JPS59167360A - Omnidirectional travelling car - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Summary of the Invention] The present invention relates to an omnidirectional vehicle that can travel in all directions.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

For example, in a factory, when parts are to be transported from a parts warehouse to an assembly process, omnidirectional vehicles are used that travel within the factory while changing direction based on commands from a control device. Generally, such an omnidirectional vehicle is composed of a vehicle body and a traveling movement mechanism for moving the vehicle body.

Conventionally, some of the above-mentioned traveling moving mechanisms use a pair of drive wheels and a pair of casters in order to be able to smoothly change the traveling direction while traveling. That is, a pair of drive wheels are provided on both sides perpendicular to the running direction of the vehicle body, and a pair of casters are provided at the front and rear of the running direction. According to such a configuration, when changing the running direction of the vehicle body while the vehicle is running, the running direction can be changed simply by controlling the rotational speed of the pair of drive wheels.

However, if a pair of casters is used in the traveling moving mechanism, the following problems are likely to occur when changing the direction of the vehicle while traveling.

That is, since the casters have the ability to rotate freely, the vehicle body tends to skid, causing the vehicle to lose its running direction. In addition, when the running direction of the vehicle is changed to a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the casters are arranged, the drive wheels are located before and after the running direction, so the casters located in the direction perpendicular to the running direction are slightly However, when the car rotates, it tends to lose its direction of travel, making it difficult to steer.

[Purpose of the invention]

By using a traveling movement mechanism that has both the functions of drive wheels and casters, this invention allows the traveling direction to be easily and reliably changed while traveling, and also allows the wheels to change direction while stopped and start traveling. To provide an omnidirectional vehicle whose running direction is not deviated by this.

[Summary of the invention]

A rotating body is rotatably provided on the vehicle body, a steering shaft having an axle attached to the rotating body is rotatably supported, and a drive source is attached to the axle for rotationally driving wheels rotatably provided on the axle. At the same time, the rotating body is rotated at any rotation angle b
A traveling movement mechanism is constituted by a first stopper mechanism that fixes the steering shaft at a certain angle and a second stopper mechanism that fixes the steering shaft at an arbitrary rotation angle, and the rotating body is fixed by the first stopper mechanism. By releasing this, the traveling moving mechanism can be used as casters as well.

[Embodiments of the invention]

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

In the figure, rxtd has a plate-like shape.

Traveling movement mechanisms I2 are provided at intermediate portions of each side of the vehicle body II. Since each traveling moving mechanism 12 has the same structure, one of them will be explained below. That is, on the lower surface side of the vehicle body 11, a plate-shaped rotary body I3 having a fan-shaped planar shape and a substantially crank-shaped side surface is mounted such that one end thereof is rotatably provided to the vehicle body ZZ via a bearing I4. It is connected to the shaft 7.5. A steering shaft I6 is connected to a bearing 1 at the other end of the rotating body I3 in parallel with the mounting shaft I5.
7, it is rotatably provided. This steering fl'l
A groove I8 is formed at the lower end of the wheel 116, and an axle Z9 is pivotally attached to the groove I8 about its longitudinal center by a support shaft 2o. Wheels 21a and 21b are rotatably provided at both ends of this axle I9, respectively. Further, a pedestal 22 is attached to the axle I9, and this pedestal 22
A motor 23 as a driving source is provided. A 1st pulley 24 is formed on the inner surface of one wheel 21a of the pair of wheels 2Ia and 21b. This first pulley 24 and the rotating shaft 25 of the motor 23
A belt 27 is stretched between the second pulley 26 and the second pulley 26 fitted on the wheel 21a, so that the one wheel 21a can be rotationally driven.

