JP7180843B2 - Circulation mechanism, moving body and transfer mechanism - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a circulation mechanism, a moving body, and a transfer mechanism.

A circulation mechanism is a mechanism that imparts a relative movement motion between an object and the circulation mechanism. It is used for the transport mechanism that transports.

A mobile body equipped with such a circulation mechanism is required to move in an environment that is different from a normal road surface and is more difficult to travel.
For example, in the inspection of the furnace inner wall of a boiler for thermal power generation, where thinning and breakage due to wear and bumps due to adhesion of cinders occur during operation, use for movement of the furnace inner wall is being considered.

The inspection of the inner wall of the furnace needs to be performed periodically, but when the inspection is performed manually, scaffolding must be set up and the entire inner wall must be inspected, which increases the cost and work load. For this reason, in recent years, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles such as so-called drones has been proposed for such inspections (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 to 3).
In addition, an IBM (Internally Balanced Magnetic Unit) crawler type attracting and moving robot system has been proposed, which is a moving body that does not require excessive attachment/detachment force while being attached to the inner wall of the furnace using permanent magnets (for example, Non-Patent Document 4 reference).

Janosch Nikolic, “A UAV system for inspection af industrial facilities” in Aerospace Conference, IEEE, 2013, p. 1-8 Shinya Kita, “The proposal of swarm type wall climbing robot system”Anchor Climber”the design and examination of adhering mobile unit” in Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2005.(IROS 2005). 2005 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on, IEEE, 2013 year, p. 475-480 Akio Yamamoto. Takumi Nakashima, Toshiro Higuchi, “Wall climbing mechanisms using clectrostatic attraction generated by flexible electrodes” in Micro Nano Mechatronics and Human Science, 2007. MHS'07. International Symposium on, IEEE, 2007, p. 389-394 Masaki Ozawa, Kenjiro Tadakuma, Yoshito Okada, Satoshi Tadokoro, “Internal Force Compensation Type Magnetic Attraction Crawler Mechanism,” 18th Conference of the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers, System Integration Division, 2017, p. 1078-1080

However, for unmanned aerial vehicles such as the drones shown in Non-Patent Documents 1 to 3, it is difficult to perform highly accurate comprehensive inspections using large-mass sensors.
On the other hand, in the crawler-type sucking and moving robot system shown in Non-Patent Document 4, it is difficult for the crawler, which is a circulation mechanism, to maintain close contact with the uneven wall surface such as the inner wall of the furnace, and it is difficult to move on the wall surface. It was difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a circulation mechanism, a moving body, and a transfer mechanism that impart a relative moving motion to an object having unevenness.

The circulation mechanism according to the present invention includes a trapping section that traps an object by means of a flexible/rigid switchable expansion/contraction pad with a two-layer structure consisting of an inner membrane and an outer membrane. along with giving
Powder is enclosed between the inner membrane and the outer membrane, and a fluid can flow in and out between the inner membrane and the outer membrane and inside the inner membrane, respectively.

A moving body according to the present invention is configured to include the circulation mechanism described above.

A transfer mechanism according to the present invention is configured to include the circulation mechanism.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a circulation mechanism, a moving body, and a transfer mechanism that favorably impart a relative moving motion to an object having unevenness.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a crawler mechanism as an endless track-type moving body that is an embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the crawler mechanism in FIG. 1 taken along line VV; 3 is a perspective view of a circulation mechanism included in the crawler mechanism 1; FIG. It is a side view of a circulation mechanism. 5(A) to 5(D) are cross-sectional views showing four modes of changing expansion/contraction pads in order of change. 6A is an enlarged view of the Z portion in FIG. 5C, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the Z portion in FIG. 5B. 7(A) to 7(C) are cross-sectional views of the multi-stage syringe mechanism, showing the operation of supplying operating pressure to the expansion/contraction pad. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a crawler mechanism showing an example in which a moving force imparting mechanism functions as a pressing force imparting mechanism; FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing another example of a control unit;

[Overview of Embodiments of the Invention]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a crawler mechanism 1 as an endless track type moving body, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the VV line in FIG. 1, FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the circulation mechanism 10. FIG. An arrow F in FIG. 4 indicates the traveling direction of the circulation mechanism 10 .

The crawler mechanism 1 is equipped with an inspection device such as a sensor (not shown) and functions as a working robot that inspects the state of the furnace inner wall W while moving along the furnace inner wall W.
The crawler mechanism 1 includes a circulation mechanism 10 that moves along the furnace inner wall W as an object, and a moving force imparting mechanism 100 that imparts movement of the circulation mechanism 10 along the furnace inner wall W.

[Circulation mechanism]
The circulation mechanism 10 includes a plurality of expansion/contraction units 40 each having a capturing portion 30 that captures a furnace inner wall W as an object with flexible/rigidity switchable expansion/contraction pads 20 (hereinafter referred to as expansion/contraction pads 20), and a plurality of expansion/contraction units 40. The crawler belt 14 connecting the compression unit 40 with the chain 12, the sprocket 16 holding the crawler belt 14 so as to be able to circulate, and the operation rod 56 (see FIGS. 7(A) to 7(C)) of the catching section 30 which will be described later. and a cam plate 18 to operate.
Further, the circulation mechanism 10 includes a device frame 19 that rotatably supports the sprocket 16 and fixedly supports the cam plate 18 .

A circulation mechanism 10 equipped with a crawler mechanism 1 catches a furnace inner wall W, which is an object, when the flexible-rigidity switching type expansion/contraction pad 20 of the expansion/contraction unit 40 that constitutes the crawler belt 14 circulates by conveying the crawler belt 14. By doing so, the crawler belt 14 is brought into close contact with the uneven furnace inner wall W without losing its posture, and good wall movement is realized with high holdability.
Each part of the crawler mechanism 1 will be described in detail.

