JP6439305B2 - Crawler robot - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a crawler-type robot that performs work and investigation of a place where a human cannot enter.

  For example, in a nuclear power plant, there are places where radiation is high and there are narrow areas where humans cannot enter. In view of this, a crawler type robot is equipped with a measuring device and a work device, and the crawler type robot is caused to travel to perform work and investigation in such a place.

  A crawler-type robot is a tracked vehicle with a crawler track that allows movement on rough terrain. In such a crawler type robot, the crawler belt may come off when traveling on rough terrain or turning left and right. That is, when a lateral force is applied to the crawler track by turning left and right, the portion of the crawler track between the front wheel and the rear wheel that is in contact with the road (crawler track contact portion) may protrude laterally, and the crawler track contact portion may When protruding in the lateral direction, as the crawler belt rotates, the protruding area of the crawler belt contact portion expands backward. When the protruding range reaches the top of the rear wheel, the crawler belt is completely removed. In order to prevent such a situation, there is one in which members for preventing the crawler from coming off are provided on both side edges of the crawler (see Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional crawler robot in which members for preventing the crawler belt from being removed are provided on the side surfaces of the crawler belt. A crawler belt removal prevention portion 14 for preventing the crawler belt from coming off is provided on the side surface of the crawler belt 13 spanned between the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12. The crawler belt prevention part 14 covers the upper and lower side surfaces of the crawler belt 13 and is provided so that the edge of the crawler belt prevention part 14 does not contact the running road surface in the crawler belt grounding part 13A of the crawler belt 13. As a result, the crawler belt slip prevention part 14 covers the top and bottom side surfaces of the crawler belt 13 and prevents the crawler belt 13 from protruding laterally.

  In such a crawler-type robot, when super-revolution is performed, a large torque is required for the revolving because of the side slip of the wheel, and smooth super-revolution is difficult. Output increases. Therefore, by moving the center of gravity of the car body, the distance from the car body center of gravity to the front wheels can be shortened to enable rotational driving with low torque, and even with a relatively small output driving motor, smooth super turning is possible. Yes (see Patent Document 2).

  Further, there is a caterpillar type wheelchair that has a center wheel between a front wheel and a rear wheel, only the center wheel in the middle is moved downward and has a fulcrum on the caterpillar to improve turning ability and to be easily turned left and right (Patent Document 3). reference).

JP 2012-61962 A JP 2007-145108 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-48373

  However, in the crawler-type robot shown in FIG. 9, since the edge of the crawler belt removal prevention part 14 just covers the side surface of the crawler belt 13, the crawler belt contact part 13A must not touch the traveling road surface. High precision is required for the design, production and installation of 14. In particular, when the thickness of the crawler belt 13 is thin, it is difficult to adjust the height of the edge of the crawler belt detachment preventing portion 14.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the positional relationship between the crawler belt and the crawler belt ground contact portion and the crawler belt detachment prevention portion in the conventional crawler type robot shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10 (a), in the crawler belt contact portion 13A of the crawler belt 13, since the edge of the crawler belt fall prevention portion 14 is at the height of the road surface, the crawler slip prevention portion when traveling on rough terrain. The 14 edges may collide with unevenness or obstacles on the running surface and hinder travel. Further, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), the crawler belt removal prevention portion 14 is only shallowly covered on the side surface of the crawler belt 13, so that when the deformation of the crawler belt 13 is large, the crawler belt 13 gets over the crawler belt removal prevention portion 14. There is a risk of coming off.

  On the other hand, the crawler robot of Patent Document 2 can move the turning center during turning by moving the center of gravity of the vehicle body, but the number of drive motors increases because the front, rear, left and right wheels are individually driven. In the caterpillar type wheelchair of Patent Document 3, since only the center wheel is lowered, the front / rear stability is poor and pitching is likely to occur during straight travel.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a crawler robot that can easily prevent the crawler from coming off and can stably turn.

