JP4658983B2 - Acceleration generator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for allowing a user to perceive a force sense such as responsiveness, and in particular, a fulcrum or a power point that supports the reaction force is not required for the outside or the human body, and the average as a physical action force remains zero. It is related with the apparatus which perceives force sense though it is.

Development of haptic channels, such as response, is underway as an information provision channel other than audiovisual channels. Conventional force research can be classified into two types: grounded and non-grounded. The grounding type is a form in which a fulcrum or force point that supports the reaction force of the force sense to be generated is fixed to the outside or a human body, and the non-grounding type is a form that does not use such a fulcrum / power point (for example, non-patent Reference 1 and Patent Reference 1).
However, the conventional force generation method has a problem in that it is difficult to apply it to the field of portable devices such as mobile devices and wearable computing.

  For example, in the case of a grounding type (for example, SPIDER or PHANTOM) that fixes a fulcrum / power point to the outside, it is difficult to apply it to fields such as mobile devices and wearable computing that involve free movement. In addition, in the case of a ground contact type in which a fulcrum / power point is provided in a body part other than the action point, the reaction force of the presented haptic information is also added to the human body, so it is difficult to present accurate direction information by this haptic information, There is also a problem that the load on the user is large.

On the other hand, the inventor of the present application has proposed a method for perceiving a force sense that is stable in time without providing a fulcrum or a force point that supports the reaction force (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 2). ). In this method, a link mechanism or the like is applied to the rotational power to generate accelerations with greatly different positive and negative absolute values, thereby causing a pseudo force sense to be perceived.
Naoyuki Tsuji, Hiroaki Yano, Mitsuru Saito, Tetsuro Ogi, Michitaka Hirose: Development and Evaluation of HapticGEAR, a Force Display Device in Immersive Virtual Space, Transactions of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan, VOL. 5, No.4, pp. 1113- 1120, 2000. Tomohiro Amemiya, Hideyuki Ando, Taro Maeda, “A method for generating an effective traction illusion when a non-grounded force sense device is held hollow”, Transactions of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan, Vol. 11, No. 4, 2006. JP 2002-346225 A JP 2006-065665 A

However, the methods of Non-Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 2 convert rotational power into translational motion, and translational motion cannot be continued unless rotational power is continuously applied. Therefore, there is a problem that the efficiency of energy use is poor.
Further, the methods of Non-Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 2 convert the rotational power once generated into a translational motion by a link mechanism or the like. Therefore, for example, a device using the method requires a motor for obtaining rotational power, a link mechanism for converting rotational power into translational motion, and the like, and it is difficult to reduce the size and weight of the device. There is also a problem.

  Furthermore, the methods of Non-Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 2 also have a problem that it is difficult to arbitrarily set the time change of the acceleration to be generated. That is, in the methods of Non-Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 2, the degree of freedom of the time change of the generated acceleration is limited by the basic structure such as the link mechanism, and only the rotation speed of the rotational power and the dimension of the link mechanism, etc. are optimized. Thus, it is not possible to arbitrarily set the time change of the acceleration to be generated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and allows a force sense to be perceived without providing a fulcrum or a force point for supporting a reaction force on the outside or the human body, and has a high energy utilization efficiency, and is small in size. -It aims at providing the technique which can be measured and can set the time change of the generated acceleration arbitrarily.

  In the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the movement of the cam having a curved surface and the first line where the relative position of the cam to the curved surface is fixed is restricted, and periodic translational movement is performed on the first line. A moving member, a cam follower that is supported by the curved surface of the cam and that moves along the curved surface of the cam, and the moving member that is supported on the curved surface of the cam; And an energy storage mechanism for applying a generated force to the cam follower and pressing the cam follower against the curved surface of the cam, and the cam follower and the cam follower. The distance to the moving member changes according to the curved surface shape of the cam according to the position of the moving member, and the curved surface of the cam is a first region surface and a second region surface. And the second region surface based on the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism and the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism. The positive and negative and absolute values of the angle of the area surface are different, and the time change of the acceleration in one cycle of the moving member is a positive direction in which the direction of the acceleration is one direction along the first line. There is provided an acceleration generating device, characterized in that the direction of the acceleration is asymmetric between the direction of the acceleration and the negative direction which is the opposite direction of the positive direction.

  Here, since the movement of the cam follower is restricted on the second line where the relative position with respect to the moving member is fixed, the cam follower and the moving member move in conjunction with each other. The cam follower is supported by the curved surface of the cam while receiving a force from the energy storage mechanism, and moves along the curved surface of the cam. The moving member is on the first line where the relative position to the curved surface of the cam is fixed. Movement is restricted. As a result, the distance between the cam follower and the moving member changes according to the curved surface shape of the cam according to the position of the moving member. Furthermore, since the energy storage mechanism is a mechanism that stores potential energy depending on the distance between the moving member and the cam follower, the magnitude of the force that the energy storage mechanism applies to the cam follower varies depending on the position of the moving member. Further, since this force is a force in a direction in which the cam follower is pressed against the curved surface of the cam, a reaction force from the curved surface according to an angle formed by the direction of this force and the curved surface of the cam is given to the cam follower, and the force is applied to the cam follower. It is transmitted to moving members that move in conjunction with each other. That is, a force corresponding to the shape of the curved surface of the cam (inclination and height of each position) and the positions of the cam follower and the moving member is applied to the moving member. The curved surface of the cam includes a first region surface and a second region surface. The angle of the first region surface based on the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism and the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism. Their positive and negative and absolute values are different from the angle of the second region surface based on the direction of the applied force. Therefore, the time change of the acceleration in one cycle of the moving member is the case where the direction of the acceleration is a positive direction which is one direction along the first line, and the direction of the acceleration is a direction opposite to the positive direction. Asymmetrical with negative direction. And the said moving member performs the periodic translational movement on the 1st line according to the time change of this acceleration.

  Usually, in order to generate a physically perfect acting force, a fulcrum or a force point that supports the reaction force is required. On the other hand, in the present invention, there is no such fulcrum or force point, and the average as the physical acting force remains zero. However, the moving member of the present invention performs a translational motion in which the positive acceleration and the negative acceleration are asymmetric during one cycle. Then, due to the difference between the positive and negative absolute values of the acceleration of the moving member, the difference in action time, and the non-linearity of human force perception, the first line is provided without providing a fulcrum or force point for supporting the reaction force on the outside or the human body. A pseudo force sense is presented in the direction (details will be described later).

Further, in the configuration of the present invention, if there is no loss such as friction and the energy is completely stored, the configuration of the present invention allows the movement of the moving member to be continued forever. Therefore, the energy required to drive the acceleration generator of the present invention only needs to compensate for this loss.
In addition, since the configuration of the invention does not convert rotational motion into reciprocating motion, the mechanism (link, crank, etc.) required for converting rotational power into reciprocating motion is not required, and the device can be reduced in size and weight. It becomes.

Further, the time change of the acceleration applied to the moving member of the present invention can be arbitrarily set by setting the shape of the curved surface of the cam, so that the degree of freedom of the change of the acceleration that can be set is high.
In addition, the translational movement of the moving member is different from the maximum absolute value of the positive acceleration and the maximum negative acceleration. The movement is shorter than the time with a small acceleration. This makes it possible to perceive a time-stable force sense without providing a fulcrum or force point that supports the reaction force.

  In addition, the translational movement of the moving member is such that the slope of the S-shaped curve indicating the relationship between the acceleration of the moving member and the acceleration perceived by the human body when the acceleration is applied to the human body is positive. The movement is different between the maximum acceleration point in the direction and the maximum acceleration point in the negative direction. The pseudo force sensation in the target direction on the specific straight line can be displayed by the difference in absolute value of the positive / negative acceleration of the moving member, the difference in action time, and the non-linearity of human force perception (details). Will be described later).