[Crawler]
The crawler belt 14 is configured by connecting a plurality of expansion/contraction units 40 by a pair of left and right chains 12 in an endless loop.
The expansion/contraction unit 40 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the width direction of the crawler belt 14 , and both longitudinal ends of the plurality of expansion/contraction units 40 are connected to the two left and right chains 12 , respectively. In this embodiment, left and right are defined as directions parallel to the running surface and perpendicular to the direction in which the crawler belt 14 is propelled.
The plurality of expansion/contraction units 40 are connected at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the chain 12, and each expansion/contraction unit 40 is held so that the expansion/contraction pad 20 protrudes toward the outer circumference of the crawler belt 14, and is operated. They are connected with the rod 56 directed toward the inner peripheral side.

[Expansion/contraction unit]
The expansion/contraction unit 40 has three capturing parts 30 arranged in the left-right direction. Note that the number of capturing units 30 is not limited to three, and may be one or more.
Each capturing section 30 includes an expansion/contraction pad 20 and a multistage syringe mechanism 50 that switches the rigidity of the expansion/contraction pad 20 .

[Inflatable pad]
5(A) to 5(D) are cross-sectional views showing four modes of the expanding/contracting pad 20 that change in order of change.
The expansion/contraction pad 20 applies the technology of a gripper using powder jamming transfer shown in references [1] and [2] described later. In addition, this expandable/contractible pad 20 is an application of the gripper and bag structures of references [4] to [6].
The expansion/contraction pad 20 has a two-layer structure consisting of an inner film 21 and an outer film 22 , and powder 23 is enclosed in the space between the inner film 21 and the outer film 22 . Also, the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 are held by a holding member 24 .

The inner membrane 21 is a bag-like member made of a flexible material that can be expanded and contracted, and is airtight or watertight. The inner membrane 21 is held by the holding member 24 in a state in which the internal space is sealed.
The outer membrane 22 is a bag-like member made of a flexible material that can be expanded and contracted, has airtightness or watertightness, and encloses the inner membrane 21 . The outer membrane 22 is held by the holding member 24 in a state in which the inner space (strictly speaking, the gap between the outer membrane 22 and the inner membrane 21) is sealed.
In addition, the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 are in a hemispherical shape as shown in the drawing in an inflated state. The shape when expanded is not limited to a hemispherical shape, and may be a conical shape, a pyramidal shape, a hemispherical shape, a columnar shape, or any other shape that bulges out to one side.
The expansion/contraction unit 40 is supported so that the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 expand toward the outer peripheral side of the crawler belt 14 described above.

The powder 23 is spread over the entire outer surface of the inner membrane 21 in the gap space between the outer surface of the inner membrane 21 and the inner surface of the outer membrane 22 .
Magnet powder made of a ferromagnetic material is used as the powder 23 . As described above, the circulation mechanism 10 is intended to move along the inner wall W of the furnace, and the inner wall W of the furnace has a wall structure in which a plurality of iron metal pipes are arranged side by side and connected in the vertical direction. .
Therefore, by using magnetic powder as the powder 23, each expansion/contraction pad 20 functions as a pressing force applying mechanism that presses the circulation mechanism 10 against the furnace inner wall W side by magnetic force when the circulation mechanism 10 moves.
Instead of using magnetic powder as the powder 23, one or both of the inner film 21 and the outer film 22 may be made of a flexible magnetic sheet.
Alternatively, a plurality of magnets may be provided so as to cover the inner surface of the inner membrane 21 .
Further, when another pressing force application mechanism is provided, the powder 23 may not be magnetic powder. However, in order to realize the powder jamming transition, it is desirable that the powder 23 has a sharp shape and that the grain shape and size are not uniform. As a material of the powder 23, ceramics can be cited, but other materials may be used.

In addition, the holding member 24 acts on the first inlet/outlet 241 through which the working fluid flows into and out of the inner space of the inner membrane 21 and the gap space between the outer surface of the inner membrane 21 and the inner surface of the outer membrane 22 . A second inlet/outlet 242 is formed through which fluid flows in and out.
The working fluid may be either gas or liquid, but air (atmosphere) is exemplified in this embodiment.

Then, the powder 23 becomes the object of powder jamming transfer. When the density of the powder is low, fluid such as gas or liquid enters between the individual particles that make up the powder, and when the density of the powder is low, it becomes a state of high fluidity like a liquid. When the powder becomes dense and the density of the powder reaches a certain level or higher, it becomes rigid like a solid. These switching phenomena of powder are called powder jamming transition.
Therefore, in a state in which an appropriate amount of fluid is present in the powder 23 in the gap between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22, the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 expand and contract freely due to their flexibility. do. Then, when the fluid is removed from the powder 23 in the gap between the inner film 21 and the outer film 22, the powder 23 becomes rigid, and the inner film 21 and the outer film 22 are closed immediately before the fluid is removed. solidified in the shape of

The expansion/contraction pad 20 causes the powder jamming transition by stepping through four modes as shown in FIGS. 5(A) to 5(D). 6A is an enlarged view of the Z portion in FIG. 5C, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the Z portion in FIG. 5B.
First, as shown in FIG. 5A, the space between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 is appropriately supplied with air. do. As a result, the density of the powder 23 is lowered, and the inner film 21 and the outer film 22 become easily deformable. Then, by supplying air to the inner space of the inner membrane 21, for example, the expansion/contraction pad 20 expands outward in a shape that matches the shape of the furnace inner wall W in contact with it at that time.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, a rigid mode is set in which the air in the space between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 is exhausted. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the density of the powder 23 increases, and the inner film 21 and the outer film 22 become firm while maintaining the shape matching the shape of the furnace inner wall W in contact at that time. As a result, the expansion/contraction pad 20 is in a state of exhibiting high rigidity.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(C), a soft mode is set in which air is supplied into the space between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 . As a result, as shown in FIG. 6A, the density of the powder 23 is lowered, and the inner film 21 and the outer film 22 are softened.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, a contraction mode is set in which the air in the internal space of the inner membrane 21 is exhausted. As a result, the entire expansion/contraction pad 20 is in a contracted state.