The crawler type robot according to the invention of claim 1 is stretched between a front wheel provided at a front portion of a robot body, a rear wheel provided at a rear portion of the robot body, and the front wheel and the rear wheel. A crawler belt, a grounding wheel which is provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel and is at least three or more subordinate wheels for pressing the crawler belt on the road, and the front wheel side or the rear wheel side when turning A grounding wheel moving mechanism that lifts the position of the grounding wheel to a position where the crawler belt does not press against the traveling path, the grounding wheel moving mechanism lifts the grounding wheel to a position where the slack does not occur, When moving the ground wheel on the front wheel side up to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road, the center of the ground wheel on the front wheel side moves on an ellipse focusing on the center of the front wheel and the middle ground wheel. Or or before When moving the ground wheel on the rear wheel side up to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road, the center of the ground wheel on the rear wheel side is on the ellipse with the center of the center of the rear wheel and the middle ground wheel as the focus. It is a trajectory that moves .

A crawler type robot according to a second aspect of the present invention is spanned between a front wheel provided at a front portion of a robot body, a rear wheel provided at a rear portion of the robot body, and the front wheel and the rear wheel. A crawler belt, a grounding wheel which is provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel and is at least three or more subordinate wheels for pressing the crawler belt on the road, and the front wheel side or the rear wheel side when turning A grounding wheel moving mechanism that lifts the position of the grounding wheel to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road, and a center of gravity that moves the center of gravity of the robot body to the opposite side of the grounding wheel lifted by the grounding wheel moving mechanism And a position moving mechanism .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a crawler-type robot that spans between a front wheel provided at a front portion of a robot body, a rear wheel provided at a rear portion of the robot body, and the front wheel and the rear wheel. A crawler belt, a grounding wheel which is provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel and is at least three or more subordinate wheels for pressing the crawler belt on the road, and the front wheel side or the rear wheel side when turning A grounding wheel moving mechanism that lifts the position of the grounding wheel to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road, and a center of gravity that moves the center of gravity of the robot body to the opposite side of the grounding wheel lifted by the grounding wheel moving mechanism And a position moving mechanism, wherein the grounding wheel moving mechanism lifts the grounding wheel to a position where the crawler belt does not become slack .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a crawler-type robot that spans between a front wheel provided at a front portion of a robot body, a rear wheel provided at a rear portion of the robot body, and the front wheel and the rear wheel. A crawler belt, a grounding wheel which is provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel and is at least three or more subordinate wheels for pressing the crawler belt on the road, and the front wheel side or the rear wheel side when turning A grounding wheel moving mechanism that lifts the position of the grounding wheel to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road, and a center of gravity that moves the center of gravity of the robot body to the opposite side of the grounding wheel lifted by the grounding wheel moving mechanism A position movement mechanism, the grounding wheel movement mechanism lifts the grounding wheel to a position where the crawler belt does not slack, and moves the grounding wheel on the front wheel side up to a position where the crawler belt does not press against the travel path. When the previous And an ellipse with the center of the center of the ground wheel as the center, and a track on which the center of the ground wheel on the front wheel side moves, or to a position where the crawler track does not press the ground wheel on the rear wheel side against the road When moving upward, an ellipse centering on the center of the rear wheel and the center of the ground wheel is a track that moves the center of the ground wheel on the rear wheel side .

A crawler type robot according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the crawler type robot according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the crawler type robot is provided on a side surface of the crawler belt outside the robot main body and before and after the front wheel and the rear wheel. A crawler slip prevention portion that protrudes and is attached to the robot body, the crawler slip prevention portion is slack in the crawler track during turning or running on uneven terrain, and the crawler belt slip portion between the front wheel and the rear wheel Even when the portion in contact with the traveling road protrudes laterally, the crawler belt wound around the front wheel and the rear wheel protrudes in such a size that it can be prevented from protruding laterally.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the position of the ground wheel on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side is raised to a position where the crawler track does not press against the traveling path during turning, the crawler belt contact portion can be reduced, and the frictional resistance during turning can be reduced. It can be reduced and it becomes easier to turn. Further, since the grounding ring is lifted to a position where the crawler belt does not slack, the crawler belt does not slack when the grounding wheel is lifted. Furthermore, when the grounding wheel moving mechanism moves the grounding wheel on the front wheel side up to a position where the crawler belt does not press against the road, the grounding on the front wheel side is placed on the ellipse centered on the center of the front wheel and the middle grounding wheel. When the track is such that the center of the wheel moves, or when the grounding wheel on the rear wheel side is moved upward to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road, the ellipse is focused on the center of the rear wheel and the middle grounding wheel. Since the track is such that the center of the grounding wheel on the rear wheel side moves, the length of the crawler belt between the front wheel or the rear wheel and the middle grounding wheel is always constant, and the slack of the crawler belt can be prevented.

