result, the footrest 15 is in a state in which the footrest 151 is inclined with respect to the seating surface of the seat 11a and the rim body extension line VL1, and is positioned parallel to the ground or floor surface.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the control configuration of mobility M.

In this embodiment, the control section is implemented as a controller 101 that is an electronic control unit, and includes a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits. The controller 101 receives, as its input, an output signal from the operation unit 12 as well as output signals from the camera 131, acceleration sensor 132, and motor rotation angle sensor 133. The motor rotation angle sensor 133 detects the rotation angle of an electric motor provided in each movable part as an actuator ACT, and is, for example, a rotary encoder.

The controller 101 executes predetermined calculations based on these input signals, and outputs the resultant drive command signal to the corresponding actuator ACT (ACT1 to ACT5).

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the details of the control performed by the controller 101 during movement.

The controller 101 acquires route information regarding the route ahead of the mobility M when moving using the legs 22f and 22r and traveling using the wheels 23f and 23r. Then, a predetermined calculation is executed based on the acquired route information, and the actuator ACT provided in each movable part is controlled so as to maintain the horizontality of the main body part 1.

Here, the "levelness" of the main body portion 1 refers to the levelness of the raised portion 11, and in this embodiment, refers to the levelness of the sheet 11a provided in the raised portion 11. "Highly horizontal" means that the front line of sight of the occupant sitting on the seat 11a is horizontal or close to horizontal, and is in a state suitable for the occupant sitting on the seat 11a to face forward. say. On the other hand, "low levelness" refers to a state in which the line of sight of the occupant sitting on the seat 11a is directed upward or downward.

In this way, by maintaining the levelness of the main body part 1, for example, when traveling on a flat road with the wheels 23f, 23r, and when walking on a level difference such as stairs, the hip and knee joints HJ (HJf .

In S101, information detected by various sensors included in the detection unit 13, such as the camera 131, is read. The acquired information includes information regarding the shape of the route traveled by the mobility M, that is, route information.

In S102, the waist link shaft height is set. The lumbar link axis height is the height from the ground, etc., by the wheels 23f, 23r to the lumbar link axis A1, and is related to the height of the seat 11a and is used as an index.

In S103, the heights of the joint axes A2f and A2r of the front and rear hip joints HJf and HJr provided on the left rim part 2L and right rim part 2R (hereinafter referred to as "hip joint axis height") are determined based on the set lumbar link shaft height. ). Here, the hip joint axis height is the height from the grounding point to the front and rear hip joint axes A2f and A2r, respectively, and is the height at which the lumbar link axis A1 is set on the moving route (that is, the height of the lumbar link axis ) shows the heights of the front and rear hip joints HJf and HJr to maintain them horizontally.

In S104 to S106, the rim body swing angle, hip joint rotation angle, and knee joint rotation angle for realizing the set hip joint axis height are calculated. The rim body swing angle is the relative swing displacement between the left and right rim parts 2L and 2R about the waist link axis A1, and the hip joint rotation angle is the rotation of the front and rear hip joints HJf and HJr, respectively. The knee joint rotation angle is the rotation angle of the front and rear knee joints KJf and KJr, respectively.

In S107, the rotation angles (hereinafter referred to as "leg rotation angles") of the leg rotation parts 24f and 24r of the front and rear leg parts 22f and 22r provided on the left rim part 2L and the right rim part 2R, respectively, are calculated.

In S108, a drive command signal is generated according to the rim body swing angle, hip joint rotation angle, knee joint rotation angle, and leg rotation angle calculated in the above steps, and is output to the actuator ACT of the corresponding movable part.

Route information is acquired not only by the camera 131, but also by storing information regarding the shape of the route, etc. in advance in the storage unit of the controller 101 in association with map information, and detecting the current position of the mobility M on the map by a position sensor such as GPS. This is also possible by reading route information associated with this current location.

The mobility M according to this embodiment has the above configuration. The effects obtained by this embodiment will be explained below.

In this embodiment, the amount of movement of the legs 22f, 22r including adduction and abduction in the front and rear hip joints HJf, HJr, specifically, the rotation angle of the hip joints HJf, HJr and the knee joints KJf, KJr. By controlling the above, the height positions Hf and Hr of the front hip joint HJf and the rear hip joint HJr are appropriately changed and adjusted. In addition, if a deviation occurs in the height positions Hf and Hr of the front and rear hip joints HJf and HJr between the left rim part 2L and the right rim part 2R, this deviation is corrected between the left rim part 2L and the right rim part 2R. This is suppressed by controlling the amount of relative rocking displacement with respect to the rim portion 2R, that is, the rocking angle of the rim body.