  In the present invention, preferably, the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism is substantially perpendicular to the first line direction. The acceleration generator of the present invention described above presents a pseudo force sense in the first line direction. It is assumed that there are many cases where the user grips the acceleration generating device with his / her hand in the first line direction as the first line direction. In this case, if the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism is close to the first line direction, an error occurs in the force applied to the cam follower due to the spring action of the user's elbow. For example, the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism is absorbed by the damper action of the elbow spring, or conversely, an extra force is applied in the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism by the elbow spring. This effect is minimized when the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism is substantially perpendicular to the first line direction, which makes it possible to accurately present a pseudo force sense.

  In the present invention, preferably, the first area surface and the second area surface provided on the curved surface of the cam are smoothly connected. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a situation in which unnecessary vibration is generated due to a step generated when the first region surface and the second region surface are not smoothly connected, and energy is thereby lost.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the cam has two curved surfaces that are mirror-symmetric with respect to a specific plane, the first line is a line on the specific plane, and the cam follower is the specific plane. The two cam followers move mirror-symmetrically with respect to the specific plane, and the energy storage mechanism has a force in a direction different from the reciprocating direction of the moving member. Is given to the two cam followers in mirror symmetry with respect to the specific plane. By adopting a symmetric configuration with respect to the reciprocating direction of the moving member in this way, the force generated in a direction other than the reciprocating direction of the moving member can be canceled, and the reciprocating of the moving member presenting a pseudo force sense Force in only the direction can be generated. As a result, a pseudo force sense can be accurately presented. Furthermore, when the configuration is symmetric with respect to the reciprocating direction of the moving member, energy loss due to friction can be reduced as compared with the case where the configuration is asymmetric with respect to the reciprocating direction of the moving member.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the cam has a plurality of curved surfaces symmetrical to a specific straight line, the first line is a line along the specific straight line, and the cam follower is the specific follower. The plurality of cam followers move symmetrically with respect to the specific straight line, and the energy storage mechanism applies a force in a direction different from the reciprocating direction of the moving member. A plurality of cam followers are provided symmetrically with respect to the specific straight line.

  By adopting a symmetric configuration with respect to the reciprocating direction of the moving member in this way, the force generated in a direction other than the reciprocating direction of the moving member can be canceled, and the reciprocating of the moving member presenting a pseudo force sense Force in only the direction can be generated. As a result, a pseudo force sense can be accurately presented. Furthermore, when the configuration is symmetric with respect to the reciprocating direction of the moving member, energy loss due to friction can be reduced as compared with the case where the configuration is asymmetric with respect to the reciprocating direction of the moving member.

In the present invention, it is preferable to further include an adjustment unit that changes a relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line. Thereby, the time change of the acceleration of a moving member can be changed easily.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the adjustment unit changes a relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line, and thereby uses the direction of force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism as a reference. The angle of the first area surface and the angle of the second area surface based on the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism are changed. Thereby, the time change of the acceleration of a moving member can be changed easily.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the adjustment unit is configured such that a change in the distance between the moving member and the cam follower with respect to a change in a relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line is less than or less than a predetermined value. When the moving member and the cam follower are present at the position, the relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line is changed. Thereby, the fluctuation | variation of the total energy produced when the relative position of the curved surface and 1st line | wire which a cam comprises can be suppressed low, and apparatus operation | movement can be stabilized.

  As described above, in the present invention, a force sense is perceived without providing a fulcrum or a force point for supporting the reaction force on the outside or the human body, and energy use efficiency is high, and the apparatus can be reduced in size and measured. The time change of the acceleration to be generated can be arbitrarily set.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[Principle to perceive force sense]
First, the principle of perceiving a time-stable force sense without providing a fulcrum or force point that supports the reaction force according to the configuration of the present invention will be described.
Consider the translational motion of an object with a certain mass. This translational motion is a periodic motion with partial acceleration that moves in a short time with a large acceleration in the direction in which the pseudo force sense is to be presented and moves in a long time with a small acceleration in the opposite direction. . In this case, the user holding the system including the object perceives a pseudo force sense in the presenting direction. This utilizes human perceptual characteristics, and is a phenomenon that occurs due to a peculiar sensation and a tactile sensation related to a gripping action. In other words, the reflex characteristics of muscle spindles (sensory organs in skeletal muscles that sense muscle contraction and cause sensation) include a dynamic reaction that excites strongly when the length of the muscle changes, and a stretched muscle. There is a static reaction that continues impulse firing when kept at a certain length. The dynamic response is strong when the change in muscle length is relatively small and abrupt (for example, “Masao Oyama, Shogo Imai, Wanji Nenji: New edition Handbook of Sensory and Perceptual Psychology, Seishin Shobo, 1994. "reference). It is known that such a perceptual reaction can be approximated by a sigmoid curve as shown in FIG. In this figure, the horizontal axis indicates the physical acceleration applied to the human body, and the vertical axis indicates the acceleration (perceptual reaction amount) perceived by the human body when the acceleration is applied to the human body. In the case of physical periodic motion, the acceleration is integrated to zero when integrated for one period, but the perceptual reaction amount of this S-shaped curve is not necessarily zero even if integrated. For example, in a range such as f ₁ (x) in FIG. 11, the change in acceleration, that is, the difference in differential values (f ₁ ′ (a + k) −f ₁ ′ (a)) is larger than the difference in sensory values. Become. Conversely, in a range such as f ₂ (x), the change in acceleration (f ₁ ′ (b + k) −f ₁ ′ (b)) is smaller than the difference in sensory values. This means that there are places where the physical acceleration change is underestimated sensuously and places where the sensory overestimation is overestimated. This means that a pseudo force sense can be generated by utilizing the difference in the sensory intensity.

  Also, on the contact surface between the skin surface and the moving object, the translational force of the translational motion exceeds the static frictional force at a certain acceleration due to the relationship between the static friction coefficient and the dynamic friction coefficient, and slipping may occur. Therefore, by applying a large acceleration in the direction to be presented, this slip can be generated and a force sense can be displayed.

[Periodic motion with partial acceleration in the present invention]
As described above, the acceleration generating device of the present invention is limited in movement on the cam having a curved surface and the first line where the relative position of the cam to the curved surface is fixed, and is periodically translated on the first line. A moving member that performs movement movement along the curved surface of the cam that is supported on the curved surface of the cam, the movement being restricted on a second line whose relative position with respect to the moving member is fixed, A mechanism for storing energy by replacing a variation in the distance between the moving member and the cam follower with a variation in force energy, an energy storage mechanism that applies the generated force to the cam follower and presses the cam follower against the curved surface of the cam; And the distance between the cam follower and the moving member varies according to the curved surface shape of the cam according to the position of the moving member, Comprises a first region surface and the second area surface. The angle of the first region surface with respect to the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism and the second region surface with respect to the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism These angles are different in their positive and negative values and absolute values. Thereby, the time change of the acceleration in one cycle of the moving member is different from the case where the direction of the acceleration is a positive direction which is one direction along the first line, and the direction of the acceleration is opposite to the positive direction. This is asymmetric with the negative direction. As described above, when the moving member performs the periodic motion with the partial acceleration, a pseudo force sense is generated without providing a fulcrum or a force point for supporting the reaction force on the outside or the human body. As described above, the time change (acceleration profile) of acceleration in one cycle of the moving member of the acceleration generating device according to the present invention depends on the shape of the curved surface of the cam, and can be freely changed by changing the shape of the curved surface. Can be set. Further, as described above, the acceleration generating device of the present invention has high energy use efficiency, and the device can be reduced in size and measured. Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[First Embodiment]
First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
<Configuration>
FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C and FIG. 2 are diagrams showing the configuration of the acceleration generator 1 according to the first embodiment. Here, FIG. 1A is a plan view of the acceleration generator 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 1B is a front view of the acceleration generator 1 of this embodiment. Moreover, FIG. 1C is 1C-1C sectional drawing of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the acceleration generator 1 of this embodiment.

