JP4546345B2 - Heat dissipation structure for mobile robot - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot that dissipates heat from a plurality of heating elements inside the mobile robot to the outside from a heat dissipation member such as a heat sink.

In recent years, mobile robots have built-in electric devices such as walking control circuits in order to move autonomously (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For this reason, if the heat is not efficiently discharged to the outside, the operation of the electric device and hence the mobile robot becomes unstable, and in a severe case, the mobile robot will stop operating.
JP 2002-154083 A

  Incidentally, a heat sink, which is a kind of heat radiating member, is usually provided in close contact with the heating element in order to radiate heat received from the heating element by heat conduction. However, since mobile robots generally have electric devices mounted at a high density, there is not enough space for heat sinks inside, so it is not always possible to provide a heat sink of sufficient size, and the heat sinks are space-saving. If too much is taken, the flow of the cooling air inside deteriorates, and if the heat dissipation capability of the heat sink is insufficient with respect to the heat generation amount of the electric device, there is a problem that the electric device cannot be sufficiently cooled.

  Furthermore, in recent years, there has been a problem that cooling air cannot be efficiently flowed into the mobile robot due to the demand for the mobile robot to be dustproof and drip-proof. In addition, heat pipes that move heat by the phase change of the liquid sealed inside are also known, but heat pipes have limitations on the bending radius, and there is a problem that desired arrangement may not be possible in high-density mounting. there were.

Therefore, the present invention is a heat conductor made of a metal material having a relatively good thermal conductivity provided separately from the heat radiating member, and transports the heat of the heating element to the heat radiating member and is sufficiently large to be disposed at an appropriate place. The heat dissipating member of the mobile robot can sufficiently cool the heating element inside the mobile robot, and the heat dissipating structure for the mobile robot according to the present invention includes a plurality of heat dissipating structures inside the mobile robot. in the heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot for radiating heat from the heating element to the outside from the heat radiating member, and configured by combining integrally the two sheets of heat transfer plate juxtaposed with a gap at their ends between comprising a heat conductor multiple, the plurality of heating elements in the two by one or more pairs, the relative outer surface against one another of the two heat transfer plates of each heat conductor forming the pair two heating elements, respectively are arranged so as to be thermally conductive, before In which through a connecting portion coupling portion of the two sheets of heat transfer plates of the multiple heat conductor integrally connected to each other, and wherein the bound integrally with the connection portion to the heat radiating member is there.

  In such a heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot, a plurality of heating elements such as electric devices inside the mobile robot are paired, and the two heating elements forming a pair are, for example, an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy. Heat conduction by direct contact or indirect contact through heat transfer grease etc. on the opposing outer surfaces of two heat transfer plates juxtaposed of each heat conductor made of a metal material with relatively good heat conductivity When the heating elements generate heat, the heat of the heating elements is transferred to the outer surfaces of the two heat transfer plates facing each other by heat conduction, and there is a gap between the two heat transfer plates. Because it is vacant, it becomes heat transfer in the air, and the heat from the heating element has a lower heat resistance than the heat transfer, and the inside of the two heat transfer plates is connected to one end of those heat transfer plates or the joint of both ends Is connected to the joint, Further transmitted by heat conduction to the heat radiation member of the sink or the like is radiated from the heat radiating member. Here, the heat radiating member is not limited to a heat sink as long as it has a good heat radiating capability, and may be a metal frame having a large surface area, for example.

Therefore, according to the heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot of the present invention, even if the mobile robot is mounted with a heating element such as an electric device together with other structures at a high density, the heat generated from the heating element is transferred to the heat dissipation member. It can be transported to the heat radiating member by a heat conductor with good heat conduction efficiency provided separately from the heat radiating member with a sufficiently large heat radiating member arranged at an appropriate place, Can be cooled to. In addition, since the coupling portion of the two heat transfer plates of the plurality of heat conductors is integrally coupled to each other via the coupling portion, and the coupling portion is integrally coupled to the heat radiation member, the rigidity of the heat radiation member is increased. Since it suffices to raise only the vicinity of the portion where the connecting portions are joined, the heat dissipation member can be configured to be lightweight.

  In the heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot of the present invention, a heat insulating material may be interposed between the two heat transfer plates, and in this way, the heat transmitted to the two heat transfer plates is the heat insulating material. Since heat is not leaked through the gap between the heat transfer plates, heat can be efficiently transferred to the joints at the ends of the heat transfer plates, increasing the amount of heat released from the heat dissipation member. In addition, even when there is a temperature difference between the pair of heating elements, it is possible to prevent heat from flowing to the heating element having a lower temperature.