In this way, the mobility M can realize more diverse movements by being able to control the amount of rotational displacement of the joints HJf, HJr, KJf, KJr and the amount of rocking displacement of the rim portions 2L, 2R. , applicable to a variety of uses.

By positioning the waist link axis A1 at a predetermined height and suppressing its left and right inclination, the main body Maintain the levelness of section 1. At this time, it is possible to avoid a situation where the posture of the mobility M becomes unstable due to a deviation in the height positions Hf and Hr of the hip joints HJf and HJr between the left and right rim parts 2L and 2R. It is possible to provide high functionality that maintains the temperature.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the amount of rotational displacement of the joints, that is, the amount of rotational displacement of the front and rear hip joints HJf, HJr, and the amount of rotational displacement of the front and rear knee joints KJf, KJr, the rocking of the rim portions 2L, 2R. By having at least nine degrees of freedom including the amount of displacement, more diverse movements can be realized.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a posture that the mobility M can take when climbing a step S (for example, a staircase). FIG. 12(a) shows the posture of the entire mobility M, and FIG. 12(b) shows the lumbar link axis A1 of the left and right rim parts 2L, 2R, the front hip joint axis A2f, A2f', and the rear hip joint axis A2r, A2r. ' is schematically shown.

Mobility M sets the heights of the front and rear hip joints HJf and HJr to maintain the lumbar link axis A1 horizontally at a predetermined height when climbing up the step S. In the illustrated example, in order to maintain the lumbar link axis A1 at the lumbar link axis height, the front hip joint axis height of the left rim part 2L is set lower than the front hip joint axis height of the right rim part 2R, and the left rim part 2L The rear hip joint axis height is set higher than the rear hip joint axis height of the right rim portion 2R.

Along with this, in order to prevent the posture of the mobility M from becoming unstable due to the difference in the height of the hip joint axis between the left and right sides, the relative position between the left rim part 2L and the right rim part 2R is adjusted by setting the rim body swing angle. This causes a rocking displacement and absorbs this difference in hip joint axis height.

The positions of the front leg 22f and rear leg 22r of the left and right rim parts 2L and 2R, that is, the rotation angles of the front and rear hip joints HJf, HJr and knee joints KJf, KJr, are determined with respect to the front leg 22f. can be set based on the front hip joint axis height, and the rear leg portion 22r can be set based on the rear hip joint axis height.

Furthermore, if the main body 1 tilts forward or backward under the set front hip joint axis height and rear hip joint axis height, the main body 1 will tilt backward or backward around the lumbar link axis A1. Swing forward to maintain the orientation of the main body 1 horizontally. In the present embodiment, the main body 1 can be rocked by rotating the first drive motors ACT1 provided in the left and right rims 2L and 2R in the same front and rear directions by the same angle.

In addition to the above, in the present embodiment, the front leg rotation part 24f makes it possible to change the angle that the joint axis A3f of the front knee joint part KJf makes with the joint axis A2f of the front hip joint part HJf, and the rear leg rotation part 24r By making it possible to change the angle that the joint axis A3r of the rear knee joint KJr makes with the joint axis A2r of the rear hip joint HJr, more diverse movements can be realized by the front and rear legs 22f and 22r. Therefore, for example, it is possible to cope with movement not only in the front-rear direction DL but also in the diagonal or left-right direction DW.

In this embodiment, the beam-like part on one end side of the rim main body part 21 which is in the shape of a square is arranged as the front beam-like part 21f, which is shorter in the front-rear direction DL, and is arranged on the front side in the forward direction of the mobility M. The beam-like part on the other end side which is long in the direction DL is arranged as the rear-side beam-like part 21r on the rear side in the forward direction. In other words, the front beam portion 21f is arranged to precede the rear beam portion 21r when moving forward, and the rear beam portion 21r is arranged to precede the front beam portion 21f when moving backward.

The forward direction of the mobility M is not limited to this. When moving forward, the beam portion 21r on the other end side that is long in the front-rear direction DL precedes the beam portion 21f on the end side, and when moving backward, the beam portion 21r on the one end side that is short in the front-rear direction DL. The direction in which the shaped portion 21f precedes the beam-shaped portion 21r on the other end side may be sufficient. Accordingly, when the main body part 1 is provided with the raised part 11, the orientation of the raised part 11 is also reversed so that the occupant riding on the raised part 11 can move the hip joint part (rear hip joint part HJr) on the other end side forward. Arrange it so that it looks like this.

In this embodiment, in order to change and adjust the heights of the tip and rear ends of the rim body 21, that is, the front and rear hip joints HJf, HJr, in addition to the hip joints HJf, HJr, the knee joint KJf, KJr was used to form rotational joints in the front and rear legs 22f and 22r, respectively. The change and adjustment of the height is not limited to this, and can also be realized by forming a prismatic joint in place of or in conjunction with the knee joints KJf and KJr.