According to the invention of claim 2, since the position of the ground wheel on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side is raised to a position where the crawler track does not press against the travel path during turning, the crawler ground contact portion can be reduced and the frictional resistance during turning can be reduced. It can be reduced and it becomes easier to turn. Further, since the center of gravity of the robot body is moved to the opposite side of the grounding wheel lifted during turning, the turning movement distance in the traveling direction is reduced and the turning is facilitated.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the position of the ground wheel on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side is raised to a position where the crawler track does not press against the travel path during turning, so that the crawler track contact portion can be reduced and the frictional resistance during turning can be reduced. It can be reduced and it becomes easier to turn. Further, since the ground ring is lifted to a position where the crawler belt does not become slack when turning, the crawler belt does not become slack when the ground ring is lifted. Furthermore, since the center of gravity of the robot body is moved to the opposite side of the grounding wheel lifted during turning, the turning movement distance in the traveling direction becomes small and the turning becomes easy.

According to the invention of claim 4, since the position of the grounding wheel on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side is raised to a position where the crawler track does not press against the travel path during turning, the crawler belt contact portion can be reduced, and the frictional resistance during turning can be reduced. It can be reduced and it becomes easier to turn. In addition, when the grounding wheel moving mechanism moves the grounding wheel on the front wheel side up to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road, the grounding on the front wheel side is placed on the ellipse centered on the center of the front wheel and the middle grounding wheel. When the track is such that the center of the wheel moves, or when the grounding wheel on the rear wheel side is moved upward to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road, the ellipse is focused on the center of the rear wheel and the middle grounding wheel. Since the track is such that the center of the grounding wheel on the rear wheel side moves, the length of the crawler belt between the front wheel or the rear wheel and the middle grounding wheel is always constant, and the slack of the crawler belt can be prevented. Furthermore, since the position of the center of gravity of the robot body is moved to the opposite side of the grounding wheel lifted at the time of turning, the turning movement distance in the traveling direction becomes small and the turning becomes easy. Furthermore, since the center of gravity of the robot body is moved to the opposite side of the grounding wheel lifted during turning, the turning movement distance in the traveling direction becomes small and the turning becomes easy.

According to the invention of claim 5, in addition to the effects of the invention of any one of claims 1 to 4, the crawler belt is located laterally on the side surface of the crawler belt outside the robot body and before and after the front and rear wheels. The crawler detachment prevention part is attached to the robot body so that it can be prevented from protruding, so it is not necessary to install the crawler crawler grounding part so that it is just below the road surface. High accuracy is not required for installation. Since the crawler slip prevention part can be attached to a high place from the running road surface, it does not hinder running on rough terrain. Moreover, since the crawler belt prevention part protrudes back and forth, the crawler belt does not get over the crawler belt prevention part.

The perspective view of an example of the crawler type robot concerning the embodiment of the present invention. Explanatory drawing of an effect | action of the crawler belt removal prevention part in embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the traveling function of the crawler type robot which has the crawler belt removal prevention part in the embodiment of the present invention, and the conventional crawler type robot which does not have the crawler belt removal prevention part. Explanatory drawing of an effect | action of the grounding wheel at the time of normal driving | running | working of the crawler type robot which concerns on embodiment of this invention, a grounding wheel moving mechanism part, and a gravity center position moving mechanism part. The perspective view of other examples of the crawler type robot concerning the embodiment of the present invention. Explanatory drawing of an effect | action of the grounding wheel at the time of turning of the crawler type robot which concerns on embodiment of this invention, a grounding wheel moving mechanism part, and a gravity center position moving mechanism part. Explanatory drawing in the case of lifting a grounding ring to the position where a slack does not arise in a crawler belt by the grounding ring moving mechanism part in embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing in the case of moving the crawler-type robot 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention to a narrow location. The perspective view which shows an example of the conventional crawler-type robot which provided the member for preventing a track | truck removal from the side surface of a crawler belt. Explanatory drawing of the positional relationship of a crawler belt and a crawler belt grounding part, and a crawler belt fall-off prevention part in the conventional crawler type robot shown in FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a crawler robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. A pair of front wheels 11 are provided at the front of the robot body 15 of the crawler robot 10, and a pair of rear wheels 12 are provided at the rear of the robot body 15. In FIG. 1, the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12 on the right side are illustrated, but the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12 are similarly provided on the left side. In addition, between the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12, three grounding wheels 16a, 16b, and 16c are provided. In FIG. 1, the three grounding wheels 16a, 16b, and 16c on the right side are shown, but the three grounding wheels 16a, 16b, and 16c are similarly provided on the left side.

