WO2019008673A1

WO2019008673A1 - Rocker bogie mechanism and travel device

Info

Publication number: WO2019008673A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/024505
Authority: WO
Inventors: 基一吉田; 広隆一戸; 薫横山
Original assignee: 株式会社トーキンオール
Priority date: 2017-07-04
Filing date: 2017-07-04
Publication date: 2019-01-10
Also published as: CN110709314B; CN110709314A

Abstract

This rocker bogie mechanism is thin and has a structure in which a center frame is provided and a pair of independently traveling rocker bogies are disposed on both sides of the center frame. Each of the rocker bogies has a structure in which a rocker frame that constitutes the rocker bogie is pivotably supported by the center frame, and extends basically horizontally. Using this rocker bogie mechanism as a truck and mounting a main body on the center frame makes it possible to constitute a travel device that has both strength and handling ability with respect to level differences.

Description

Rocker bogie mechanism and traveling device

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a locker bogie mechanism, and more particularly to a locker bogie mechanism suitable for a person-carrying traveling device.

Currently, widely used four-wheeled electric carts are not movable or fall over, as any of the four wheels can not float on the step and float. In addition, there is a problem that it is difficult to change the course on a narrow road because it is impossible to turn on the spot.

On the other hand, in the field of a mobile vehicle such as a robot, a rocker bogie mechanism is adopted as a mechanism for traveling on uneven terrain with irregularities (for example, Patent Document 1). The rocker bogie mechanism has a structure in which two links (rocker and bogie) are flexibly connected to each other, and a wheel unit is connected to the lower end of each link. Patent Document 1 describes an omnidirectional mobile vehicle that travels with a total of six driving wheels, with the two links that make up the rocker bogie mechanism each being rectangular and the wheel units attached to the two opposing sides thereof.

With such a structure, the locker-bogie mechanism has, for example, a locker and a bogie even when a wheel connected to a bogey located forward in the traveling direction runs onto a step (convex portion) or falls into a step (concave portion). By bending, the state in which all the wheels are in contact with the ground can be maintained, and stability during traveling on a step can be ensured.

Further, Patent Document 2 proposes a structure in which a rear caster is fixed to a chair portion and a driving wheel and a front caster can be pivoted with respect to the chair portion in a wheelchair provided with castors before and after the drive wheel. This structure makes it possible to get on and off a step or make a turn around the drive wheel.

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2001-253364 JP 2000-24043 A

A traveling vehicle using a conventional rocker bogie mechanism as described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which a frame (link) itself located at the center in the left-right direction is bent. Such a structure is less of a problem as a traveling vehicle without a person mounted, but when a seat or the like for mounting a person is fixed to a frame, the levelness of the seat can not be maintained. In other words, people who sit on the seat will be shaken back and forth as they get over the steps, which makes them extremely unstable.

Further, in the mechanism as described in Patent Document 2, since the rear caster is fixed to the chair portion, when the rear caster gets over the step or gets down from the step, the impact is directly transmitted to the chair portion, which is comfortable. I'm not comfortable. It is also difficult to maintain the levelness of the seat. In order to maintain the comfort and levelness of the traveling vehicle (wheelchair), it is also conceivable to intervene a shock absorber, in which case the height to the seat surface becomes high and the height is limited Not applicable to cars. An increase in height also impairs the stability of the posture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a thin rocker bogie mechanism having both strength and runnability with respect to steps. Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel traveling device that achieves both comfort and operability by applying such a thin rocker bogie mechanism.

In order to solve the above problems, the rocker bogie mechanism of the present invention has a structure in which a center frame is provided and a pair of independently traveling rocker bogies are disposed on both sides of the center frame. Further, each rocker bogie has a structure in which a rocker frame constituting it is pivotally supported by the center frame so as to be pivotable and basically extends in a horizontal direction.

The traveling vehicle of the present invention also includes a main body and a carriage, and the carriage has the above-mentioned locker-bogie mechanism. The body is fixed to the center frame.

By having a structure in which a pair of rocker bogie mechanisms are pivotally supported on both sides with respect to the center frame, it is possible to travel while maintaining a stable posture when one rocker bogie mechanism climbs over a step and gets on / off. In addition, it is possible to maintain the horizontality of the center frame itself even when climbing over a step or getting on and off due to the locker bogie mechanism. Further, by setting the direction in which the locker frame forming the locker bogie mechanism extends in the horizontal direction, an increase in the overall height can be suppressed. Thereby, when applied to a traveling device on which a person stands, stable traveling performance can be secured.