On the other hand, the rotation of the rotating body I3 about the mounting axis I5 is fixed at an arbitrary rotation angle by the first stopper mechanism 28, and the rotation of the steering shaft I6 is fixed by the second straff 4 mechanism 2.
9 so that it can be fixed to the rotating body 13 at an arbitrary rotation angle. The first stopper mechanism 28 is a first stopper mechanism that is provided vertically movably through the vehicle body II in the thickness direction.
a stopper bin 30 and an actuating member 3 attached to the upper end of the first stopper bin 30 protruding from the upper surface of the vehicle body 11.
I, a first solenoid 32 that vertically moves the first stopper bin 30 via the actuating member 3I, and a first solenoid 32 that is attached to the rotating body I3 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on the same radius about the axis I5. It is composed of a large number of first engagement holes 33 drilled therein. The lower end of the first stopper bin 30 engages with the first engagement hole 33, thereby preventing the rotating body 13 from rotating.

The second stopper mechanism 29 also includes an annular body 34 that is fitted and fixed to the upper end of the steering shaft I6 that protrudes toward the upper surface of the rotating body I3, and a mounting member that is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the annular body 34. 35, a second solenoid 36 provided on the upper surface side of this mounting member 35, a second stomper bin 37 driven in the vertical direction by this second solenoid 36, and a steering shaft I6 attached to the rotating body I3. A large number of second engagement holes 38 are drilled at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction on the same radius from the center.
It is composed of. And the second Stompabin 3
By engaging the lower end of 7 with the second engagement hole 38,
Rotation of the steering shaft I6 is restricted. Note that the first and second stopper mechanisms 28 and 29 are shown for ease of understanding; in reality, the rotation angle of the rotating body I3 and the rotation angle of the steering shaft I6 are continuously changed. Those that can be used are used.

According to the traveling moving mechanism 12 configured in this way, if the rotating body I3 is fixed by the first stopper mechanism 28 and the rotation of the steering shaft I6 is fixed by the second stopper mechanism 29, the rotation of the motor 23 is fixed. Since one wheel 21a is rotationally driven and the vehicle body II can be driven in the direction in which the wheel 21a faces, the traveling movement mechanism I2 functions as a drive wheel for driving the vehicle body II.

Such a state of the traveling moving mechanism I2 is referred to as mode A. Also, the rotating body I3 is rotated by the first stone/mother mechanism 28.
In order to fix the steering shaft I6 and release the fixing state of the steering shaft I6 by the second stopper mechanism 29 to operate the motor 23, the steering shaft I6 is rotated by rotationally driving one of the wheels 21a, and the steering shaft I6 is rotated.

The direction of 21b can be changed. In other words, the car body 11
can change the direction of travel. This state of the traveling moving mechanism I2 is referred to as mode B. Also, a rotating body by the first stone 2 mechanism 28! 3 is released from the fixed state, and the motor 23 is operated with the steering shaft I6 fixed by the second stopper mechanism 29, one wheel 21m is rotationally driven, and the rotating body I3 is moved from the mounting shaft 15. It can be rotated as a fulcrum.

Such a state of the regular moving movement mechanism I2 is defined as mode C. Furthermore, if the motor 23 is stopped in the state of this mode C', the steering axis Z6 will change as the vehicle body II travels.
is rotated together with the rotating body I3 about the mounting shaft 15, that is, the travel moving mechanism I2 functions as a caster.

When the vehicle body II is caused to travel in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. If the vehicle body II is set to mode C where it becomes a caster when it is stopped, and mode A where the pair of traveling moving mechanisms 12 that are orthogonal to the running direction are set to be a driving wheel, the vehicle body II
can run in the direction of the arrow.

In order to change the traveling direction of the vehicle body II while traveling, the motors 23 of the pair of traveling moving mechanisms 12 are set to mode A.
If the rotational speed of these wheels 21a is controlled by Rotating body I3 of mechanism 12
rotates.

In addition, when the vehicle body II is stopped and then started running again, the wheels 218 become driving wheels.