  Then, a crawler belt 13 is stretched between the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12, and the three ground wheels 16a, 16b, 16c press the crawler belt 13 against the travel path when the crawler robot 10 normally travels. . Although FIG. 1 shows a case where three grounding rings 16a, 16b, and 16c are provided, three or more grounding rings 16 may be provided.

  The front wheel 11 is a driving wheel driven by a drive motor 17, and the rear wheel 12 is a slave wheel that rotates through the crawler belt 13 by the rotation of the front wheel 11. Similarly, the three grounding wheels 16 a, 16 b, and 16 c are slave wheels that rotate via the crawler belt 13 by the rotation of the front wheel 11. Of the three grounding wheels 16a, 16b, and 16c, the grounding wheel moving mechanism 18 is provided on the grounding wheels 16a and 16c on the front wheel 11 side and the rear wheel 12 side. When the crawler type robot 10 turns, the grounding wheel moving mechanism unit 18 lifts the position of the grounding wheels 16a and 16c on the front wheel 11 side or the rear wheel 12 side to a position where the crawler belt 13 does not press against the travel path.

  Here, the front wheel 11 is a driving wheel driven by the drive motor 17, and the rear wheel 12 is a slave wheel that rotates through the crawler belt 13 by the rotation of the front wheel 11. However, the rear wheel 12 may be a driving wheel and the front wheel 11 may be a slave wheel. . Moreover, it is good also considering both the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12 as a driving wheel. If only the front wheels 11 or the rear wheels 12 are driven wheels driven by the drive motor 17, the number of drive motors 17 can be reduced to two.

  The robot body 15 is equipped with a measuring device 19 having various sensors for collecting surrounding information. The measuring device 19 is, for example, a multifunctional portable terminal, and the various sensors are, for example, various sensors such as a camera, a microphone, an acceleration sensor, and a temperature sensor, and are also equipped with a light (illumination element), WiFi, and a speaker. ing.

  The measuring device 19 is supported by a gravity center position moving mechanism 20 having a pan / tilt mechanism. The pan / tilt mechanism of the center-of-gravity position moving mechanism 20 has a function of swinging the measuring device 19 left and right as indicated by an arrow V and swinging the measuring device 19 up and down as indicated by an arrow W. The measuring device 19 can change the direction in the left-right direction by swinging the center-of-gravity position moving mechanism unit 20 left and right, and can collect desired information in the left-right direction without changing the direction of the robot body 15. In addition, the measuring device 19 can change the vertical direction by swinging up and down the center-of-gravity position moving mechanism 20, and the center-of-gravity position of the crawler robot 10 can be moved. When the measuring device 19 is tilted to the front wheel 11 side, the position of the center of gravity of the crawler robot 10 can be moved to the front wheel 11 side.

  Further, a battery 21 is mounted on the robot body 15, and driving power is supplied to the driving motor 17 and the grounding wheel moving mechanism unit 18. In addition to the pan / tilt mechanism, the center of gravity position moving mechanism 20 is provided with a front / rear moving mechanism that moves the mounting position of the battery 21 toward the front wheels 11 and the rear wheels 12 (in the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIG. 1). The center of gravity of the crawler robot 10 can also be moved by moving. In addition, you may provide the gravity center position moving mechanism part 20 which moves the measurement apparatus 19 and the battery 21 separately.

  Next, on the side surface of the crawler belt 13 outside the robot main body 15, a crawler belt removal preventing portion 14 is attached to the robot main body 15 with a fixture 22 so as to protrude forward and rearward of the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the crawler slip prevention part 14 in the embodiment of the present invention is located on the side surface of the crawler belt 13 outside the robot body 15, and protrudes forward and backward from the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12 to be attached to the robot body 15. It is attached by the tool 22. In other words, the crawler belt detachment preventing portion 14 that protrudes largely in the front-rear direction is provided so that the crawler belt 13 covers the portions wound around the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12.