Other features and effects of the rocker bogie mechanism of the present invention and the traveling vehicle will be described in the following embodiments.

The perspective view of the rocker bogie mechanism of the first embodiment Top view of the rocker bogie mechanism of FIG. 1 Side view of the rocker bogie mechanism of FIG. 1 Perspective view of a rocker frame with wheels fixed An exploded perspective view of the bogey frame (A), (b) is a figure which respectively shows the example of a change of a wheel The perspective view which shows the principal part (stabilizer part) of FIG. 1 (A-1)-(g-2) is a figure explaining operation | movement of the rocker-bogie mechanism of 1st embodiment. (A) is a figure which shows the rocker-bogie mechanism of 2nd embodiment, (b) is a figure which shows the example of a change. (A), (b) is a figure explaining the function of the rocker-bogie mechanism of 2nd embodiment. A figure explaining an example of change of a rocker bogie mechanism of a second embodiment Figure showing an embodiment of a traveling device

First, an embodiment of the rocker bogie mechanism of the present invention will be described.

First Embodiment
The rocker bogie mechanism of the present embodiment has a center frame and a pair of traveling portions mounted symmetrically with respect to the center frame. The pair of traveling parts are respectively a rocker frame supported by a shaft at the center frame, a bogie frame pivotally supported at one end (first end) of the rocker frame, and the other end of the rocker frame The second end) and the two ends of the bogie frame are respectively provided with a first wheel, a second wheel and a third wheel pivotally supported.

Each rocker frame of the pair of traveling portions has a horizontally extending frame portion. That is, each rocker frame has two frame portions bent so as to be separated in the horizontal direction between the respective first end portions and between the respective second end portions with respect to the position pivotally supported by the center frame. .

Hereinafter, the rocker bogie mechanism of the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction in which the rocker bogie mechanism moves by forward rotation of the drive wheel is referred to as the traveling direction or the longitudinal direction, and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the traveling direction is referred to as the lateral direction. In addition, the side where the wheels come in contact is down, and the opposite side is up.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the rocker bogie mechanism 1 of the present embodiment has a center frame 100 and a pair of traveling portions 200A and 200B attached to the left and right sides of the center frame 10. The structures of the left and right traveling units 200A and 200B are symmetrical with respect to the center frame 1, and in the following description, the suffixes A and B are omitted from the reference numerals of the both and the respective constituent elements. Use numbers.

The center frame 100 is made of a member whose longitudinal direction is the traveling direction, and functions as a keel of the rocker bogie mechanism 1 of the present embodiment. A center bearing portion 115 is formed substantially at the center of the center frame 100 in the longitudinal direction, and a main shaft 500 for mounting the traveling portions 200A and 200B is fixed to the center bearing portion 115.

The traveling portions 200A and 200B themselves constitute a rocker bogie mechanism, and are respectively pivotally supported by a rocker frame 210 pivotally supported by the main shaft 500 and one end (first end) 211 of the rocker frame. Bogie frame 220, the other end (second end) 212 of the rocker frame 210, and three wheels (first wheel 310) pivotally supported on the two ends 221 and 222 of the bogie frame 220, respectively. , The second wheel 320 and the third wheel 330). That is, the rocker bogie mechanism of the present embodiment has a structure in which a pair of rocker bogie mechanisms are arranged in plane symmetry with respect to the center frame 100. The traveling portions 200A and 200B can be independently rotated because each

rocker frame

210A and 210B is pivotally supported with respect to the center frame 100. As a result, only one side of the traveling portion can ride on the step or get off the step.

Further, in a state in which the first wheel 310, the second wheel 320 and the third wheel 330 as a pair are in contact with a flat surface (horizontal surface), the

rocker frames

210A and 210B are substantially parallel to the horizontal surface and substantially in the horizontal surface It has a bent shape. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a polygon connecting a first end portion 211A of the locker frame 210A, a second end portion 212A, and a portion (referred to as an intermediate portion) 213A connected to the center frame 100 and a locker frame 210B. The polygon connecting the first end portion 211B, the second end portion 212B, and the middle portion 213B is substantially parallel to the flat ground surface. As a result, a locker bogie mechanism with low height and stability is realized.