  Furthermore, in the heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot of the present invention, the mobile robot may be a walking robot. The heating element may be located inside the arm or leg of the mobile robot, and the heat radiating member may face the outside of the arm or leg. In this way, the inside of the arm or leg of the mobile robot The electric device of the distributed control system mounted on can be efficiently cooled.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a heat dissipation structure for cooling the CPU of an arm control board as an electric device of a humanoid walking robot as an embodiment of the heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot of the present invention. FIGS. 2A, 2 </ b> B, and 2 </ b> C are a front view and a side view illustrating a humanoid walking robot having the heat dissipation structure of the above embodiment. 3A and 3B are a front view showing the upper arm portion of the humanoid walking robot, a longitudinal sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3A, and FIG. (A), (b) and (c) are an exploded perspective view, an assembled perspective view, and an assembly perspective view showing configurations of the arm control board accommodated in the upper arm portion of the humanoid walking robot and the heat dissipation structure of the embodiment. It is sectional drawing which follows the CC line in the FIG.4 (b).

  As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, a humanoid walking robot as an example of a mobile robot having a heat dissipation structure of this embodiment has two legs 2 below the body 1. These legs 2 walk with a dynamic balance in an inverted pendulum by a known method. This humanoid walking robot also has arms 3 on the left and right as seen from the robot of the torso 1 and a head 4 on the torso 1, where the torso 1 is back and forth with the waist 1c. The upper half 1a and the lower half 1b are connected so as to be turnable in the left-right direction.

  Further, the arm part 3 of the humanoid walking robot has an upper arm part 3a and a forearm part 3c connected to bendable by an elbow part 3b of the upper arm part 3a. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 1, a driving motor for the elbow part 3 b is housed in the shell-shaped frame 3 d of the structure, and each of the driving motor for the elbow part, the wrist part, and the hand part, respectively. Four node computer boards 5 and two multi-channel motor driver boards 6 constituting a distributed control system for controlling the operation of the drive motors, and a DC-DC converter board 7 for powering these boards, Is stored.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the node computer boards 5 are each mounted with two CPUs 5a as heating elements, and are arranged in pairs so that each pair faces each other. Between the two CPUs 5a of each pair of node computer boards 5, two heat transfer plates 8a (to be described later) of the heat conductor 8 constituting the heat dissipation structure of this embodiment are interposed, and these heat transfer plates. The outer surfaces of 8a facing each other are in direct close contact (contact contact) with the CPU 5a facing the outer surface, and receive heat from the CPU 5a by heat conduction.

  Here, the heat conductor 8 is made of a metal material having a relatively high (high) heat conductivity, such as an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy, and the two heat transfer plates 8a arranged in parallel with a gap between them. And a heat insulating material having a relatively low (low) thermal conductivity such as heat-resistant urethane, glass wool, bakelite, etc., in the gap between the two heat transfer plates 8a. 8b is sandwiched, and the connecting portion 8c is screwed to a support plate 8d formed of a metal material having a relatively high (high) thermal conductivity, and the support plate 8d is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, a bolt is tightly fixed to the inner surface of the rear part of the frame 3d so that heat can be transferred to the rear part of the shell-shaped frame 3d of the upper arm 3a.

  A heat sink 3e having a large number of fins extending in the longitudinal direction of the arm is formed integrally with the frame 3d on the rear outer surface of the shell-shaped frame 3d of the upper arm 3a.

  In the heat dissipation structure of this embodiment, the power supply element as a heating element mounted on the DC-DC converter board 7 in the frame 3d of the upper arm 3a is heated to the rear part of the shell-shaped frame 3d of the upper arm 3a. In order to be able to conduct heat by conduction, the inner surface of the rear portion of the frame 3d is indirectly intimately contacted via a silicon sheet having good thermal conductivity.

  Furthermore, in the heat dissipation structure of this embodiment, similarly to the heat conductor 8, it is formed of a metal material having a relatively good (high) thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy, and is juxtaposed with a gap therebetween. The two heat transfer plates 9a are joined together at the joint 9c at one end thereof, and the heat conductivity of, for example, heat-resistant urethane, glass wool, bakelite, etc., is formed in the gap between the two heat transfer plates 9a. The heat conductor 9 formed by sandwiching a relatively poor (low) heat insulating material 9b is sandwiched between the two multi-channel motor driver boards 6 in the frame 3d of the upper arm 3a, and the heat conductor The two outer surfaces of the two heat transfer plates 9a are in direct contact with each other so that heat can be transferred to the motor control elements as heating elements mounted on the two motor driver boards 6 by heat conduction. Its heat conduction Binding portion 9c of 9, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), and is closely fixed by bolts to the lower part of the inner surface of the frame 3d.