  The acceleration generating device 1 of this embodiment is limited in movement on the cam 20 having the curved surfaces 21 and 22 and the first line L1 where the relative position of the cam 20 to the curved surfaces 21 and 22 is fixed, and the first line L1. The movement member 40 that performs periodic translational movement above and the movement on the second line L <b> 2 whose relative position with respect to the movement member 40 is fixed are further supported by the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20. The cam followers 81 and 82 that move along the curved surfaces 21 and 22 and the distance between the moving member 40 and the cam followers 81 and 82 are replaced with force energy to save energy. And a spring 90 that is an energy storage mechanism that applies a force to the cam followers 81 and 82 and presses the cam followers 81 and 82 against the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20. Here, the distance between the cam followers 81 and 82 and the moving member 40 changes according to the curved surface shape of the cam 20 according to the position of the moving member 40. The curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20 include first region surfaces 21a and 22a and second region surfaces 21b and 22b, and the direction of the force applied to the cam followers 81 and 82 by the spring 90 that is an energy storage mechanism. The angles of the first area surfaces 21a and 22a with respect to the reference and the angles of the second area surfaces 21b and 22b with respect to the direction of the force applied to the cam followers 81 and 82 by the spring 90 have positive and negative values and absolute values. Different. And the time change of the acceleration in one period of the moving member 40 is the case where the direction of the acceleration is a positive direction which is one direction along the first line L1, and the direction of the acceleration is a direction opposite to the positive direction. It becomes asymmetric with the negative direction.

This is an outline of the configuration of the acceleration generator 1 in this embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration of the acceleration generator 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the acceleration generating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a base member 10, a cam 20, linear guides 30 and 60, a slider 41, a coil member 42, and a weight member 43. And a shaft 50, sliders 71 and 72, cam followers 81 and 82, and a spring 90 (corresponding to “energy storage mechanism”).

  Here, the base portion 10 in this example is a plate (for example, made of stainless steel or plastic) that can be regarded as a rigid body. The cam 20 in this example is a plate (for example, made of stainless steel or plastic) that can be regarded as a rigid body, and includes curved surfaces 21 and 22 on the side surfaces. In this example, a plane parallel to the cam 20 is an xy plane. The two curved surfaces 21 and 22 are formed in mirror symmetry with respect to a specific plane (P1 plane) orthogonal to the cam 20.

  The curved surface 21 includes a first region surface 21a, a second region surface 21b, and a third region surface 21c. Here, the gradient of the first region surface 21a with respect to the x axis in the xy plane is negative, the gradient of the second region surface 21b is positive, and the gradient of the third region surface 21c is zero. In addition, the gradient of the first region surface 21a with respect to the x axis in the xy plane is steeper than the gradient of the second region surface 21b. That is, when the function of the curve that is the intersection line of the curved surface 21 and the parallel plane of the xy plane is defined as f1 (x), the slope of the function f1 (x) on the first region surface 21a is negative. The slope of the function f1 (x) at the second region surface 21b is positive, and the slope of the function f1 (x) at the third region surface 21c is zero. The absolute value of the slope of the function f1 (x) on the first area surface 21a is larger than the absolute value of the slope of the function f1 (x) on the second area surface 21b. In addition, in terms of energy efficiency, it is desirable that the first region surface 21a and the second region surface 21b are smoothly connected via the third region surface 21c. That is, the function f1 (x) is desirably a function that can be first-order differentiated at all points.

  The curved surface 22 includes a first region surface 22a, a second region surface 22b, and a third region surface 22c. Here, the gradient of the first region surface 22a with respect to the x axis in the xy plane is positive, the gradient of the second region surface 22b is negative, and the gradient of the third region surface 22c is zero. In addition, the gradient of the first region surface 22a with respect to the x axis in the xy plane is steeper than the gradient of the second region surface 22b. That is, when the function of the curve that is the intersection of the curved surface 22 and the parallel plane of the xy plane is f2 (x), the slope of the function f2 (x) on the first region surface 22a is positive, The slope of the function f2 (x) at the second region surface 22b is negative, and the slope of the function f2 (x) at the third region surface 22c is zero. The absolute value of the slope of the function f2 (x) on the first region surface 22a is larger than the absolute value of the slope of the function f2 (x) on the second region surface 22b. Further, in terms of energy efficiency, it is desirable that the first region surface 22a and the second region surface 22b are smoothly connected via the third region surface 22c. That is, the function f2 (x) is desirably a function that can be first-order differentiated at all points.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2, the base portion 10 is disposed at a certain distance on one surface side of the cam 20 of this example, and the cam 20 is connected to the base portion 10 via support portions 23 to 25. It is fixed almost parallel. Thereby, the relative position of the cam 20 with respect to the base part 10 is fixed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1B, 1C, and 2, the linear guide 30 is fixed to the surface of the base portion 10 on the cam 20 side. The linear guide 30 in this example is a rail having a substantially rectangular cross section, and grooves 31 along each side surface are formed on both side surfaces in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the base 10 fixing surface. In addition, the linear guide 30 of this example is fixed to the base portion 10 in a state where the central axis in the longitudinal direction is arranged on a specific plane (P1 plane) orthogonal to the cam 20 described above.

Further, between the linear guide 30 and the cam 20, a columnar shaft 50 such as a column made of iron or the like at least partially magnetized is disposed in parallel with the linear guide 30. Both ends of the shaft 50 are fixed to the base portion 10 by support portions 51 and 52, respectively, whereby the relative position of the shaft 50 with respect to the linear guide 30 is fixed.
A slider 41 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is disposed on the surface of the linear guide 30 on the cam 20 side. As illustrated in FIG. 1C, the slider 41 is disposed on the cam 20 side surface of the linear guide 30 with the grooves 31 provided on both side surfaces of the linear guide 30, and slides along the linear guide 30. Mounted movably.

  The coil member 42 includes a through hole 42a. The coil member 42 is slidably inserted into the through hole 42 a and is fixed to the surface of the slider 41 on the cam 20 side. The coil member 42 includes a coil wound along the longitudinal direction of the through hole 42a, and generates a magnetic field in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 50 when an alternating current is applied to the coil.

  A weight 43 is fixed to the surface of the coil member 42 on the cam 20 side. Thereby, the movement member 40 constituted by the slider 41, the coil member 42, and the weight 43 is restricted to move on the first line L1 along the linear guide 30 and the shaft 50, and the first line L1 as described later. Perform periodic translational motions above. Since the linear guide 30 and the shaft 50 are fixed relative to the cam 20, the relative position of the first line L1 relative to the curved surfaces 21, 22 of the cam 20 is also fixed. In the case of this example, the first line L1 is arranged on a specific plane (P1 plane) orthogonal to the cam 20 described above.

  A linear guide 60 is fixed to the surface of the weight 43 on the cam 20 side. The linear guide 60 in this example is a rail having a substantially rectangular cross section, and grooves 61 are formed along both side surfaces on both side surfaces in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the weight 43 fixing surface. As shown in FIG. 1A, the direction of the linear guide 60 in the example of the present embodiment is a direction in which the longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the linear guide 30.

  Two sliders 71 and 72 having a substantially U-shaped cross section are disposed on the surface of the linear guide 60 on the cam 20 side. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the sliders 71 and 72 are arranged on the cam 20 side surface of the linear guide 60 with the grooves 61 provided on both side surfaces of the linear guide 60, and along the linear guide 60. Can be slidably mounted.