When moving along the furnace inner wall W, good running is realized by sequentially switching the above four modes at appropriate timings.
In other words, the inner film 21 and the outer film 22 of the expansion/contraction pad 20 are deformed in accordance with the uneven wall surface shape of the furnace inner wall W by setting the expansion/contraction pad 20 to the expansion mode when the expansion/contraction pad 20 is in contact with the furnace inner wall W.
Then, when the mode is switched to the rigid mode, the expansion/contraction pad 20 becomes hard in a shape following the wall surface shape of the furnace inner wall W. As a result, the furnace inner wall W, which is the target object, is held in close contact with the expansion/contraction pad 20 . When the crawler belt 14 conveys the expansion/contraction unit 40, the circulation mechanism 10 is moved in the direction opposite to the conveying direction. Since the expansion/contraction pad 20 is deformed and hardened following the shape of the furnace inner wall W, it can firmly hold the furnace inner wall W, and the circulation mechanism 10 can be moved satisfactorily.
When the expansion/contraction pad 20 separates from the inner wall W of the furnace, the mode is switched to the soft mode, and the state in which the pad 20 is in close contact with the inner wall W of the furnace is easily shifted to the separated state.
Further, the expansion/contraction pad 20 is contracted by being switched to the contraction mode, and waits in a state where it can be inflated following its shape when coming into contact with the furnace inner wall W again.

The space between the inner film 21 and the outer film 22 may be divided into a plurality of areas by partition walls to prevent the powder 23 from being biased. In this case, it is desirable that the partition walls have a material or structure that allows working fluid such as air to pass through but does not easily allow powder to pass through.
As shown in FIG. 2, the expansion/contraction unit 40 has three expansion/contraction pads 20 arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Each of the 20 outer membranes 22 may be formed from a single sheet. In this case, the three expansion/contraction pads 20 formed from two sheets may be partitioned into three spaces between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 so that the working fluid can enter and exit individually.
Further, the structure may be such that the working fluid is allowed to flow so that the working fluid is collectively introduced into and taken out of the clearance spaces of the three expansion/contraction pads 20 .

[Multi-stage syringe mechanism]
7A to 7C are cross-sectional views of the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50, showing the operation of supplying the operating pressure to the expansion/contraction pad 20. FIG.
The multi-stage syringe mechanisms 50 are provided in the same number as the expansion/contraction pads 20, and are connected to the expansion/contraction pads 20 one-to-one. The mechanism 50 may be configured to supply the operating pressure.

The multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 includes a main syringe 51 and a sub-syringe 52 for discharging and sucking air, which is a working fluid, a piston 53 in the sub-syringe 52, and an elastic body that pressurizes the piston 53 in the sub-syringe 52 to one side. and a pressure spring 54 as.

The main syringe 51 has a cylindrical shape, one end of which is wide open and the other end of which is closed, and is connected to the first inlet/outlet port 241 of the holding member 24 of the expansion/contraction pad 20 via a channel. .
The sub-syringe 52 is cylindrical, closed at both ends, and connected at one end to the second inlet/outlet 242 of the holding member 24 of the expansion/contraction pad 20 via a channel.
The outer diameter of the sub-syringe 52 substantially matches the inner diameter of the main syringe 51, and the sub-syringe 52 can be inserted into the main syringe 51 to function as a piston.

The sub-syringe 52 is inserted from the end on the open side of the main syringe 51, and can discharge/inhale air in the main syringe 51 by moving along the insertion depth direction. Hereinafter, the direction in which the sub-syringe 52 moves toward the closed end face 511 of the main syringe 51 is defined as the pushing direction S, and the direction in which the sub-syringe 52 moves toward the open end of the main syringe 51 is defined as the pulling direction P.
When the sub-syringe 52 moves in the pushing direction S, the air inside the main syringe 51 is discharged, and when the sub-syringe 52 moves in the pulling direction P, the air is sucked inside.
An O-ring 512 is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the sub-syringe 52 and the inner peripheral surface of the main syringe 51 to ensure high sealing performance between them.

A stopper 55 for adjusting the maximum pushing position in the pushing direction S of the sub-syringe 52 is provided on the closed end face 511 of the main syringe 51 . The stopper 55 is of a screw type, and the position of its tip portion in the pushing direction S is changed by a rotating operation. When the sub-syringe 52 moves in the pushing direction S within the main syringe 51, it abuts against the tip of the stopper 55, and further movement in the pushing direction S is restrained.
This structure allows the stopper 55 to adjust the amount of working fluid discharged from the main syringe 51 .
In addition, since the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 has a structure in which the movement of the piston 53 is started when the sub-syringe 52 abuts against the stopper 55, the operation of rotating the stopper 55 discharges the working fluid from the main syringe 51 and the sub-syringe. The switching timing of suction of the working fluid by the syringe 52 can be adjusted.

The piston 53 has an outer diameter that substantially matches the inner diameter of the sub-syringe 52, and moves in the sub-syringe 52 in parallel to the movement direction of the sub-syringe 52 described above to discharge the air in the sub-syringe 52. - Able to inhale.
A closed end face 521 on the pulling direction P side of the sub-syringe 52 is formed with an insertion hole 522 through which the operation rod 56 connected to the piston 53 is passed.

An O-ring 523 is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the piston 53 and the inner peripheral surface of the sub-syringe 52 to ensure high sealing performance between them.
Similarly, an O-ring 524 is also interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the operating rod 56 connected to the piston 53 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 522 of the sub-syringe 52, and the seal between them is also high. is ensured.

The interior of the sub-syringe 52 is divided into two parts by a piston 53, and the internal space on the pulling direction P side of the piston 53 (suction direction in the sub-syringe 52) is the second input of the holding member 24 of the expansion/contraction pad 20 described above. It is connected to outlet 242 .
The sub-syringe 52 sucks air inside when the piston 53 moves in the pushing direction S with respect to the sub-syringe 52, and discharges air to the outside when the piston 53 moves in the pulling direction P. do.
That is, the movement direction in which the sub-syringe 52 discharges and the movement direction in which suction is performed and the movement direction in which the piston 53 performs discharge and suction are opposite to each other.