  Next, the operation of the crawler belt slip prevention part 14 in the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the operation of the crawler belt removal prevention unit 14 in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 (a) shows the state of the crawler belt on the right side during normal running of the crawler type robot 10, and FIG. Indicates a state in which the crawler belt contact portion of the crawler belt on the right side of the crawler robot 10 protrudes laterally.

  When the crawler-type robot 10 travels normally, as shown in FIG. 2A, the crawler belt 13 winds around the front wheels 11 and the rear wheels 12 without slack, and the crawler belt contact portion 13A of the crawler belt 13 is in contact with the traveling road surface. The crawler belt removal prevention portion 14 projects forward and backward at the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12, and covers the crawler belt 13 wound around the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12.

  Assuming that the crawler belt 13 is slack when the crawler-type robot 10 turns or travels on rough terrain, the crawler belt 13 has a crawler track contact portion 13A between the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12, as shown in FIG. The crawler belts 16a, 16b, and 16c are not able to sufficiently press the crawler belt contact portion 13A against the traveling road surface, and the crawler belts 13 that are wound around the front wheels 11 and the rear wheels 12 also try to protrude laterally.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the crawler belt removal prevention portion 14 is attached with the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12 protruding at the front and rear, so that the crawler belt removal prevention portion 14 and the edge of the front wheel 11 overlap (see FIG. 2 (b), the Y1 portion), and the crawler belt disengagement prevention portion 14 and the edge of the rear wheel 12 overlap each other (the Y2 portion in FIG. 2 (a)). The protrusion of the crawler belt 13 does not expand to the top. Accordingly, while traveling for a while, the crawler belt 13 naturally returns to the normal position due to friction with the road surface.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a traveling function of a crawler type robot having a crawler belt removal prevention unit and a conventional crawler type robot not having a crawler belt removal prevention unit in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram of a traveling function of a crawler type robot that does not have a conventional crawler belt removal prevention unit.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the crawler robot 10 having the crawler belt removal prevention portion can travel over the groove 24 even if the travel path 23 has the groove 24. Now, it is assumed that the center of gravity G of the crawler type robot 10 is at the center of the crawler type robot 10, and the crawler type robot 10 has moved from the right to the left as indicated by the arrow Z <b> 1 and has reached the groove 24 of the travel path 23. To do. When the width of the groove 24 is equal to or less than half the length of the crawler type robot 10 including the crawler belt removal prevention portion 14, the front end portion of the crawler belt removal prevention portion 14 extends over the other side of the groove 24. This is because the front end portion of the crawler belt removal prevention portion 14 reaches the other side of the groove 24 before the center of gravity position G of the crawler type robot 10 is positioned above the groove 24. As a result, the crawler robot 10 can get over the groove 24 without falling into the groove 24.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, in the conventional crawler robot 10A that does not have the crawler belt removal prevention portion, if there is a groove 24 in the travel path 23, the groove 24 may not be able to be overcome. Now, it is assumed that the conventional crawler type robot 10 </ b> A moves from the right to the left as indicated by the arrow Z <b> 1 and reaches the groove 24 of the travel path 23. When the width of the groove 24 is more than half of the length of the conventional crawler type robot 10A, the gravity center position G of the conventional crawler type robot 10 before the tip of the conventional crawler type robot 10A is placed on the other side of the groove 24. Is located above the groove 24. Accordingly, the conventional crawler robot 10A falls into the groove 24 and cannot get over the groove 24.

  In this way, the crawler belt detachment preventing portion 14 is attached with the front end protruding at the front and rear portions of the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12, so that even if there is a groove 24 in the travel path 23, the width 24 of the groove is When the length of the crawler robot 10 including the crawler belt prevention portion 14 is half or less, the vehicle can travel over the groove 24.

  In this way, the crawler belt removal prevention part 14 is attached so that the front end protrudes forward and backward at the front wheel 11 and rear wheel 12 parts and covers the side surface of the crawler belt 13 at the front wheel 11 and rear wheel 12 parts. The crawler belt 13 does not protrude beyond the crawler belt removal prevention portion 14, and the crawler belt contact portion 13 </ b> A below the crawler belt 13 does not need to be installed so as to be just below the traveling road surface. For this reason, it can be applied regardless of the thickness of the crawler belt 13, and high accuracy is not required for the design, production and attachment of the crawler belt detachment preventing portion 14. Moreover, since the crawler belt removal prevention part 14 is attached to a high place from the traveling road surface, it does not interfere with traveling on rough terrain.