  Cam followers 81 and 82 are attached to the surfaces of the sliders 71 and 72 on the cam 20 side, respectively. In the case of this embodiment, the cam followers 81 and 82 are mounted in mirror symmetry with respect to the specific plane (P1) described above. The cam followers 81 and 82 of the present embodiment are columnar rollers that rotate about the rotation shafts fixed to the sliders 71 and 72, respectively, and the respective side surfaces are arranged in contact with the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20, respectively. Is done. In the case of this example, each rotation shaft of the cam followers 81 and 82 protrudes toward the upper surface of the cam 20 (the surface opposite to the base portion 10 side), and both the protruded rotation shafts are springs 90 arranged on the upper surface side of the cam 20. Connected by. Due to the elastic force (tensile force) of the spring 90, the cam followers 81 and 82 are substantially perpendicular to the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20 in the second line L2 direction (in this example, the first line L1 direction) along the linear guide 60. Direction). In this example, the spring 90 applies a mirror-symmetric force to the two cam followers 81 and 82 with respect to the specific plane (P1) described above.

  With the configuration as described above, the cam followers 81 and 82 in this example are configured to be movable along the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20 in a mirror-symmetric manner with respect to the specific plane (P1) described above. . Here, since the linear guide 60 is fixed to the moving member 40, the relative position of the second line L2 with respect to the moving member 40 is also fixed. Eventually, movement of the cam followers 81 and 82 is restricted on the second line L2 where the relative position with respect to the moving member 40 is fixed, and the cam followers 81 and 82 are supported by the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20. Movement along is possible.

  It is desirable that the diameter of the cam followers 81 and 82 be sufficiently smaller than the curvature of the joint between the first region surfaces 21a and 22a and the second region surfaces 21b and 22b via the third region surfaces 21c and 22c. If the diameter of the cam followers 81 and 82 is too large, when the cam followers 81 and 82 move along the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20, the cam followers 81 and 82 have the first region surfaces 21a and 22a and the second region surfaces 21b, It is because it collides with the joint part with 22b and loses energy.

<Operation>
Next, operation | movement of the acceleration generator 1 of 1st Embodiment is demonstrated.
The movement directions of the cam followers 81 and 82 are restricted on the second line L2 by the linear guide 60 fixed to the moving member 40. In addition, the cam followers 81 and 82 and the moving member 40 move in the direction along the first line L1 in conjunction with each other. Further, the cam followers 81 and 82 are supported by the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20 while receiving the elastic force of the spring 90, and move along the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20. The movement is restricted on the first line L1 where the relative position with respect to the curved surfaces 21, 22 is fixed. As a result, the distance between each cam follower 81, 82 and the moving member 40 depends on the curved surface shape of the cam 20 (in this example, functions f1 (x), f2 (x )) To change.

  Furthermore, since the spring 90 is a mechanism that stores elastic energy depending on the distance between the moving member 40 and the cam followers 81 and 82, the magnitude of the force (the pulling force of the spring 90) applied by the spring 90 to the cam followers 81 and 82 is large. Changes according to the position of the moving member 40. Further, since this force is a force in a direction in which the cam followers 81 and 82 are pressed against the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20, the curved surfaces 21 and 22 according to the angle formed by the direction of this force and the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20. Is applied to the cam followers 81 and 82, and the force is transmitted to the moving member 40 that moves in conjunction with the cam followers 81 and 82. That is, a force corresponding to the shape of the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20 (the inclination and height of each position) and the positions of the cam followers 81 and 82 and the moving member 40 is applied to the moving member 40. Furthermore, the angle of the first region surfaces 21a and 22a with reference to the direction of the force applied to the cam followers 81 and 82 by the spring 90 (in the example of the present embodiment, a direction substantially perpendicular to the first line L1 direction) and the second region The positive and negative values and the absolute values are different from the angles of the surfaces 21b and 22b, and the magnitude of the force applied to the moving direction of the moving member 40 and the cam followers 81 and 82 by the spring 90 also changes according to these angles.

With such a force, the moving member 40 translates on the first line L1, and the cam followers 81 and 82 move along the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20, respectively. The motion of the acceleration generator 1 is energy between the kinetic energy of the moving member 40, the cam followers 81 and 82, the linear guide 60, the sliders 71 and 72, and the spring 90 and the elastic energy (potential energy) of the spring 90. The conversion is done while it is being made. That is, when the moving member 40 moves on the first line L1, the length of the spring 90 changes in conjunction therewith. When the length of the spring 90 is extended, conversion from kinetic energy to elastic energy is performed, and when the length of the spring 90 is reduced, conversion from elastic energy to kinetic energy is performed. Assuming that there is no energy loss due to friction or the like, the sum of energy in the motion process is preserved, and the sum of kinetic energy and elastic energy is constant. When such an assumption is made and the moving member 40, the cam followers 81 and 82, the linear guide 60, the sliders 71 and 72, and the spring 90 are assumed to be one rigid body, the motion of the acceleration generator 1 of the present embodiment is as follows. It can be approximated by an equation.

Here, k is a spring constant of the spring 90, f1 (x), f2 (x) are functions of curves corresponding to the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20, and m is the moving member 40 and the cam followers 81 and 82. , the linear guide 60, the mass of the rigid body in the case where the slider 71 and the spring 90 it was assumed that one rigid, v ₀ is the initial velocity of the rigid body.

Then, by setting the shapes of the curved surfaces 21 and 22 as described above, the moving member 40 periodically reciprocates on the first line L1, and the time change of the acceleration in one cycle of the moving member 40 is The acceleration is asymmetric between the positive direction and the negative direction. That is, when the approximation of equation (1) is satisfied and the time change of acceleration (d ² x / d ² t) is (d ² x / d ² t)> 0 and (d ² x / d ² t) By forming the curved surfaces 21 and 22 corresponding to the functions f1 (x) and f2 (x) that are asymmetric with respect to <0, the time change of the acceleration in one cycle of the moving member 40 is positive. It becomes asymmetric between the case of direction and the case of negative direction.

  As a result, the translational motion of the moving member 40 of the present embodiment is different from the maximum absolute value of the positive acceleration and the maximum negative acceleration, and the time for which the maximum value has the acceleration in the larger direction is The movement is shorter than the time when the maximum value has an acceleration in a small direction. The inclination of the S-shaped curve (see FIG. 11) indicating the relationship between the acceleration of the moving member 40 and the acceleration perceived by the human body when the acceleration is applied to the human body is the positive acceleration of the moving member 40. By forming the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20 so as to have different movements at the maximum value point and the maximum value point of acceleration in the negative direction, a pseudo force sense can be generated in the first line L1 direction. it can.

3A to 3F are conceptual diagrams for explaining the translational motion of the moving member 40 of the present embodiment.
When the cam followers 81 and 82 are respectively present on the first region surfaces 21a and 22a (FIG. 3A), the moving member 40 is given acceleration in the A1 direction by the elastic force of the spring 90, and the cam followers 81 and 82 are respectively provided with A2 , A3 direction acceleration is given. As a result, the moving member 40 moves in the A1 direction on the first line L1 while rapidly accelerating, and the cam followers 81 and 82 move in the A2 and A3 directions along the curved surfaces 21 and 22, respectively, while rapidly accelerating. To do.

  When the cam followers 81 and 82 reach the second region surfaces 21b and 22b by this movement (FIG. 3B), the moving member 40 is given an acceleration in the direction opposite to the B1 direction by the elastic force of the spring 90, and the cam followers 81, The accelerations in the opposite directions of the directions B2 and B3 are respectively given to 82. As a result, the moving member 40 moves in the B1 direction on the first line L1 while slowly decelerating, and the cam followers 81 and 82 move in the B2 and B3 directions along the curved surfaces 21 and 22, respectively, while slowly decelerating.

  Further, when the cam followers 81 and 82 reach the position shown in FIG. 3C, the moving member 40 moves in the C1 direction on the first line L1 while gently decelerating, and the cam followers 81 and 82 gradually decelerate while the curved surfaces 21, 22 and move in the C2 and C3 directions. When the cam followers 81 and 82 reach the position shown in FIG. 3D, the speeds of the moving member 40 and the cam followers 81 and 82 once become zero. Thereafter, the moving member 40 moves in the D1 direction on the first line L1 while slowly accelerating at an acceleration given by the elastic force of the spring 90, and the cam followers 81 and 82 are respectively accelerated while gently accelerating the curved surfaces 21, 22 along the direction D2, D3.