A pressurizing spring 54 is provided in the sub-syringe 52 to pressurize the piston 53 in the pulling direction P side. The pressure spring 54 is a compression spring having one end connected to the piston 53 and the other end connected to the sub-syringe 52 .
The pressure spring 54 has a function of pressing the piston 53 in the pulling direction P side in the sub-syringe 52 and a pressing force in the pushing direction S side input from the operation rod 56 via the piston 53 to the sub-syringe 52 . It has the function of transmitting to

The spring constant of the pressure spring 54 is k, the force input when the operation rod 56 is pushed in the pushing direction S is F, and the pressure spring 54 pulls the piston 53 in the pulling direction P in the state shown in FIG. Assuming that the pressing force is _F1 , the following equations (1) and (2) hold.
0≦F≦F ₁ (1) where d=0, k=0
0≦F ₁ ≦F …(2) where d≠0, k=constant

The multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 is initially in the state shown in FIG. 53 is located on the pulling direction P side at the maximum.
When the operating rod 56 is pushed in the pushing direction S with a force F smaller than the initial pushing force _F1 , the relative positional relationship between the piston 53 and the sub-syringe 52 is changed as shown in FIG. 7(B). While maintaining this state, the sub-syringe 52 is pushed in the pushing direction S to a position where it is stopped by the stopper 55 .
In this process, air is discharged from the main syringe 51 and supplied to the internal space of the inner membrane 21 of the expansion/contraction pad 20 connected to the main syringe 51 to enter the expansion mode (see FIG. 5(A)). .

When the operation rod 56 is further pushed in the push-in direction S from the state of _FIG . , the piston 53 starts to move in the pushing direction S side.
Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the piston 53 and the sub-syringe 52 are pushed up to the vicinity of the end on the pushing direction S side.
In this process, air is sucked into the sub-syringe 52, and the air in the gap space between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 of the expansion/contraction pad 20 connected to the sub-syringe 52 is exhausted to enter the rigid mode (Fig. 5(B)).

When the operation rod 56 is pulled in the pulling direction P from the state of FIG. 7C, the piston 53 starts moving in the pulling direction P with respect to the sub-syringe 52 . At this time, since the sub-syringe 52 is pressed in the pushing direction S by the pressure spring 54 , the sub-syringe 52 is not moved with respect to the main syringe 51 .
Then, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the piston 53 moves to the vicinity of the end on the pulling direction P side within the sub-syringe 52 .
In this process, the air in the sub-syringe 52 is discharged, and the air is supplied into the gap space between the inner film 21 and the outer film 22 of the expansion/contraction pad 20 connected to the sub-syringe 52 to enter the soft mode (Fig. 5(C)).

When the operating rod 56 is further pulled in the pulling direction P from the state shown in FIG. 7B, the relative positional relationship between the piston 53 and the sub-syringe 52 is changed as shown in FIG. 7A. is maintained, the sub-syringe 52 moves to the end of the main syringe 51 on the pulling direction P side.
In this process, air is sucked into the main syringe 51, and the air in the internal space of the inner membrane 21 of the expansion/contraction pad 20 connected to the main syringe 51 is discharged to enter the contraction mode (see FIG. 5(D)). ).

In this way, the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 performs supply and recovery of the fluid to and from two different targets individually by reciprocating the operation rod 56 and the piston 53 for one stroke. It can be carried out.
In addition, compared to the case of using two syringe mechanisms for two different objects, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the device.

Here, a pressure gauge is provided between the sub-syringe 52 and the space between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 of the expanding/contracting pad 20 of the capturing part 30, and the operation rod 56 of the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 is caused to reciprocate. The gap between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 of the inflation/deflation pad 20 and the sub-syringe 52 when the inflation/deflation pad 20 is sequentially switched among the inflation mode, the rigid mode, the soft mode, and the deflation mode. The measurement results when measuring the pressure change between

First, in the stage before reaching the expansion mode, that is, the air is supplied to the inner space of the inner membrane 21 of the expansion/contraction pad 20, and the expansion/contraction pad 20 expands in a hemispherical shape, but the maximum pressure is still reached. In the absence state (the state on the way from FIG. 7(A) to FIG. 7(B)), the internal pressure in the gap space between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 was 0.1 [kPa], which is the initial pressure. .
Even when the sub-syringe 52 is fully pushed in the pushing direction S side of the main syringe 51 (expansion mode) as shown in FIG. was kept at 0.11 [kPa].
In the state (rigid mode) in which the piston 53 is maximally pushed in the pushing direction S in the sub-syringe 52 as shown in FIG. was reduced to -2.11[kPa].
Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the operating rod 56 is returned to the end on the P side in which the piston 53 is pulled in the sub-syringe 52, the internal pressure in the gap between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 rose to 3.31[kPa].
After that, in the state before the maximum movement of the sub-syringe 52 in the pulling direction P on the way from FIG. 7B to FIG. decreased to the initial pressure of 0.11 [kPa].
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7A, the sub-syringe 52 moved to the maximum in the pulling direction P, but the internal pressure in the gap between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 was 0.11 [kPa, which is the initial pressure. ] was retained.

In this way, the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 switches the expansion/contraction pad 20 to each of the four modes during the reciprocating movement of the operating rod 56 and the piston 53 for one stroke. It was shown by measurement that air was supplied to and collected from the gap between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 at a suitable operating pressure.

Note that the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 described above can also be used for any other application in which pressurization and decompression are separately performed on two objects to which the working pressure is to be supplied by fluid.

In addition, the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 has exemplified a configuration that executes a pressurization-depressurization-pressurization-depressurization cycle with one reciprocation of the operating rod 56, but is not limited to this, for example, pressurization-pressurization - It is good also as a structure which performs a cycle of pressure reduction - pressure reduction.

Alternatively, by adjusting the spring pressure of the pressure spring 54, two of the four cycles may proceed simultaneously.
In addition, the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 has a configuration in which the sub-syringe 52 is placed inside the main syringe 51 and the piston 53 is placed inside it. By increasing the number of steps, it is also possible to configure such that one reciprocation of the operating rod 56 executes more cycles.