  In the above description, the case where the crawler slip prevention part 14 is provided on the side surface of the crawler belt 13 outside the robot main body 15 has been described, but in addition to the side surface of the crawler belt 13 outside the robot main body 15, the crawler belt inside the robot main body 15 is also provided. You may make it also provide in 13 side surfaces. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another example of the crawler type robot according to the embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the side surface of the crawler belt 13 outside the robot body 15, the crawler belt is also attached to the side surface of the crawler belt 13 inside the robot body 15. The case where the prevention part 14 is provided is shown.

  When the crawler belt removal prevention portions 14 are provided on both the outer side and the inner side of the robot body 15, the crawler belt removal prevention portions 14 are provided on both side surfaces of the crawler belt 13, so that the crawler belts can be prevented from protruding on both side surfaces. It can be prevented more reliably.

  Next, the operation of the grounding wheel 16, the grounding wheel moving mechanism 18 and the gravity center position moving mechanism 20 in the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the grounding wheel 16, the grounding wheel moving mechanism unit 18, and the gravity center position moving mechanism unit 20 during normal traveling of the crawler robot according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  When the crawler robot 10 normally travels, as shown in FIG. 4, the crawler belt 13 is wound around the front wheels 11 and the rear wheels 12 and the ground wheels 16a, 16b, and 16c without slack, and the crawler belt contact portion 13A of the crawler belt 13 is in contact with the traveling road surface. ing. The crawler belt removal prevention portion 14 projects forward and backward at the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12, and covers the crawler belt 13 wound around the front wheel 11 and the rear wheel 12. During normal running, the center of gravity G of the crawler robot 10 is adjusted so as to be located at the center of the crawler robot 10. Accordingly, the grounding wheels 16a, 16b, and 16c come into contact with the traveling road surface and the crawler robot 10 travels.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the action of the grounding wheel 16, the grounding wheel moving mechanism unit 18, and the gravity center position moving mechanism unit 20 when the crawler robot according to the embodiment of the present invention turns, and FIG. FIG. 6B is an explanatory view of the action of the grounding wheel 16, the grounding wheel moving mechanism 18 and the gravity center position moving mechanism 20 when turning on the 11th side. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the grounding wheel 16 and grounding when turning on the rear wheel 12 side. It is explanatory drawing of an effect | action of the wheel moving mechanism part 18 and the gravity center position moving mechanism part 20. FIG.

  When the crawler-type robot 10 turns on the front wheel 11 side, for example, when making a super turn on the front wheel 11 side, as shown in FIG. 6A, the rear wheel 12 side opposite to the front wheel 11 side is provided. The grounding wheel moving mechanism 18 lifts the position of the grounding wheel 16c to a position where the crawler belt 13 does not press against the travel path. Reference numeral 16 c ′ in FIG. 6A indicates the position of the ground ring 16 c after the ground ring 16 c is lifted. As a result, the crawler belt 13 is grounded to the traveling road surface by the two grounding wheels 16a and 16b of the grounding wheel 16a on the front wheel 11 side and the middle grounding wheel 16b. As a result, the crawler belt 13 between the ground wheels 16a and 16b becomes the crawler belt grounding portion 13A, and the crawler belt grounding portion 13A that comes into contact with the traveling road surface is reduced, so that the frictional resistance can be reduced and the turning is facilitated.

  At the same time, the center-of-gravity position moving mechanism unit 20 is operated, for example, the measuring device 19 is tilted to the front wheel 11 side and the center-of-gravity position G of the crawler robot 10 is moved to the front wheel 11 side. As a result, the crawler-type robot 10 turns around the center of gravity G at the crawler belt contact portion 13A between the ground wheels 16a and 16b, so that the left and right deflection of the front end portion on the front wheel 11 side is reduced while reducing frictional resistance. The width can be reduced.

  Similarly, when the crawler-type robot 10 is turned on the rear wheel 12 side, for example, when the crawler-type robot 10 is turned on the rear wheel 12 side, as shown in FIG. 6B, it is opposite to the rear wheel 12 side. The grounding wheel moving mechanism 18 lifts the position of the grounding wheel 16a of the front wheel 11 on the side to a position where the crawler belt 13 does not press against the travel path. Reference numeral 16 a ′ in FIG. 6B indicates the position of the grounding wheel 16 a after the grounding wheel 16 a is lifted. As a result, the crawler belt 13 is grounded to the traveling road surface by the two grounding wheels 16c and 16b including the grounding wheel 16c on the rear wheel 12 side and the middle grounding wheel 16b. As a result, the crawler belt 13 between the ground wheels 16c and 16b becomes the crawler belt grounding portion 13A, and the crawler belt grounding portion 13A that comes into contact with the traveling road surface is reduced, so that the frictional resistance can be reduced and the turning is facilitated.