  With this movement, the cam followers 81 and 82 reach the position shown in FIG. 3E, and the moving member 40 moves in the E1 direction on the first line L1 while slowly accelerating with the acceleration given by the elastic force of the spring 90. , 82 move in the E2 and E3 directions along the curved surfaces 21 and 22, respectively, while accelerating gently. Further, the cam followers 81 and 82 reach the position shown in FIG. 3F, and the moving member 40 moves in the F1 direction on the first line L1 while slowly accelerating with the acceleration given by the elastic force of the spring 90. 82 moves in the F2 and F3 directions along the curved surfaces 21 and 22 while accelerating gently.

Thereafter, the cam followers 81 and 82 reach the second region surfaces 21b and 22b, and the moving member 40 moves on the first line L1 while rapidly decelerating at an acceleration given by the elastic force of the spring 90, and the cam followers 81, Each of 82 moves along curved surfaces 21 and 22 while rapidly accelerating, and temporarily stops at the position shown in FIG. 3A. Thereafter, similarly, the movements of FIGS. 3A to 3F are periodically repeated.
Such a reciprocation in which the acceleration of the moving member 40 is asymmetric causes a pseudo force sense to be perceived in the direction illustrated in FIG.

<Control>
The acceleration generator 1 of this embodiment has a configuration in which translational motion is continued permanently as long as there is no loss such as friction and energy is completely preserved. However, in reality, there is air resistance, friction between the linear guide 30 and the slider 41, and the energy is not completely stored. Therefore, it is necessary to supply energy for this loss to the acceleration generator 1. In addition, it is necessary to supply energy to the acceleration generator 1 when driving the acceleration generator 1 is started. Such energy supply is performed as follows, for example.

  First, the shaft 50 is constituted by a magnet having an S pole and an N pole at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. In this case, when an alternating current (such as a two-layer alternating current or a three-layer alternating current) is supplied to the coil of the coil member 42, a magnetic field corresponding to the direction of the supplied current is generated in the coil, thereby Speed is given. The moving speed of the coil member 42 is detected using, for example, an induced electromotive force induced in the coil of the coil member 42 by the shaft 50 that is a magnet. Then, when it is detected that the coil member 42 has reached a predetermined speed at a predetermined position, the current supply to the coil of the coil member 42 is temporarily stopped. Further, when it is detected that the coil member 42 has fallen below a predetermined speed at a predetermined position, the current supply to the coil of the coil member 42 is resumed. As a result, energy corresponding to the energy loss is supplied to the acceleration generator 1, and the moving member 40 continues the periodic translational motion.

  Further, such energy may be supplied using a shaft motor and an encoder. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a configuration for supplying energy to the acceleration generator 1 using a shaft motor and an encoder.

  The acceleration generator 1 in the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B further includes a linear encoder (optical type, magnetic type, etc.) 110 fixed to the coil member 42 and the weight 43, and support parts 121 and 122 along the shaft 50. And an encoder scale (optical scale, magnetic scale, etc.) 120 fixed to the base unit 10. Further, the shaft 50 in this example is a magnet in which S poles and N poles are alternately repeated at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. And the control circuit 130 which supplies alternating current (2 layer alternating current, 3 layer alternating current, etc.) is electrically connected to the coil which the coil member 42 comprises. Further, the detection signal is input to the linear encoder 110, and a PC (personal computer) 140 that controls the control circuit 130 based on the detection signal is electrically connected.

  When the control circuit 130 supplies an alternating current to the coil of the coil member 42 under the control of the PC 140, a magnetic field corresponding to the direction of the supplied current is generated in the coil, thereby giving an initial speed to the coil member 42. It is done. The moving speed of the coil member 42 is detected by the linear encoder 110, and the detection signal is input to the PC 140. The PC 140 calculates the speed of the coil member 42 at a predetermined position using the detection signal. This calculation can be performed by differentiating the position information of the linear encoder 110 with respect to time. When the PC 140 detects that the coil member 42 has reached a predetermined speed at a predetermined position, the PC 140 temporarily stops the current supply to the coils of the coil member 42 by the control circuit 130. Further, when the PC 140 detects that the coil member 42 has fallen below a predetermined speed at a predetermined position, the PC 140 resumes the current supply to the coils of the coil member 42 by the control circuit 130. As a result, energy corresponding to the energy loss is supplied to the acceleration generator 1, and the moving member 40 continues the periodic translational motion.

<Features of this embodiment>
As described above, in this embodiment, a time-stable force sense can be perceived without providing a fulcrum or a force point that supports the reaction force.
Further, in the case of the acceleration generator 1 of the present embodiment, the time change of the acceleration of the moving member 40 and the like can be arbitrarily set only by changing the shapes of the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20. As a result, it is possible to easily realize an optimal acceleration change for generating a pseudo force sense.
Furthermore, the acceleration generator 1 of this embodiment has a configuration in which translational motion is continued forever as long as there is no loss such as friction and energy is completely stored. Therefore, the alternating current supplied to the coil member 42 only needs to compensate for this loss. That is, the above-mentioned pseudo force sense can be generated with low power consumption.

  In addition, the acceleration generator 1 of this embodiment does not convert the rotational power once generated into translational motion, but supplies alternating current to the coil member 42 so that the power in the first straight line L1 direction of the moving member 40 is obtained. Is generated directly. That is, a linear actuator is used as the actuator. Therefore, a mechanism necessary for converting rotational power into translational motion becomes unnecessary, and the apparatus can be reduced in size, space and weight. As a result, the acceleration generating device 1 can be built in an electronic device such as a mobile phone, and its application fields are expanded.

  In the case of the acceleration generating device 1 of the present embodiment, the cam 20 includes two curved surfaces 21 and 22 that are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the specific plane P1, and the first line L1 is a line on the specific plane P1. Yes, two cam followers 81 and 82 are provided mirror-symmetrically with respect to the specific plane P1, the two cam followers 81 and 82 move mirror-symmetrically with respect to the specific plane P1, and the spring 90 is A force which is mirror-symmetric with respect to the specific plane P1 is applied to the two cam followers 81 and 82. As a result, the force in the direction of the second straight line L2, which is substantially perpendicular to the first straight line L1, which is the moving direction of the moving member 40, is canceled, and acceleration is generated only in the direction in which the pseudo force is generated. As a result, a pseudo force sense can be appropriately presented. Further, by adopting such a symmetric configuration, the force on both sides around the specific plane P1 can be balanced, and the friction between the linear guide 60 and the slider 41 can be reduced. Thereby, high energy efficiency (power saving) is realizable.

  In the case of the acceleration generator 1 of the present embodiment, the spring 90 extends and contracts in the direction of the second straight line L2 that is substantially perpendicular to the first straight line L1 that is the moving direction of the moving member 40. It is assumed that there are many cases in which the user holds the acceleration generator 1 with his / her hand in the first line L1 direction (see FIG. 4). In this case, if the direction of the force applied to the cam followers 81 and 82 by the spring 90 is close to the first line L1 direction, an error occurs in the force applied to the cam followers 81 and 82 due to the spring action of the user's elbow. This effect is minimized when the direction of the force applied to the cam followers 81 and 82 by the spring 90 is in the second straight line L2 direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the first line L1 direction, as in this embodiment.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and the relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line is changed, and the relative position can be fixed at an arbitrary position with respect to the first embodiment. It is a difference. In this way, by changing the relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line, the angle of the first region surface based on the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism and the energy storage mechanism The angle of the second region surface with respect to the direction of the force applied to the cam follower is changed. Thereby, the time change (acceleration profile) of the acceleration of a moving member can be adjusted freely. Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment described above. In addition, description is simplified about the matter which is common in 1st Embodiment.