[sprocket]
The sprocket 16 is rotatably supported by a device frame 19 via a sprocket shaft 17 . The sprockets 16 are provided at both ends of a sprocket shaft 17 arranged along the left-right direction. Also, the sprocket shafts 17 are provided at the front end and the rear end of the circulation mechanism 10 in the advancing direction.
The crawler mechanism 1 of the present embodiment is configured to obtain propulsion force from a moving force imparting mechanism 100 provided outside the circulation mechanism 10 , but a driving source is provided inside the circulation mechanism 10 and through a sprocket shaft 17 . The sprockets 16 may be rotationally driven.

[Cam plate]
The catching section 30 of the expansion/contraction unit 40 includes a multi-stage syringe mechanism 50. By inputting a reciprocating motion for one stroke to the operation rod 56 of the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50, the expansion/contraction pad 20 of the catching section 30 is moved. It is possible to switch between expansion mode, rigid mode, soft mode, and contraction mode.
When the circulation mechanism 10 moves along the inner wall W of the furnace, by operating the operation rod 56 so that the expansion/contraction pad 20 of the trapping section 30 of each expansion/contraction unit 40 performs each mode switching at an appropriate timing, The circulation mechanism 10 can continue to move stably without separating from the furnace inner wall W corresponding to the unevenness of the furnace inner wall W.
The crawler mechanism 1 of the present embodiment performs the above control without any other power in accordance with the movement of the circulation mechanism 10 as a control unit that performs control to switch between four modes of each expansion/contraction pad 20 via the operation rod 56. A cam plate 18 is provided.
The cam plate 18 is an application of the cam mechanism shown in reference [3].

When each expansion/contraction unit 40 of the circulation mechanism 10 passes through one side of the circulation mechanism 10 (the side facing the inner wall W of the furnace), the cam plate 18 moves from the sprocket 16 on the front side of the circulation mechanism 10 in the traveling direction. The expansion/contraction pads 20 are sequentially switched between the expansion mode and the rigid mode at timings before and after passing the position where the chain 12 separates (timings at which they come into contact with the furnace inner wall W).
Also, when each expansion/contraction unit 40 passes through one side of the circulation mechanism 10 (the side facing the furnace inner wall W), the position where the chain 12 reaches the sprocket 16 on the rear side of the circulation mechanism 10 in the traveling direction. Each expansion/contraction pad 20 is switched between the soft mode and the contraction mode in order at timings before and after passing through (timings at which the furnace inner wall W is separated).

The operation rod 56 of the multiple-stage syringe mechanism 50 of the catching unit 30 described above has a roller 561 rotatably provided as a follower of the cam at the distal end projecting to the outside.
The cam plate 18 is formed with cam grooves 181 for allowing the rollers 561 provided on the operating rods 56 of the respective catching portions 30 to pass therethrough and for guiding the rollers 561 so as to move the operating rods 56 forward and backward.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cam groove 181 of the cam plate 18 has a first section K1 in which the operating rod 56 of each catch 30 does not change its position in the reciprocating direction, a second section K2 in which it changes, and a second section K2 in which it changes. A third section K3 in which no change occurs, a fourth section K4 in which a change occurs, and a fifth section K5 in which no change occurs are formed so as to be successively connected in the direction of circulatory movement.

The first section K1 is located on the side of the circulation mechanism 10 facing the inner wall W of the furnace where the catching portion 30 of each expansion/contraction unit 40 is, and somewhat upstream from the position where the chain 12 separates from the sprocket 16 on the front side in the traveling direction. This is a section through which the roller 561 of the operating rod 56 passes when passing through the side.
The shape of the cam groove of this first section K1 is an arc with the sprocket shaft 17 as the center. No change in position occurs in the reciprocating direction of the operating rod 56 .
Further, the position of the roller 561 in the reciprocating direction of the operating rod 56 when passing through the first section K1 is the position where the operating rod 56 is closest to the pulling direction P side within the reciprocating range (Fig. 7 ( A) position).

The second section K2 continues downstream of the first section K1. The second section K2 includes the position where the catching portion 30 of each expansion/contraction unit 40 faces the furnace inner wall W of the circulation mechanism 10, and includes the position where the chain 12 separates from the sprocket 16 on the front side in the traveling direction. This is a section through which the roller 561 of the operating rod 56 passes when passing through .
In this second section K2, the shape of the cam groove is inclined with respect to the traveling direction of the circulation mechanism 10, and while passing through the second section K2, the rollers 561 gradually move toward the furnace inner wall W side. It moves in the approaching direction to move the operating rod 56 in the pushing direction S side. The amount of movement of the operating rod 56 in the pushing direction S by the time the roller 561 passes through the entire second section K2 is the amount of movement by which the piston 53 reaches the pushing direction S side most. That is, when the rollers 561 pass through the second section K2, the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 shifts the expansion/contraction pad 20 (the state shown in FIG. 7(A)) from the contraction mode to the expansion mode (the state shown in FIG. 7(B)). state) to the rigid mode (state shown in FIG. 7C).

The third section K3 continues downstream of the second section K2. The third section K3 passes through a position where the catching portion 30 of each expansion/contraction unit 40 is on the opposite side of the furnace inner wall W of the circulation mechanism 10 and where the chain 12 is separated from the sprocket 16 on the front side in the traveling direction. 561 of the operating rod 56 passes through the section from 1 to 12 to a position slightly before the position where the chain 12 reaches the sprocket 16 on the rear side in the traveling direction.
In this third section K3, the shape of the cam groove 181 is parallel to the traveling direction of the circulation mechanism 10, and the roller 561 does not change its position while passing through the third section K3. The expansion/contraction pad 20 continues to maintain the rigid mode (the state shown in FIG. 7(C)) while maintaining the state of being positioned closest to the pushing direction S side.