In the rocker bogie mechanism 1 of the present embodiment, a third wheel pivotally supported at one end of the bogie frame 220 and having a second wheel 320 located at the center among the three wheels as a driving wheel and pivotally supported by the bogie frame 220 A first wheel 310 pivotally supported by 330 and the rocker frame 210 is a driven wheel, the former being a front wheel and the latter being a rear wheel. For this reason, the bogie frame 220 is provided with a drive source attachment portion for mounting a drive source of the second wheel 320 which is a drive wheel, for example, a motor.

Furthermore, the rocker bogie mechanism 1 of the present embodiment is provided with one or more stabilizers 400 between the traveling parts 200A and 200B. The stabilizer 400 has a function of stabilizing the movement of the traveling units 200A and 200B which can rotate independently with respect to the center frame 100.

Based on the outline of the bocker-bogie mechanism described above, details of each part constituting the rocker bogie mechanism 1 of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the center frame 100 is a rectangular solid member whose longitudinal direction is the traveling direction. The longitudinal length of the member is approximately, but not limited to, the distance between the front and rear wheels. Further, at substantially the center in the longitudinal direction of the center frame 100, a center bearing portion 115 which is a bearing of the main shaft 500 for pivotally supporting the rocker frames 210A and 210B is fixed. Further, on the upper surface of the center frame 100, support members 410 for supporting the stabilizer 400 are fixed at two places between the center bearing portion 115 and both ends. The structure of the support member 410 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rocker frame 210 includes, as main components, a rocker bearing portion 215 and

frame portions

216 and 217 fixed to both sides (front and rear sides) of the rocker bearing portion 215 in the front-rear direction. And. Further, a rocker frame side boge bearing portion 218 combined with a bogey bearing portion on a bogie frame side described later is fixed to an end of the front side frame portion 216 (a first end 211 of the rocker frame 210). Here, the rocker frame side bogie bearing portion 218 is referred to as a first bogie bearing portion, and the bogie bearing portion on the bogie frame side is referred to as a second bogie bearing portion. Further, the end of the rear frame portion 217 (the second end 212 of the rocker frame 210) is provided with a structure for attaching the first wheel 310.

The rocker frames 210A and 210B of the traveling units 200A and 200B are disposed with respect to the center frame 100 so that the center bearing unit 115 of the center frame 100 is sandwiched by the

rocker bearing units

215A and 215B, and the main shaft 500 corresponds to each bearing unit 215A, It is pivotally supported by the center frame 100 by penetrating and fixing to 115, 215B.

The

frame portions

216 and 217 are cylindrical members and have a structure bent at two points. The frame portion 216 is fixed to the rocker bearing portion 215 so that the axis of the cylinder is in a direction orthogonal to the main shaft 500, is bent forward forward near its fixed end, and is further fixed to the bogie bearing portion 225 It is bent forward (in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction). Similarly, the frame portion 217 is also fixed to the rocker bearing portion 215 so that the axis of the cylinder is in a direction orthogonal to the main shaft 500, and bent backward obliquely in the vicinity of its fixed end to attach the first wheel 310 It is bent backward (in a direction parallel to the front-rear direction) near the end. The frame portion 217 has a longer length in the front-rear direction than the frame portion 216 to which the bogie frame 220 is attached, whereby the two wheels (front wheel 330, driving wheel 320) fixed to both ends of the bogie frame 220 and the frame portion The intervals of the front and rear directions of the first wheels 310 attached to the ends 217 are substantially equal.

Due to the shape of

such frame parts

216, 217, the rocker frame 210 is arranged such that the wheels 310 and the bogie frame 220 connected thereto are horizontally spaced apart from one another without increasing their height, as shown in FIG. Can take
In order to fix the rocker bearing portion 215 and the

frame portions

216 and 217 and to fix the frame portion 216 and the bogie bearing portion 225, known means such as screwing, screws (bolts) and welding can be used.

The structure for attaching the first wheel 310 at the end of the frame portion 217 is different depending on the type of the first wheel 310 which is a driven wheel, but in the illustrated embodiment, an omni wheel is adopted as the first wheel 310 The structure of the case is shown. That is, the end of the frame portion 217 is formed of a plate member 219 that fixes an omni plate that supports the axis (omni axis 335) of the omni wheel. The plate-like member 219 may be formed integrally with the cylindrical member constituting the frame portion 217, or a plate-like member as a separate part may be screwed, screwed, welded, etc. to the cylindrical member. And may be integrated.