<Configuration>
6A and 6B are diagrams showing the configuration of the acceleration generator 201 of the second embodiment. Here, FIG. 6A is a plan view of the acceleration generator 201 of this embodiment. FIG. 6B is a front view of the acceleration generator 201 of this embodiment. 6A and 6B, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used for portions common to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the acceleration generator 201 according to the present embodiment includes a base member 10, cams 220 and 230, linear guides 30 and 60, a slider 41, a coil member 42, and a weight 43. 40, shafts 50 and 251 to 253, coil members 253c and 253e, holding members 251c and 252c, sliders 71 and 72, cam followers 81 and 82, and a spring 90 are provided. The shafts 251 to 253, the holding members 251c and 252c, and the coil members 253c and 253e correspond to an “adjustment unit”.

  The two cams 220 and 230 in this example are plates (for example, made of stainless steel or plastic) that can be regarded as rigid bodies, and have curved surfaces 221 and 232, respectively, on one side. The cams 220 and 230 in this example are arranged on the same plane, and a plane parallel to this plane is taken as an xy plane. The curved surfaces 221 and 232 included in the two cams 220 and 230, respectively, are formed symmetrically with each other. In the case of this embodiment, the entire cams 220 and 230 are configured to be symmetrical with each other. In the state of FIG. 6A, the two cams 220 and 230 face the opposite side of the plane P1 parallel to the xz plane passing through the first straight line L1 in the curved surfaces 221 and 232, and with respect to the plane P1. Are arranged so as to be plane-symmetric.

  The curved surface 221 includes a first region surface 221a, a second region surface 221b, and a third region surface 221c. Here, in the state of FIG. 6A, the gradient of the first region surface 221a with respect to the x axis in the xy plane is negative, the gradient of the second region surface 221b is positive, and the gradient of the third region surface 221c is 0. It is. In the state of FIG. 6A, the gradient of the first region surface 221a with respect to the x axis in the xy plane is steeper than the gradient of the second region surface 221b. That is, when the function of the curve that is the intersection of the curved surface 221 and the parallel plane of the xy plane is f1 (x), in the state of FIG. 6A, the slope of the function f1 (x) on the first region surface 221a. Is negative, the slope of the function f1 (x) at the second region surface 221b is positive, and the slope of the function f1 (x) at the third region surface 221c is zero. The absolute value of the slope of the function f1 (x) on the first region surface 221a is larger than the absolute value of the slope of the function f1 (x) on the second region surface 221b. Further, in terms of energy efficiency, it is desirable that the first region surface 221a and the second region surface 221b be smoothly connected via the third region surface 221c. That is, the function f1 (x) is desirably a function that can be first-order differentiated at all points.

  The curved surface 232 includes a first region surface 232a, a second region surface 232b, and a third region surface 232c. Here, in the state of FIG. 6A, the gradient of the first region surface 232a with respect to the x axis in the xy plane is positive, the gradient of the second region surface 232b is negative, and the gradient of the third region surface 232c is 0. It is. 6A, the gradient of the first region surface 232a with respect to the x axis in the xy plane is steeper than the gradient of the second region surface 232b. In other words, when the function of the curve that is the intersection of the curved surface 232 and the parallel plane of the xy plane is f2 (x), in the state of FIG. 6A, the slope of the function f2 (x) on the first region surface 232a. Is positive, the slope of the function f2 (x) at the second region surface 232b is negative, and the slope of the function f2 (x) at the third region surface 232c is zero. The absolute value of the slope of the function f2 (x) on the first region surface 232a is larger than the absolute value of the slope of the function f2 (x) on the second region surface 232b. In addition, in terms of energy efficiency, it is desirable that the first region surface 232a and the second region surface 232b are smoothly connected via the third region surface 232c. That is, the function f2 (x) is desirably a function that can be first-order differentiated at all points.

  The cam 220 includes two through holes 223 and 224 that are spaced apart from each other, and the cam 230 includes two through holes 233 and 234 that are spaced apart from each other. In this example, two through holes 223 and 224 are formed in both end portions of the cam 220 (both end portions in the longitudinal direction along the side surface where the curved surface 221 is formed), and both end portions of the cam 230 (the curved surface 232 are formed). Two through-holes 233 and 234 are formed at both end portions in the longitudinal direction along the side surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the base portion 10 is disposed at a certain distance on one side of the cams 220 and 230 in this example. Between the base portion 10 and the cams 220 and 230, shafts 251 and 252 that are spaced apart from the base portion 10 by a certain distance are arranged substantially in parallel. These two shafts 251 and 252 are fixed to the base portion 10 via support portions 251a and 251b and support portions 252a and 252b, respectively. The holding members 251c and 252c in this example are rectangular parallelepipeds each having a through hole. The holding members 251c and 252c are respectively supported by the shafts 251 and 252 so that the shafts 251 and 252 are inserted into the through holes and are slidable. Projecting cylindrical rotary shafts 251ca and 252ca are provided on the surfaces of the holding members 251c and 252c opposite to the base portion 10, respectively.

  6A and 6B, a shaft 253 is disposed between the shafts 251 and 252 and the cams 220 and 230 so as to be substantially parallel to the base portion 10 and substantially perpendicular to the shafts 251 and 252. . The shaft 253 is disposed at a position away from the shafts 251 and 252 by a certain distance, and is fixed to the base portion 10 via the support portions 253a and 253b in this state. The shaft 253 is a magnet in which an S pole and an N pole are arranged in the same manner as the shaft 50. The coil members 253c and 253e in this example are each a rectangular parallelepiped having the same configuration as that of the coil member 42. The shaft 253 is inserted into the through holes of the coil members 253c and 253e, and the coil members 253c and 253e are supported by the shaft 253 in a state in which the coil members 253c and 253e can slide along the shaft 253. Projected columnar rotation shafts 253ca and 253ea are provided on the surfaces of the coil members 253c and 253e opposite to the base portion 10, respectively.

  6A, the rotation shaft 251ca is inserted into the through hole 223 of the cam 220, and the rotation shaft 253ca is inserted into the through hole 224. Thus, the cam 220 is supported by the coil members 251c and 253c so as to be capable of rotating on the xy plane with the rotation shafts 251ca and 253ca as axes. The rotation shaft 252ca is inserted into the through hole 233 of the cam 230, and the rotation shaft 253ea is inserted into the through hole 234. Accordingly, the cam 230 is supported by the holding members 252c and 253e so as to be capable of rotating on the xy plane with the rotation shafts 252ca and 253ea as an axis.

6A and 6B, as in the first embodiment, the linear guide 30, the shaft 50, the moving member 40 (the slider 41, the coil member 42 and the weight 43), the linear guide 60, the sliders 71 and 72, Cam followers 81 and 82 and a spring 90 are arranged and configured. The cam followers 81 and 82 are restricted in movement on the second line L2 where the relative position with respect to the moving member 40 is fixed, and are further supported by the curved surfaces 221 and 232 of the cams 220 and 230, respectively. It arrange | positions so that the movement along 221 and 232 is possible.
<Operation>
About the operation | movement for generating the pseudo force sense of the acceleration generator 201 of this form, it is the same as that of the acceleration generator 1 of 1st Embodiment. The acceleration generator 201 of this embodiment is characterized in that the relative positions of the curved surfaces 221 and 232 of the cams 220 and 230 with respect to the first line L1 are changed by changing the positions of the cams 220 and 230, and the acceleration profile of the moving member 40 is obtained. It is a point to change. Only this operation will be described below.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view of the acceleration generator 201 for explaining this operation. When an alternating current is supplied from the control circuits 321 and 322 to the coil members 253c and 253e under the control of the PC 311, a magnetic field corresponding to the direction of the current is generated in the coils included in the coil members 253c and 253e. The coil members 253c and 253e move along the shaft 253. With this movement, the rotating shafts 253ca and 253ea also move along the shaft 253. Here, since the cams 220 and 230 are also rotatably supported by the rotation shafts 251ca and 252ca, the cams 220 and 230 perform swinging motions around the rotation shafts 251ca and 252ca, respectively. With this swinging motion, the holding members 251c and 252c slide along the shafts 251 and 252 respectively. The relative positions of the curved surfaces 221 and 232 of the cams 220 and 230 with respect to the first line L1 are changed by the swinging motion of the cams 220 and 230, and the inclinations of the curved surfaces 221 and 232 with respect to the first line L1 are changed. This is equivalent to changing the shapes of the curved surfaces 221 and 232 of the cams 220 and 230. That is, by oscillating the cams 220 and 230 in this way, the acceleration profile of the moving member 40 can be changed. Then, the cams 220 and 230 are fixed at predetermined positions, and the moving member 40 performs translational reciprocating motion in a state where the relative positions of the curved surfaces 221 and 232 with respect to the first line L1 are fixed. Perceived force sense. The method for fixing the positions of the cams 220 and 230 is not particularly limited. As the fixing method, for example, a configuration in which a DC current is continuously supplied to the coil members 253c and 253e or mechanically fixed by a stopper that can be controlled and driven to fix the coil members 253c and 253e to the shaft 253 is employed. It can be illustrated. Further, the holding members 251c and 252c may be fixed to the shafts 251 and 252, respectively.