The fourth section K4 continues downstream from the third section K3. The fourth section K4 includes a position where the catching portion 30 of each expansion/contraction unit 40 is on the opposite side of the furnace inner wall W of the circulation mechanism 10 and where the chain 12 reaches the sprocket 16 on the rear side in the traveling direction. This is a section through which the roller 561 of the operating rod 56 passes when passing before and after it.
In this fourth section K4, the shape of the cam groove 181 is inclined with respect to the traveling direction of the circulation mechanism 10, and while passing through the fourth section K4, the rollers 561 gradually move from the furnace inner wall W side. , the operating rod 56 is moved in the pulling direction P side. The amount of movement of the operating rod 56 in the pulling direction P by the time the roller 561 passes through the entire fourth section K4 is the amount of movement by which the piston 53 reaches the pulling direction P side most. That is, when the roller 561 passes through the fourth section K4, the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 changes the expansion/contraction pad 20 from the rigid mode (the state shown in FIG. 7(C)) to the flexible mode (the state shown in FIG. 7(B)). state) to contraction mode (state shown in FIG. 7A).

The fifth section K5 continues downstream from the fourth section K4. In the fifth section K5, the catching portion 30 of each expansion/contraction unit 40 is located on the opposite side of the furnace inner wall W of the circulation mechanism 10, and slightly above the position where the chain 12 reaches the sprocket 16 on the rear side in the traveling direction. This is the section through which the roller 561 of the operating rod 56 passes when passing downstream.
The shape of the cam groove in this fifth section K5 is an arc centered on the sprocket shaft 17, and the rollers 561 that move around the sprocket shaft 17 while passing through the fifth section K5 are No change in position occurs in the reciprocating direction of the operating rod 56 .
Further, the position of the roller 561 in the reciprocating direction of the operating rod 56 when passing through the fifth section K5 is the position where the operating rod 56 is closest to the pulling direction P side within the reciprocating range (Fig. 7 ( A) position).
That is, the catching portion 30 of each expansion/contraction unit 40 is ejected from the cam groove 181 of the cam plate 18 at the position (contraction mode) that is closest to the pulling direction P of the operating rod 56, is circulated by the chain 12, and is again cam-operated. This state is maintained until the first section K1 of the cam groove 181 of the plate 18 is reached.

In addition, in each expansion/contraction unit 40, three trapping portions 30 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction.
Therefore, although three cam plates 18 may be arranged corresponding to each of the catching portions 30, the operation rods 56 of the three catching portions 30 arranged side by side are connected to one operating rod 56 roller. Only 561 is engaged with the cam groove 181 of the cam plate 18, and the other two operating rods 56 may be configured to interlock with this.

[Moving force imparting mechanism]
As shown in FIG. 1, the moving force imparting mechanism 100 includes a drum 101 for winding the other end of a wire 103, one end of which is connected to the front end of the circulation mechanism 10, and a pulley 102 provided on the ceiling of the furnace. , a winch comprising a drive source for winding the drum 101 (not shown).
The wire 103 is wound on the drum 101 through the upper pulley 102 and pulls the circulation mechanism 10 upward.
Therefore, the circulation mechanism 10 is given a moving force to move upward along the inner wall W of the furnace.

[Operation of crawler mechanism]
As shown in FIG. 1, the circulation mechanism 10 of the crawler mechanism 1 is suspended by a moving force applying mechanism 100 so that one side thereof contacts the inner wall W of the furnace.
Then, when the circulation mechanism 10 is pulled through the wire 103 , the expansion/contraction units 40 arranged along the crawler belt 14 start to move around along the chain 12 .
Then, in the catching portion 30 of the expansion/contraction unit 40 that has approached the furnace inner wall W by the circular movement, the expansion/contraction pad 20 has a magnetic force, so that an adsorption force is generated with respect to the furnace inner wall W, and the circulation mechanism 10 moves toward the furnace inner wall W side. is pressed against the
Further, the roller 561 of the operating rod 56 of the catching portion 30 enters the cam groove 181 of the cam plate 18 and moves along the second section K2 via the first section K1.
As a result, the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 is operated in the capture unit 30, and the expansion/contraction pad 20 is sequentially shifted from the contraction mode to the expansion mode and the rigid mode.

As described above, since the furnace inner wall W has a structure in which iron pipes are connected in the vertical direction, the cross section of the furnace inner wall W has grooves W1 at regular intervals in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. Concave and convex form a continuous shape. In addition to this, there are many irregular irregularities such as thinning and breakage due to wear, and bumps due to adhesion of cinders.

With respect to the unevenness of the furnace inner wall W, the expansion/contraction pad 20 of the catching part 30 shifts from the contraction mode to the expansion mode at the timing when it starts contacting the furnace inner wall W, so that the expansion/contraction pad 20 becomes uneven. expand accordingly. Then, by shifting to the rigid mode, the expansion/contraction pad 20 has a shape that conforms to the uneven shape of the furnace inner wall W, and the rigidity is increased. As a result, the shape of the expanding/contracting pad 20 conforms to the surface of the inner wall W of the furnace, and the capturing part 30 can firmly capture the inner wall W of the furnace.

While the expansion/contraction unit 40 rotates along the chain 12 and the rollers 561 of the operating rod 56 pass through the third section K3 of the cam groove 181, the expansion/contraction pad 20 maintains the rigid mode.
Further, when the expansion/contraction unit 40 approaches a position separated from the furnace inner wall W, the roller 561 of the operating rod 56 passes through the fourth section K4 and the fifth section K5 of the cam groove 181 in order.
As a result, in the catching section 30, the expandable/contractible pad 20 shifts to the soft mode and contraction mode in order. Therefore, the expansion/contraction pad 20 becomes less rigid and easily deformed and contracts.
Then, the expansion/contraction pad 20 leaves the furnace inner wall W and maintains the contracted state until it approaches the furnace inner wall again.

In the circulation mechanism 10, each expansion/contraction pad 20 of the crawler belt 14 is flexibly deformed regardless of the unevenness of the inner wall W of the furnace, and progresses while maintaining the shape after deformation. Stable running is achieved by suppressing the rolling and tilting. Then, the furnace inner wall W can be inspected by an inspection device mounted on the body in a stable running state.