M... moving body, 1... main body part, 11... standing part, 11a... seat, 12... operation part, 13... detection part, 131... camera, 132... acceleration sensor, 133... motor rotation angle sensor, 15... footrest, 2 ...Body support part, 2L...Left side rim part, 2R...Right side rim part, 21...Rim body part, 22f...Front side leg part, 22r...Rear side leg part, 221f...Front leg upper leg part, 221r...Rear leg upper leg part , 222f...front leg lower leg, 222r...rear leg lower leg, 23f...front wheel, 23r...rear wheel, HJf...front hip joint, HJr...rear hip joint, KJf...front knee joint, KJr...rear knee joint A1...lumbar link axis, A2f...front hip joint axis, A2r...rear hip joint axis, A3f...front knee joint axis, A3r...rear knee joint axis, A4f...front wheel axis, A4r...rear wheel axis, A5f...front leg Rotation axis, A5r...rear leg rotation axis.

Claims (10)

The main body and
A main body support part that supports the main body part on the ground or floor surface during movement,
The main body support part is
a first rim portion;
a second rim part that is disposed on the left and right to sandwich the main body part between the first rim part and is connected to the first rim part so as to be swingable with respect to each other about an axis extending in the left-right direction; , comprising;
Each of the first rim part and the second rim part is
It extends in the front-back direction and has a bent shape that is convex upward in a side view of the moving body when viewed from one of the left and right sides, and includes a first hip joint formed at one end in the front-back direction and a first hip joint formed at the other end. a rim body portion having a second hip joint portion;
a first leg portion that is connected to the rim main body portion via the first hip joint portion so as to be able to be internally and externally rotated, and the height position of the first hip joint portion can be changed;
a second leg portion that is connected to the rim main body portion via the second hip joint portion so as to be able to be internally and externally rotated, and the height position of the second hip joint portion can be changed; . The first leg portion is
a first upper leg extending from the first hip joint;
a first lower leg part connected to the first upper leg part via a first knee joint part so as to be bendable and extendable;
The second leg portion is
a second upper leg extending from the second hip joint;
The moving body according to claim 1, further comprising a second lower leg portion that is bendably and extendably connected to the second upper leg portion via a second knee joint. The first leg portion includes a first leg rotation portion that can change the angle that the joint axis of the first knee joint portion makes with respect to the joint axis of the first hip joint portion when the moving body is viewed from above. Furthermore, it has
2. The second leg further includes a second leg rotation part that can change the angle that the joint axis of the second knee joint makes with respect to the joint axis of the second hip joint in the plan view. The moving object described in . The first leg further includes a first wheel that is attached to the first lower leg and contacts the ground or floor surface during movement,
The moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second leg further includes a second wheel that is attached to the second lower leg and contacts the ground or floor surface during movement. The first rim portion and the second rim portion are connected via a shaft portion provided along the axis extending in the left-right direction,
The movable body according to claim 4, wherein the main body part is attached to the shaft part and is supported to be swingable about the shaft extending in the left-right direction with respect to the main body support part. The main body includes a raised part configured to allow an occupant to board, and a space between at least the first rim part and the second rim part so as to maintain the orientation of the raised part horizontally during movement. The movable body according to claim 5, further comprising a control section that controls a relative swing displacement amount of the movable body. The movable body according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls at least the relative swing displacement amount so as to maintain the orientation of the raised part horizontally when going up and down a step. 7. The control section further controls the amount of rocking displacement of the main body section about the axis extending in the left-right direction so as to maintain the orientation of the raised section horizontally when going up and down a step. The mobile object described in . The main body maintains a constant orientation when traveling due to the rotation of the first wheel and the second wheel and when moving due to movement of the leg including adduction and abduction at the hip joint. 6. The movable body according to claim 5, further comprising a control section that controls a relative amount of rocking displacement between at least the first rim part and the second rim part so as to maintain the relative swing displacement amount between the first rim part and the second rim part. The main body portion is
When traveling by rotating the first wheel and the second wheel, the first and second hip joints are located at the same height between the first rim part and the second rim part, respectively. While taking the first position,
When moving up and down a step by movement of the legs including adduction and abduction at the hip joint, the first rim part and the second rim part move relative to each other about the axis extending in the left-right direction. oscillating to take a second posture in which the first and second hip joints are located at different heights between the first rim part and the second rim part, respectively;
The moving body according to claim 5, wherein the orientation of the main body portion is constant in the first attitude and the second attitude.

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