  When the cams 220 and 230 are swung as described above during the driving of the acceleration generator 201, the swinging motion of the cams 220 and 230 is relative to the relative position between the cams 220 and 230 and the first line L1. This is preferably performed when the moving member 40 and the cam followers 81 and 82 exist at positions where the change in the distance between the moving member 40 and the cam followers 81 and 82 is less than or less than a predetermined value. Thereby, the energy change accompanying the rocking | fluctuation motion of the cams 220 and 230 can be suppressed low, and the stable operation | movement of the acceleration generator 201 is realizable. More preferably, it is desirable to perform the timing at which the change in the distance between the moving member 40 and the cam followers 81 and 82 is minimized. Thereby, the change of the energy accompanying the rocking motion of the cams 220 and 230 can be minimized. In the example of FIG. 6, it is optimal that the cam followers 81 and 82 swing the cams 220 and 230 when the cam followers 81 and 82 exist in the third regions 221c and 232c.

  Further, it is desirable that the displacement between the cam 220 and the cam 230 accompanying the swinging motion of the cams 220 and 230 is plane symmetric with respect to the plane P1. Accordingly, the cams 220 and 230 of the cams 220 and 230 are plane-symmetric with respect to the plane P1, and as described in the first embodiment, it is possible to appropriately present a pseudo force sense with high energy efficiency. Become.

<Features of this embodiment>
As described above, in the present embodiment, the acceleration profile of the moving member 40 can be changed by changing the relative positions of the curved surfaces 221 and 232 of the cams 220 and 230 with respect to the first line L1. Thereby, the extent to which a pseudo force sense is perceived can be freely adjusted.

  6 and 7, if the cams 220 and 230 can be made large, it is possible to reverse the sign of the acceleration profile. In this case, the direction in which the pseudo force sense is perceived is reversed. It can also be made. However, in this case, it is necessary to extend the lengths of the first area surfaces 221a and 232a of the curved surfaces 221 and 232 in the xy plane in consideration of the moving range of the cam followers 81 and 82. For example, the length of the first region surfaces 221a and 232a in the xy plane needs to be approximately the same as the length of the second region surfaces 221b and 232b in the xy plane.

8 and 9 show a pseudo force sensation by making the lengths of the curved first region surface and the second region surface in the xy plane substantially the same, and further increasing the swinging motion width of the cam. It is the top view which illustrated the acceleration generator 401 which can reverse the direction which makes you perceive.
The curved surfaces 421 and 431 of the cams 420 and 430 included in the acceleration generator 401 in the example of FIG. 8 include first region surfaces 421a and 431a, second region surfaces 421b and 431b, and third region surfaces 421c and 431c, respectively. It has. As illustrated in FIG. 8, in this configuration, the lengths of the first area surfaces 421a and 431a of the curved surfaces 421 and 431 and the second area surfaces 421b and 431b in the xy plane are approximately the same.

When the cams 420 and 430 are swung from the state of FIG. 8 to the state of FIG. 9, the absolute values of the angles of the first region surfaces 421a and 431a on the xy plane with respect to the first line L1; The absolute values of the angles of the second region surfaces 421b and 431b can be reversed. Thereby, the positive / negative of the time change of the acceleration of the moving member 40 (positive / negative of the acceleration profile) can be reversed.
Also, a plurality of sets of two cams as shown in FIG. 6 are provided, and the moving member 40, the linear guide 60, the sliders 71 and 72, the cam followers 81 and 82, and the spring 90 move between the plurality of sets of cams 220 and 230. There may be. Thereby, the acceleration of various directions and time changes can be generated according to the position of the curved surface of the cam that the cam followers 81 and 82 contact. An example is shown below.

In FIG. 10, two sets of two cams (cams 220, 230, 520, 530) are provided, and the moving member 40, the linear guide 60, the sliders 71, 72, the cam followers 81, 82, and the spring 90 are a plurality of sets of cams 220, It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the acceleration generator made into the structure which moves between 230. FIG.
10A, the cam followers 81 and 82 move along only the curved surfaces of the cams 220 and 230, and the moving member 40 reciprocates along the linear guide 30 accordingly. Accordingly, the moving member 40 moves with an acceleration profile corresponding to each curved surface of the cams 220 and 230, and makes a pseudo force sense corresponding to the movement perceived.

  Further, when the cams 220 and 230 are swung in the course of the movement of FIG. 10A and the positions of the cams 220 and 230 are set to the positions of FIG. 10B, the cam followers 81 and 82 are moved toward the cams 520 and 530 as shown in FIG. 10C. Moving. Thereafter, when the cams 520 and 530 are swung and the cams 520 and 530 are moved to the positions shown in FIG. 10D, the cam followers 81 and 82 move along only the curved surfaces of the cams 520 and 530 and move accordingly. The member 40 performs a reciprocating motion along the linear guide 30. Thereby, the moving member 40 moves with an acceleration profile corresponding to each curved surface of the cams 520 and 530, and makes a pseudo force sense corresponding to the movement perceived.

  Here, in the state of FIG. 10A and the state of FIG. 10D, the acceleration profile of the moving member 40 can be reversed. Therefore, it is possible to reverse the direction in which the pseudo force sense is perceived.

[Other variations]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, in the first embodiment, the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20 are configured to be mirror-symmetric, and in the second embodiment, the curved surfaces 221 and 232 of the cams 220 and 230 are disposed to be mirror-symmetric. However, in the first embodiment, the curved surfaces 21 and 22 of the cam 20 may not be configured to be mirror-symmetrical, and in the second embodiment, the curved surfaces 221 and 232 of the cams 220 and 230 may not be arranged to be mirror-symmetrical.

In the first embodiment, only the curved surface 21 of the cam 20 may be provided, and the curved surface 22 portion may be formed in a flat shape. Furthermore, the structure which uses the cam follower 81 which does not provide the cam follower 82 but bites may be sufficient. In this case, for example, one end of the spring 90 is held by the rotating shaft of the cam follower 81 and the other end is held by the moving member 40. In this case, the motion of the acceleration generator can be approximated by the following equation of motion.

  Further, the configuration of the present invention may be realized by using a three-dimensional cam having one or more curved surfaces instead of the plate-like cam having one or two curved surfaces as described above. Alternatively, a control may be performed using a three-dimensional cam having a plurality of curved surfaces and moving the cam follower on a desired curved surface. Thereby, the acceleration profile of the moving member can be changed according to the curved surface on which the cam follower is arranged.

  Further, a configuration in which a three-dimensional cam having three or more curved surfaces is used, and three or more cam followers may move along the curved surface of the three-dimensional cam, respectively. In this case, preferably, the cam includes a plurality of curved surfaces that are symmetrical with respect to the specific straight line, the first line that is the movement path of the moving member is a line along the specific straight line, and the cam follower is the specific plane. Preferably, a plurality of cam followers move symmetrically with respect to the specific straight line, and the spring applies a force symmetrical to the specific straight line to the plurality of cam followers. . This is because such a symmetrical configuration can appropriately present a pseudo force sense with high energy efficiency as described in the first embodiment.