  In the heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot of this embodiment, two CPUs 5a as heating elements of the four node computer boards 5 inside the upper arm 3a of the walking robot are paired, The two CPUs 5a are capable of conducting heat in close contact with the opposing outer surfaces of the two heat transfer plates 8a arranged side by side of the respective heat conductors 8 made of a metal material having relatively good thermal conductivity. When the CPUs 5a generate heat, the heat of the CPUs 5a is transferred to the outer surfaces facing each other of the two heat transfer plates 8a by heat conduction, and a heat insulating material is provided in the gap between the two heat transfer plates 8a. 8b is included, the heat from the CPU 5a is transferred to the joint 8c at one end of the heat transfer plates 8a by heat conduction inside the two heat transfer plates 8a having a lower thermal resistance than the heat insulating material 8b. A support plate 8d is attached to the joint 8c. Reportedly by further heat conduction to the heat sink 3e of the outer surface from the rear of the inner surface of the frame 3d integrally coupled to and radiated from the heat sink 3e to the outside.

  In the same manner, two motor control elements as heating elements of the two motor driver boards 6 inside the upper arm 3a of the walking robot are paired, and the two motor control elements of the pair are The two heat transfer plates 9a juxtaposed of the heat conductors 9 made of a metal material having a relatively good thermal conductivity are directly in close contact with each other on the outer surfaces facing each other. When the control elements generate heat, the heat of the motor control elements is transferred to the outer surfaces of the two heat transfer plates 9a facing each other by heat conduction, and the gap between the two heat transfer plates 9a is insulated. Since the material 9b is contained, the heat from the motor control element is conducted by heat conduction in the two heat transfer plates 9a having a lower thermal resistance than the heat insulating material 9b, and a joint portion 9c at one end of the heat transfer plates 9a. The shell is integrally connected to the connecting portion 9c. Further transmitted by heat conduction to the bottom of the frame 3d is radiated from the frame 3d to the outside.

  Further, when the power supply element as a heating element of the DC-DC converter board 7 inside the upper arm 3a of the walking robot also generates heat, the heat is passed through a silicon sheet on the inner surface of the rear part of the shell-like frame 3d of the upper arm 3a. The heat is transmitted by heat conduction, and is radiated to the outside from the heat sink 3e on the outer surface of the rear portion of the frame 3d.

  Therefore, according to the heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot of this embodiment, the upper arm 3a of the walking robot increases the node computer board 5, the motor driver board 6, the DC-DC converter board 7, etc. each having a heating element such as the CPU 5a. Even if they are mounted at a high density, the heat generated from these heat generating elements is used by the heat conductors 8 and 9 that are provided separately from the frame 3d and the heat sink 3e as heat radiating members and have good heat conduction efficiency. Since the heat can be radiated by the frame 3d and the heat sink 3e having a sufficient size facing the outside, the heating element of the distributed control system inside the upper arm 3a of the walking robot can be sufficiently cooled. .

  Moreover, according to the heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot of this embodiment, the heat insulating materials 8b and 9b are interposed between the two heat transfer plates 8a and 9a of the heat conductors 8 and 9, respectively. Since the heat transmitted to the two heat transfer plates 8a and 9a is blocked by the heat insulating materials 8b and 9b and does not leak due to heat transfer into the gap between the heat transfer plates 8a and 9a, the heat transfer plates 8a and 9a Heat can be efficiently conducted to the end coupling portions 8c and 9c by heat conduction, and the amount of heat released from the frame 3d and the heat sink 3e can be increased, and the temperature difference between the pair of heating elements such as the CPU 5a. Even if there is, it is possible to prevent the heat from flowing to the heating element having the lower temperature.

  5 to 10 are sectional views respectively showing other embodiments of the heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot of the present invention. In these drawings, reference numeral 10 denotes an electronic device board built in the mobile robot, and 10a denotes its electronic device. An element such as a CPU as a heating element mounted on the device substrate 10, 11 is a heat conductor of the heat dissipation structure of the other embodiment, 11a is two heat transfer plates juxtaposed, and 11b is heat insulation between them. 11c is a coupling part, 11d is a heat sink, 11e is a connection part, and the elements 10a mounted on each pair of electronic device boards 10 are located on both sides of the two heat transfer plates 11a of each heat conductor 11. Each side is in close contact with heat conduction.