[Technical effect of the embodiment of the invention]
The circulation mechanism 10 of the crawler mechanism 1 includes a trapping portion 30 that traps the furnace inner wall W with an expansion/contraction pad 20, and a moving force imparting mechanism 100 imparts relative movement motion between the furnace inner wall W and the trapping portion 30. being moved.
Therefore, the expansion/contraction pad 20 is deformed in accordance with the uneven shape of the furnace inner wall W, properly traps the furnace inner wall W, and performs the relative movement operation between the furnace inner wall W and the trapping portion 30 satisfactorily. becomes possible.
In addition, the expansion/contraction pad 20 increases the surface area of contact with the inner wall W of the furnace, thereby improving conformability to the uneven wall surface.
Furthermore, since the expansion/contraction pad 20 can be increased in rigidity after being deformed, the frictional force with respect to the furnace inner wall W, which is the object, is improved, making it possible to improve the trapping ability.
These allow more stable movement by the circulation mechanism 10 .

In addition, since the circulation mechanism 10 includes a plurality of expansion/contraction pads 20, when a plurality of expansion/contraction pads 20 are provided in the width direction, the furnace inner wall W is properly captured over the entire width, and the furnace inner wall W and the capturing portion 30 are separated. It becomes possible to favorably perform a relative movement operation between.
Further, when a plurality of expansion/contraction pads 20 are provided along the circulation direction, the furnace inner wall W is continuously and appropriately captured during the circulation operation, and relative movement between the furnace inner wall W and the capturing portion 30 is performed. It is possible to continue to operate well.

In addition, since the circulation mechanism 10 is provided with a cam plate 18 as a control unit that performs control for switching between a plurality of modes including a flexible mode and a rigid mode of the rigidity of the expansion/contraction pad 20, the movement operation with respect to the furnace inner wall W , the mode switching control of the expansion/contraction pad 20 can be realized at appropriate timing.
In particular, the cam plate 18 as a control unit performs control for sequentially switching a plurality of modes including the soft mode and the rigid mode of the expansion/contraction pad 20, so that the expansion/contraction pad 20 undergoes delicate state changes and is more flexible. It becomes possible to capture the furnace inner wall W appropriately.

In addition, since the circulation mechanism 10 switches between a plurality of modes including the soft mode and the rigid mode of the expansion/contraction pad 20 by the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50, the operation rod of the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 can be reciprocated by one stroke. It is possible to properly execute three or more modes simply by inputting an action.
Therefore, it is possible to more easily control the expansion/contraction pad 20 . Moreover, it is not necessary to provide two or more syringe mechanisms, and it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the apparatus.

Since the crawler mechanism 1 as a moving body is provided with the circulation mechanism 10, it is possible to realize a stable and good movement operation even in a place with many irregularities such as the furnace inner wall W and where the irregularities are complicated. is.
In addition, since the expansion/contraction pad 20 and its powder 23 function as a pressing force imparting mechanism for pressing the circulation mechanism 10 against the object side, even a surface on which the circulation mechanism 10 cannot be placed can be used. It becomes possible to properly perform the moving operation along the .

[Another example of the pressing force applying mechanism]
As a pressing force imparting mechanism for pressing the circulation mechanism against the furnace inner wall W side as an object, in the circulation mechanism 10 described above, a configuration in which a magnet is used for the expansion/contraction pad 20 is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, a negative pressure generator for generating negative pressure may be provided on one side of the circulation mechanism 10, and the negative pressure may cause the circulation mechanism 10 to adhere to the furnace inner wall W side.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, by arranging the pulley 102 of the moving force applying mechanism 100 to be closer to the inner wall W of the furnace, one side of the circulation mechanism 10 is brought into pressure contact with the inner wall W of the furnace. can be done.
In other words, the moving force applying mechanism 100 can also function as a pressing force applying mechanism.

[Another example of control unit]
In the above embodiment, the cam plate 18 for mechanically controlling the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 of the trapping section 30 was exemplified as the control section, but the trapping section 30 may be electrically controlled based on the control signal.
FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a control section using control signals.
As shown, this configuration includes a sensor 62 for detecting contact of the expansion/contraction pad 20 with an object such as the furnace inner wall W and separation of the expansion/contraction pad 20 from the object, and a multistage syringe mechanism. An actuator 61 as a drive unit that performs an input operation of the operation rod 56 of 50, and a control unit that controls the actuator 61 based on predetermined conditions indicated by the detection signal of the sensor 62 and executes each mode switching of the expansion/contraction pad 20. and a controller 60 as
Although the circulation mechanism 10 includes a plurality of expansion/contraction pads 20, a single controller 60 may control the actuators 61 of the plurality of expansion/contraction pads 20 in a centralized manner. The actuator 61 may be controlled.

The sensor may be, for example, a pressure sensor that is provided inside the inner space of the inner membrane 21 of the expansion/contraction pad 20 and detects the internal pressure of the inner space. Contact of the expansion/contraction pad 20 with the furnace inner wall W is detected from the pressure rise, and separation of the expansion/contraction pad 20 from the furnace inner wall W is detected from the pressure drop.
Moreover, the sensor may be a sensor such as a strain gauge that detects the strain of the expanding/contracting pad 20 or its surrounding members. A plurality of strain gauges may be provided at different locations. From the magnitude of the strain detected by each strain gauge, it is detected that the expansion/contraction pad 20 has come into contact with the furnace inner wall W or that the expansion/contraction pad 20 has separated from the furnace inner wall W.

An actuator is used that can move the operating rod 56 arbitrarily or to a plurality of positions along its operating direction.
Examples include voice coil motors, linear motors, solenoids, etc., which are linear actuators. Alternatively, a motor, which is a rotary actuator, may be combined with a conversion mechanism (pinion-rack mechanism, ball screw mechanism) that converts rotary motion into linear motion.

The controller 60 is a computer containing a CPU and the like.
The controller 60 determines whether the expansion/contraction pad 20 contacts the furnace inner wall W or the expansion/contraction pad 20 separates from the furnace inner wall W based on the detection signal of the sensor.
When the contact of the expansion/contraction pad 20 with the furnace inner wall W is detected, the controller 60 controls the actuator 61 to move the operating rod 56 of the multiple-stage syringe mechanism 50 in the pushing direction S, thereby expanding/contracting the pad. 20 is switched to expansion mode and rigid mode in order.
When the separation of the expansion/contraction pad 20 from the furnace inner wall W is detected, the controller 60 controls the actuator 61 to move the operation rod 56 of the multiple-stage syringe mechanism 50 in the pulling direction P side, thereby expanding the expansion/contraction pad. 20 is switched to soft mode and contraction mode in order.