Adjust the direction of the wheel 2111°21b, which will become a caster, to the direction of the wheel 21b. That is, by changing the traveling moving mechanism 12, which is a caster, from mode C to mode B and operating the motor 23, the steering shaft I6 is rotated, and its wheels 21a,
Change the direction of 2rb. Thereafter, the traveling moving mechanism 12 is set to mode C, and the motors 23 of the pair of traveling moving mechanisms I2 set to mode A are operated to move the vehicle body II.
If the vehicle is run, the rotating body I3 of the travel moving mechanism 12, which is a caster in mode C, will not rotate and the vehicle body ZI will not shift laterally at the start of the run.

In addition, when changing the running direction of the vehicle body 11 to the direction perpendicular to the previous running direction as shown by the arrow in FIG. The pair of traveling moving mechanisms 12, which were set to mode C, are changed to mode A. Also, at this time, the rotating body 1 of each traveling moving mechanism 12
3 and axle 21a.

The direction of 21b is changed as shown in FIG.

That is, the rotating body 13 and the wheels 21a of the pair of traveling moving mechanisms 12 along the running direction of the vehicle body 11 serving as casters,
21b along the running direction. In this state, the motor 2 of the traveling movement mechanism I2 in mode A becomes the driving wheel.
3, the pair of traveling moving mechanisms 120 and rotating bodies 13, which serve as casters, do not rotate at the start of traveling, so that the vehicle body 11 can be driven without shifting laterally.

In addition, each traveling movement mechanism 12 has an axle 19 on a steering shaft I6.
is swingably provided, and a pair of wheels 2 are provided at both ends of this axle I9.
1a and 21b, even if the road surface is uneven, the axle I9 swings according to the uneven shape, and the pair of wheels 31a and 21b can be kept in contact with the ground. , the vehicle body 11 runs in a stable state. Also, axle 1
Since the motor 23 is attached to the wheel 9, even if the axle I9 swings, the motor 23 can reliably drive one wheel 21m. Note that in the above embodiment, the motor 23 and the wheels 21
Although a is directly connected to the belt 127β, a clutch mechanism may be interposed between them to control power transmission from the motor to the wheels.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the present invention, the traveling movement mechanism for driving the vehicle body is configured so that the drive wheels and casters can be interchanged. Therefore, among the four traveling moving mechanisms provided on the vehicle body, if one pair along the traveling direction is used as casters and one pair perpendicular to the traveling direction is used as drive wheels, the traveling change during traveling can be easily and reliably performed. be able to. In addition, when the vehicle body is stopped and then started to run, the direction of the wheels of the traveling movement mechanism, which are casters, can be made to match the direction of the wheels of the traveling movement mechanism, which are drive wheels. There is no possibility that the wheels of the traveling moving mechanism will slip and the traveling direction of the vehicle body will go awry.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the vehicle body, Fig. 2 is a front view of the traveling movement mechanism, Fig. 3 is a side view, and Fig. 4 is a diagram of Figs. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the rotating body taken along a line, and is a plan view when the running direction of the vehicle body is changed from the state shown in FIG. 1 to the right angle direction. II...Vehicle body, I2...Traveling movement mechanism, I3...
・Rotating body, 16... Steering shaft, I9... Axle, 21a
. 21b...Wheel, 23...Motor (drive source), 28
. . . 1st tsuno-tsuno mother mechanism, 29 . . . 2nd tsuno-tsupa mechanism. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue 3 316 Figure 2 5 411 13゛526 2F-12 7

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an omnidirectional vehicle in which the vehicle body is moved by a traveling moving mechanism, the traveling moving mechanism has a rotating body rotatably attached to the vehicle body by a mounting shaft, and is rotatably supported by the rotating body. a steering shaft, an axle attached to the steering shaft, wheels rotatably provided at both ends of the axle, a drive source attached to the axle for rotationally driving the wheels, and a rotating body. An omnidirectional traveling vehicle comprising a first stone/mother tank that fixes the steering shaft at an arbitrary rotation angle, and a second stopper mechanism that fixes the steering shaft at an arbitrary rotation angle. (21) The omnidirectional traveling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the axle is swingably attached to the steering shaft.