  In the first and second embodiments, the linear guide 60 restricts the movement direction of the cam followers 81 and 82 to a direction substantially perpendicular to the first line L1. That is, the first line L1 and the second line L2 were substantially vertical. However, the cam followers 81 and 82 may be moved in a direction that is not substantially perpendicular to the first line L1. For example, the angle formed by the first line L1 and the second line L2 may be about 0 ° or about 45 °. Preferably, for the reason described above, it is desirable that the direction of the second line L2 is substantially perpendicular to the direction of bending and extending the elbow when the acceleration generator is gripped.

In the first and second embodiments, the first line L1 and the second line L2 are straight lines. However, at least one of the first line L1 and the second line L2 may be a curve. That is, the linear guide may be configured and arranged in a curved shape.
Furthermore, the structure which fixes a weight to the cam followers 81 and 82 may be sufficient, and the structure in which the moving member 40 does not comprise the weight 43 may be sufficient.

  In the first and second embodiments, the spring 90 is an energy storage mechanism, and the potential energy is stored by the elastic force of the spring 90. However, it may be configured to store potential energy due to magnetic force using a magnet as an energy storage mechanism, or may be configured to store potential energy due to Coulomb force using an insulator charged as an energy storage mechanism. In the first and second embodiments, the spring 90 is a tension spring, but a compression spring, a leaf spring, or the like may be used. In short, any configuration may be used as long as the change in position between the cam follower and the moving member can be stored as potential energy. In the case of a configuration in which a repulsive force is generated between the cam follower and the moving member, such as a compression spring, for example, the cam may be configured and arranged so that the curved surface of the cam faces the moving member side (inner side).

  Needless to say, other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  In order to generate a physically complete acting force, a fulcrum or a force point that supports the reaction force is usually required. In the present invention, while the average as the physical acting force remains zero, It enables force display in a pseudo target direction based on the difference between the non-linearity of human force perception and the absolute value of positive and negative acting force. Thus, since a fulcrum is not required outside, as a sensory presentation device, fields, such as mobile devices, such as a mobile phone, and wearable computing, can be illustrated, for example.

FIG. 1A is a plan view of the acceleration generator of the first embodiment. FIG. 1B is a front view of the acceleration generator of the first embodiment. Moreover, FIG. 1C is 1C-1C sectional drawing of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the acceleration generator 1 according to the first embodiment. 3A to 3F are conceptual diagrams for explaining the translational motion of the moving member according to the first embodiment. It is the figure which illustrated how to grasp the acceleration generating device of a 1st embodiment. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a configuration for supplying energy to the acceleration generating device using a shaft motor and an encoder. FIG. 6A is a plan view of the acceleration generator of the second embodiment. FIG. 6B is a front view of the acceleration generator according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the acceleration generator according to the second embodiment. 8 and 9 show a pseudo force sensation by making the lengths of the curved first region surface and the second region surface in the xy plane substantially the same, and further increasing the swinging motion width of the cam. It is the top view which illustrated the acceleration generator which can reverse the direction which makes you perceive. 8 and 9 show a pseudo force sensation by making the lengths of the curved first region surface and the second region surface in the xy plane substantially the same, and further increasing the swinging motion width of the cam. It is the top view which illustrated the acceleration generator which can reverse the direction which makes you perceive. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the acceleration generating apparatus in which two sets of two cams are provided and the moving member, the linear guide, the slider, the cam follower, and the spring move between a plurality of sets of cams. It is the graph which showed the relationship between the physical acceleration added to a human body, and the acceleration (perceptual reaction amount) which a human body perceives when the acceleration is added to a human body.

Explanation of symbols

1,201 Acceleration generator 10 Base part 20, 220, 230 Cam
21, 22, 221, 232 Curved surfaces 21a, 22a, 221a, 232a First region surfaces 21b, 22b, 221b, 232b Second region surfaces 21c, 22c, 221c, 232c Third region surfaces 30, 60 Linear guide 40 Moving member 41 Slider 42 Coil member 43 Weight 50 Shaft 71, 72 Slider 81, 82 Cam follower 90 Spring

Claims (10)

A cam having a curved surface;
A moving member that is limited in movement on the first line where the relative position of the cam to the curved surface is fixed, and that performs periodic translational movement on the first line;
A cam follower that is limited in movement on the second line, the relative position of which is fixed with respect to the moving member, is supported by the curved surface of the cam, and performs a moving motion along the curved surface of the cam;
A mechanism for storing potential energy depending on a distance between the moving member and the cam follower, the energy storing mechanism for applying the generated force to the cam follower and pressing the cam follower against the curved surface of the cam;
The distance between the cam follower and the moving member changes according to the curved surface shape of the cam according to the position of the moving member,
The curved surface of the cam includes a first region surface and a second region surface, and the angle of the first region surface with respect to the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism, and the energy storage mechanism The angle of the second area surface with respect to the direction of the force applied to the cam follower differs from the positive and negative and absolute values thereof,
The time change of the acceleration in one cycle of the moving member is that the direction of the acceleration is a positive direction that is one direction along the first line, and the direction of the acceleration is a direction opposite to the positive direction. Asymmetric with negative direction,
An acceleration generator characterized by that. The acceleration generator according to claim 1,
The translational motion of the moving member is
The maximum absolute acceleration value in the positive direction is different from the maximum negative acceleration value, and the time when the maximum value has a larger acceleration is shorter than the time when the maximum value has a smaller acceleration. Is exercise,
An acceleration generator characterized by that. The acceleration generator according to claim 1 or 2,
The translational motion of the moving member is
The slope of the S-shaped curve indicating the relationship between the acceleration of the moving member and the acceleration perceived by the human body when the acceleration is applied to the human body is the maximum point of acceleration in the positive direction of the moving member and the negative direction. The movement is different from the maximum acceleration point of
An acceleration generator characterized by that. The acceleration generator according to claim 1,
The direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism is substantially perpendicular to the first line direction;
An acceleration generator characterized by that. The acceleration generator according to claim 1,
The first area surface and the second area surface provided on the curved surface of the cam are smoothly connected.
An acceleration generator characterized by that. The acceleration generator according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The cam has two curved surfaces that are mirror-symmetric with respect to a specific plane.
The first line is a line on the specific plane,
Two cam followers are provided mirror-symmetrically with respect to the specific plane,
The two cam followers move mirror-symmetrically with respect to the specific plane,
The energy storage mechanism applies a force that is mirror-symmetric with respect to the specific plane to the two cam followers.
An acceleration generator characterized by that. The acceleration generator according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The cam includes a plurality of curved surfaces symmetrical with respect to a specific straight line,
The first line is a line along the specific straight line,
A plurality of the cam followers are provided symmetrically with respect to the specific plane,
The plurality of cam followers move symmetrically with respect to the specific straight line,
The energy storage mechanism applies a force symmetrical to the specific straight line to the plurality of cam followers;
An acceleration generator characterized by that. The acceleration generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
An adjustment unit that changes a relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line;
An acceleration generator characterized by that. The acceleration generating device according to claim 8,
The adjustment unit is configured to change a relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line, thereby changing an angle of the first region surface with respect to a direction of a force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism. And the angle of the second region surface with respect to the direction of the force applied to the cam follower by the energy storage mechanism, respectively,
An acceleration generator characterized by that. The acceleration generator according to claim 8 or 9,
The adjustment unit
The moving member and the cam follower are present at a position where a change in the distance between the moving member and the cam follower is less than or less than a predetermined value with respect to a change in the relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line. When changing the relative position between the curved surface of the cam and the first line,
An acceleration generator characterized by that.

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