In this way, even when a control section using an electric signal is used, the circulation mechanism 10 can be properly operated.

[Utilization of Transfer Mechanism by Circulation Mechanism]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the circulation mechanism 10 is used for a moving body that moves along the furnace inner wall W, which is an object, is exemplified. It may be configured to be used for a transport mechanism that transports the object along the circulation direction.
For example, with one side of the circulation mechanism 10 shown in FIG. An object to be transported may be placed on one side of the circulating mechanism 10 directed to be used as a conveyor mechanism for transporting the object in the circulating direction.

In addition, it can be used as a mechanism that engages each expansion/contraction pad 20 of the circulation mechanism 10 with other mechanical elements such as gears and wheels to impart rotational force to them.

[others]
The expansion/contraction pad 20 shown in the above embodiment applies the powder jamming phenomenon, but is not limited to this. good.

The crawler mechanism 1 as a moving body has been exemplified in the case where it moves on a wall surface erected in the vertical direction such as the inner wall W of the furnace. Also good.
Also, the size of the expansion/contraction pad 20 does not have to match the size of the unevenness of the object. For example, the expansion/contraction pad 20 smaller than the irregularities of the object may be deformed to correspond to the irregularities, or the expansion/contraction pad 20 larger than the irregularities of the object may be deformed to correspond to the irregularities. .

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration for switching the plurality of modes of the expansion/contraction pad 20 by the multi-stage syringe mechanism 50 was exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of syringe mechanisms each having a single syringe may be used for one inflation/deflation pad 20 to switch between modes.
Further, if fluid can be supplied to and discharged from a plurality of supply destinations of the expansion/contraction pad 20, a syringe mechanism may not be used. For example, a positive pressure source such as a fluid tank or a positive pressure pump that is always in a positive pressure state and a negative pressure source such as an exhaust pump or injector that always generates negative pressure are switched using a switching valve to switch between the expansion/contraction pad 20. It is also possible to switch and connect to the inner region of the inner membrane 21 or the gap region between the inner membrane 21 and the outer membrane 22 .

[References]
[1] G. Bancon and B. Huber, Depression and grippers with their possible applications, 12th ISIR, Paris (1982), pp.321-329.
[2]Brown, Eric, et al. "Universal robotic gripper based on the jamming of granular material." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107.44 (2010): 18809-18814.
[3] Ge, Dingxin, et al. "Guide rail design for a passive suction cup based wall-climbing robot." Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2016 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on. IEEE, 2016.
[4] Masahiro Fujita, Eri Takane, Y. Nomura, H. Komatsu, K. Tadakuma, M. Konyo and S. Tadokoro. Torus Bag Gripper Mechanism with Variable Internal Volume Mechanism -Improvement of gripping of large objects in omnidirectional conforming gripper-. The 34th Annual Meeting of the Robotics Society of Japan, 2G1-07RSJ, 2016.
[5] Hirose, Shigeo, and Yoji Umetani. "The development of soft gripper for the versatile robot hand." Mechanism and machine theory 13.3 (1978):351-359.
[6] Kenjiro Tadakuma, Riichiro Tadakuma, Seiichi Teshigahara, Yoshitomo Mizoguchi, Hiroaki Hasegawa, Kazuki Terada, Toshio Takayama, Toru Omata, Aikoku Myo, Makoto Shimojo. First Prototype of Machine Model. Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference of the Robotics Society of Japan, 11-01, 2008.
[7] Japan Science and Technology Agency, Press Release (2018), ``Development of a Flexible Robot Hand That Can Grab Sharp Objects Like Cutlery'' (reference 2018-6-14) https://www.jst.go.jp/ impact/sympo/trc6/images/trc6_doc3_1.pdf

1 Crawler mechanism (moving body)
10 circulation mechanism 12 chain 14 crawler belt 18 cam plate (control unit)
181 Cam Groove 20 Soft/Hardness Switchable Expansion/Contraction Pad 21 Inner Film 22 Outer Film 23 Powder 24 Holding Member 30 Capturing Part 40 Expansion/Contraction Unit 50 Multistage Syringe Mechanism 51 Main Syringe 52 Sub-syringe 53 Piston 55 Stopper 56 Operating Rod 561 Roller 60 controller (control unit)
100 Moving force applying mechanism 103 Wire P Pulling direction S Pushing direction W Furnace inner wall (object)

Claims (10)

A trapping part for trapping an object by a soft-rigidity switchable expansion/contraction pad with a two-layered structure consisting of an inner membrane and an outer membrane is provided, and a relative moving motion is imparted between the object and the trapping part ,
A circulation mechanism in which powder is enclosed between the inner membrane and the outer membrane, and fluid can flow in and out between the inner membrane and the outer membrane and inside the inner membrane, respectively. 2. The circulation system according to claim 1 , wherein both the inner membrane and the outer membrane are made of a flexible material. 3. The circulation mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a plurality of said flexibility/rigidity switching expansion/contraction pads. 4. The circulation mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a control unit that performs control for switching between a soft mode and a rigid mode of the stiffness of the soft-rigidity switchable expansion/contraction pad. A driving unit for switching the rigidity of the flexible-rigidity switching type expansion/contraction pad,
5. The circulation mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the control section controls the drive section to switch the flexibility/rigidity switching expansion/contraction pad between the soft mode and the rigid mode according to a predetermined condition. 6. The circulation mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the control unit performs control for sequentially switching a plurality of modes including a soft mode and a rigid mode of the soft-rigidity switchable expansion/contraction pad. 7. The circulation mechanism according to claim 6, comprising a multi-stage syringe mechanism for switching between a plurality of modes including a soft mode and a rigid mode of the flexible-rigidity switchable expansion/contraction pad. A moving body comprising the circulation mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . 9. The moving body according to claim 8, further comprising a pressing force application mechanism that presses the circulation mechanism against the object. A transfer mechanism comprising the circulation mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7 .

Images