  At the same time, the center-of-gravity position moving mechanism unit 20 is operated, for example, the measuring device 19 is tilted to the rear wheel 12 side and the center-of-gravity position G of the crawler type robot 10 is moved to the rear wheel 12 side. As a result, the crawler type robot 10 turns around the center of gravity G at the crawler belt contact portion 13A between the ground wheels 16c and 16b, so that the left and right ends of the front end portion on the rear wheel 12 side are reduced while reducing the frictional resistance. The swing width can be reduced.

  As described above, since the center of gravity G of the robot body 15 is moved to the opposite side of the grounding wheel 16 lifted when the crawler robot 10 turns, the turning movement distance in the traveling direction becomes small and the turning becomes easy.

  Here, when the crawler type robot 10 is turned, the grounding wheel moving mechanism 18 loosens the crawler belt 13 when the grounding wheel moving mechanism 18 lifts the position of the grounding wheel 16 to a position where the crawler belt 13 does not press the traveling path. The grounding ring 16 is lifted to a position where no occurrence occurs. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram when the grounding wheel 16 is lifted to a position where the crawler belt 13 is not slackened by the grounding wheel moving mechanism 18. FIG. 7 shows a case where the position of the grounding wheel 16c on the rear wheel 12 side is raised to a position where the crawler belt 13 does not press against the travel path, as shown in FIG. 6 (a).

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the ground wheel 16c on the rear wheel 12 side is moved upward to a position where the crawler belt 13 does not press against the travel path, the top of the ellipse M is focused on the center of the rear wheel 12 and the middle ground wheel 16b. Is a track on which the center of the grounding wheel 16c on the rear wheel 12 side moves. As a result, the length of the crawler belt 13 between the rear wheel 12 and the middle ground ring 16b is always constant, and the slack of the crawler belt 13 can be prevented. The same applies to the case where the position of the grounding wheel 16a on the front wheel 11 side shown in FIG. 6B is raised to a position where the crawler belt 13 does not press against the travel path.

  Next, a case where the crawler type robot 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention enters while changing the direction from a wide place to a narrow place will be described. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for moving the crawler robot 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention to a narrow space.

  In FIG. 8, a case is now considered where the crawler robot 10 moves straight from a wide area 25 in the direction of arrow Z2 and turns in the direction of arrow Z3 to enter a narrowed area 26. At the corner from the wide place 25 to the narrow place 26, the vehicle turns in the arrow Z3 direction. At that time, since the traveling direction becomes the narrow portion 26, the center-of-gravity position moving mechanism unit 20 is operated to move the center-of-gravity position G of the crawler robot 10 toward the front wheel 11.

  This is because the front wheel 11 side of the crawler robot 10 is located at the entrance of the narrow portion 26 and the rear wheel 12 side of the crawler robot 10 is wide when turning at a corner from the wide place 25 to the narrow place 26. This is because it is located at 25. That is, by moving the center-of-gravity position G of the crawler-type robot 10 to the front wheel 11 side, when turning about the center-of-gravity position G, the left and right swing width of the front end portion on the front wheel 11 side is reduced. This is to make it easier to enter. Since the center of gravity position G of the crawler type robot 10 has moved to the front wheel 11 side, when turning at the center of gravity position G, the rear end portion on the rear wheel 12 side has a large lateral swing, but the rear wheel 12 side rear side is increased. Since the end is located in the wide area 25, it does not collide with the surrounding side wall.