  In all of the other embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 to 10, the coupling portion 11c of the heat conductor 11 and the heat sink 11d are integrally coupled. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the pair of heat transfer plates 11a are combined. 6 are integrally coupled to the heat sink 11d via the coupling portion 11c, and in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the two-to-four heat transfer plates 11a are separated from each other in parallel and are integrally coupled to the heat sink 11d via the coupling portion 11c. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, two to four heat transfer plates 11a are separated from each other in a V-shape, and the respective coupling portions 11c are integrally coupled to the heat sink 11d via a common coupling portion 11e. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, four to eight heat transfer plates 11a are separated from each other in parallel, and the coupling portions 11c are integrally coupled to the heat sink 11d via a common coupling portion 11e. In the embodiment of FIG. Four to eight heat transfer 11a are radially separated from each other and the coupling portions 11c are integrally coupled to the heat sink 11d via a common coupling portion 11e at the center, and in the embodiment of FIG. 10, six to twelve heat transfer plates 11a are coupled. Are radially separated from each other, and the coupling portions 11c are integrally coupled to a cylindrical heat sink 11d at the center. The cylindrical heat sink 11d is provided with ventilation means such as an electric fan 12 in order to send cooling air to the inside.

  The heat radiation structures of the other embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 to 10 can provide the same effects as the previous embodiments. In addition, according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the coupling portion 11c of the two heat transfer plates 11a of the plurality of heat conductors 11 are integrally coupled to each other via the coupling portion 11e. Since 11e is integrally coupled to the heat sink 11d, it is only necessary to increase the rigidity of the heat sink 11d only in the vicinity of the portion where the connecting portion 11e is coupled, so that the heat sink 11d can be configured to be lightweight.

  Although the present invention has been described based on the illustrated example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described example. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the heat dissipation structure is provided in the upper arm portion 3a of the humanoid walking robot. However, the heat dissipation structure of the present invention may cool the forearm 3c, leg 2 and body 1 of the humanoid walking robot. It may be used for a walking robot other than the above, or a mobile robot having moving means such as wheels other than the legs.

  Furthermore, the number and arrangement of the heat conductors may be appropriately changed to those other than the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 as necessary.

  Thus, according to the heat dissipating structure for a mobile robot of the present invention, even if the mobile robot is mounted with a heating element such as an electric device together with other structures at a high density, the heat generated from the heating element is In addition, it can be carried to a heat radiating member by a heat conductor with good heat conduction efficiency provided separately and dissipated by a sufficiently large heat radiating member arranged at an appropriate location. Can be cooled.

A line A-A in FIG. 3B showing a heat dissipation structure for cooling the CPU of the arm control board as an electric device of the humanoid walking robot as one embodiment of the heat dissipation structure for the mobile robot of the present invention. FIG. (A), (b) and (c) are the front view, the side view, and the rear view which illustrate the humanoid walking robot which has the heat dissipation structure of the said Example. (A) And (b) is a front view which shows the upper arm part of the said humanoid walking robot, and a longitudinal cross-sectional view which follows the BB line in (a). (A), (b), and (c) are an exploded perspective view, an assembly perspective view, and an assembly perspective view showing the configuration of the arm control board accommodated in the upper arm portion of the humanoid walking robot and the heat dissipation structure of the embodiment. It is sectional drawing which follows the CC line in b). It is sectional drawing which shows another Example of the thermal radiation structure for mobile robots of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows another one Example of the thermal radiation structure for mobile robots of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows another one Example of the thermal radiation structure for mobile robots of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows another one Example of the thermal radiation structure for mobile robots of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows another one Example of the thermal radiation structure for mobile robots of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows another one Example of the thermal radiation structure for mobile robots of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Body 1a Upper half part 1b Lower half part 1c Lumbar part 2 Leg part 3 Arm part 3a Upper arm part 3b Elbow part 3c Forearm part 3d Frame 3e Heat sink 4 Head part 5 Node computer board 5a CPU
6 Motor Driver Board 7 DC-DC Converter Board 8, 9, 11 Heat Conductor 8a, 9a, 11a Heat Transfer Plate 8b, 9b, 11b Heat Insulation Material 8c, 9c, 11c Joint 8d Support Plate 10 Electronic Device Board 10a Element 11d Heat sink 11e Connecting part 12 Electric fan

Claims (4)

In a heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot that dissipates heat from a plurality of heating elements inside the mobile robot to the outside from the heat dissipation member,
Comprising a heat conductor of the number of double constructed by combining integrally the two sheets of heat transfer plate juxtaposed with a gap at their ends between,
One or a plurality of pairs of the plurality of heating elements,
The two heat generating elements that form the pair with respect to the outer side surfaces of the two heat transfer plates of each of the heat conductors that oppose each other are arranged so as to be able to conduct heat, respectively.
The two coupling portions of the heat transfer plates before Kifuku speed of the heat conductor connecting portion coupled integrally with each other via, and wherein the bound integrally with the connection portion to the heat radiating member , Heat dissipation structure for mobile robots.   The heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein a heat insulating material is interposed between the two heat transfer plates. The mobile robot is characterized by a walking robot, according to claim 1 or 2 heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot according. The heating element is located inside the arm or leg of the mobile robot;
The heat dissipation structure for a mobile robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the heat dissipation member faces the outside of the arm or leg.

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