  In the above description, the case where the crawler belt removal prevention unit 14 is attached to the crawler type robot 10 including the grounding wheel 16, the grounding wheel moving mechanism unit 18, and the center of gravity position moving mechanism unit 20 has been described. The crawler belt detachment preventing unit 14 may be attached to the crawler type robot 10 that does not include the grounding wheel moving mechanism unit 18 and the gravity center position moving mechanism unit 20.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. The novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Crawler type robot, 11 ... Front wheel, 12 ... Rear wheel, 13 ... Crawler belt, 13A ... Crawler belt grounding part, 14 ... Crawler belt prevention part, 15 ... Robot main body, 16 ... Grounding wheel, 17 ... Drive motor, 18 ... Grounding Wheel moving mechanism section, 19 ... measuring instrument, 20 ... center of gravity position moving mechanism section, 21 ... battery, 22 ... mounting tool, 23 ... running path, 24 ... groove, 25 ... wide area, 26 ... narrow spot

Claims (5)

A front wheel provided at the front of the robot body;
A rear wheel provided at a rear portion of the robot body;
A crawler belt spanned between the front wheel and the rear wheel;
A grounding wheel which is provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel and which is at least three or more subordinate wheels for pressing the crawler belt on the road;
A grounding wheel moving mechanism that lifts the position of the grounding wheel on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side to a position where the crawler track does not press the traveling path when turning ,
When the grounding wheel moving mechanism lifts the grounding wheel to a position where the crawler belt does not sag, and moves the grounding wheel on the front wheel side up to a position where the crawler belt does not press against the traveling path, The ellipse centered on the center of the grounding wheel is a track that moves the center of the grounding wheel on the front wheel side, or the grounding wheel on the rear wheel side is moved upward to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road. A crawler-type robot characterized in that a trajectory on which the center of the grounding wheel on the rear wheel side moves on an ellipse having a focal point at the center of the rear wheel and the middle grounding wheel . A front wheel provided at the front of the robot body;
A rear wheel provided at a rear portion of the robot body ;
A crawler belt spanned between the front wheel and the rear wheel;
A grounding wheel which is provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel and which is at least three or more subordinate wheels for pressing the crawler belt on the road;
A grounding wheel moving mechanism that lifts the position of the grounding wheel on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side to a position where the crawler track does not press against the travel path when turning ;
A crawler-type robot comprising a center-of-gravity position moving mechanism that moves the center of gravity of the robot body to the opposite side of the grounding wheel lifted by the ground-ring moving mechanism . A front wheel provided at the front of the robot body;
A rear wheel provided at a rear portion of the robot body ;
A crawler belt spanned between the front wheel and the rear wheel;
A grounding wheel which is provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel and which is at least three or more subordinate wheels for pressing the crawler belt on the road;
A grounding wheel moving mechanism that lifts the position of the grounding wheel on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side to a position where the crawler track does not press against the travel path when turning ;
A center-of-gravity position moving mechanism for moving the center of gravity of the robot body to the opposite side of the grounded wheel lifted by the ground-ring moving mechanism;
The crawler-type robot characterized in that the grounding wheel moving mechanism lifts the grounding wheel to a position where no slack occurs in the crawler belt . A front wheel provided at the front of the robot body;
A rear wheel provided at a rear portion of the robot body ;
A crawler belt spanned between the front wheel and the rear wheel;
A grounding wheel which is provided between the front wheel and the rear wheel and which is at least three or more subordinate wheels for pressing the crawler belt on the road;
A grounding wheel moving mechanism that lifts the position of the grounding wheel on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side to a position where the crawler track does not press against the travel path when turning ;
A center-of-gravity position moving mechanism for moving the center of gravity of the robot body to the opposite side of the grounded wheel lifted by the ground-ring moving mechanism;
When the grounding wheel moving mechanism lifts the grounding wheel to a position where the crawler belt does not sag, and moves the grounding wheel on the front wheel side up to a position where the crawler belt does not press against the traveling path, The ellipse centered on the center of the grounding wheel is a track that moves the center of the grounding wheel on the front wheel side, or the grounding wheel on the rear wheel side is moved upward to a position where the crawler track does not press against the road. A crawler-type robot characterized in that a trajectory on which the center of the grounding wheel on the rear wheel side moves on an ellipse having a focal point at the center of the rear wheel and the middle grounding wheel .   A crawler slip prevention portion provided on a side surface of the crawler belt outside the robot main body and projecting forward and rearward of the front wheel and the rear wheel and attached to the robot main body; Even when the crawler belt is slack when traveling, and the portion of the crawler belt between the front wheel and the rear wheel that is in contact with the running road protrudes laterally, the crawler belt is wound around the front wheel and the rear wheel. 5. The crawler robot according to claim 1, wherein the crawler robot protrudes with a size capable of preventing the protrusion from protruding sideways.

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