As shown in FIG. 5, the bogie frame 220 includes, as main components, a bogie bearing portion 225 (second bogie bearing portion) and a frame portion 226 fixed to both sides (front and rear sides) in the front-rear direction. , 227. The bogie frame 220 is rotatably fixed to the rocker frame 210 by a common shaft 510 (FIGS. 1 and 2) passing through the second bogie bearing portion 225 and the first bogie bearing portion 215.

The front frame portion 226 is a cylindrical member, and the end 221 thereof is provided with a structure for attaching the third wheel (front wheel) 330. This structure is similar to the structure of the end portion of the frame portion 217 of the locker frame 210, and can adopt various structures depending on the wheels to be attached, and in this case, it comprises angular members 229 for fixing the omni wheel ing. Further, the frame portion 227 on the rear side is a cylindrical member in which a bending portion is formed, and a horizontal portion 227a extending in a direction orthogonal to the shaft 510 and a bending portion 227b bent upward with respect to the second bogie bearing portion 225 Have. The bending portion 227 b is provided with a second wheel 320 which is a driving wheel and a mounting portion 610 for mounting the driving source 600.

The drive source 600 is, for example, a motor, and the rotation shaft of the second wheel 320 is fixed to its rotor directly or through a power transmission mechanism. The mounting portion 610 is not particularly limited as long as it has a structure for supporting the second wheel 320 configured integrally with the drive source 600 and fixing it to the frame portion 227 in this way, but here it is fixed to the frame portion 227 A structure is adopted in which a part of the motor is sandwiched and fixed by the fixing block 611 and the cover block 612 which is removably fixed to the fixing block. When the drive source 600 is a motor, the drive source 600 is connected to a power supply (not shown) and is provided with a switch for turning the motor on and off.

In the present embodiment, the first wheel 310 and the third wheel 330 are driven wheels that follow the drive wheels, and employ omni wheels that can rotate in all directions. The omni wheel has a structure in which a plurality of rotating bodies that rotate around the circumferential direction are attached along the circumference of a disk-shaped wheel, and it is known that a single disk or a plurality of disks are stacked. There is. In the illustrated example, an omni wheel is used in which double disks are stacked so that rotating bodies arranged on the circumference of the respective disks alternate. By using the omni wheel, it is possible to make the traveling device excellent in space availability and linear stability. However, the driven wheel is not limited to the omni wheel, and a caster or the like can also be used.

Furthermore, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, you may provide the brake for stopping a rotation of a disk mechanically, a stopper, etc.

Here, the case where only the center wheel (the second wheel 320) among the three wheels respectively on the left and right sides is the drive wheel is shown, but all wheels may be drive wheels, or the center wheel and the front or rear wheel One of them may be a driving wheel. When the front wheel is not a driving wheel, it is difficult to get over when the step approaches deformation of the wheel, but it is possible to easily get over a step near the radius of the wheel by using the driving wheel. As a method of turning the front wheel into a moving wheel, a moving wheel caster, an in-wheel motor as shown in FIG. 6A, or the like may be adopted. Further, since the front wheel 330 is disposed on the same line as the second wheel (drive wheel) 320 by the bogie frame 220, as shown in FIG. You may make it a driving wheel.

Next, the stabilizer 400 will be described with reference to FIG.
The stabilizer 400 is a mechanism for preventing twisting of the frames of the left and right traveling units 200A and 200B which can operate independently, and ensuring the stability of the operation, and as shown in FIG. Mainly, it consists of a rod-like member 450 which is bridged between two traveling parts 200A and 200B and a mechanism for supporting it. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the stabilizer 400 is provided in two places between the first end portions 211A and 211B of the rocker frames 210A and 210B and between the second end portions 212A and 212B, but the basics are The same structure is the same, and the following description is common to both unless otherwise stated.

The rod-like member 450 is a member (a torsion bar) formed of a metal rod such as steel, and the diameter thereof varies depending on the size and weight of the rocker bogie mechanism 1 or the traveling vehicle, but corresponds to the height difference between the left and right wheels. It has a rigidity that can be bent. A block (a peristaltic member) 420 is fixed to a longitudinal center of the rod-like member 450.

The support mechanism of the rod-like member 450 includes a support member (shaft support member) 410 on the center frame 100 side and a support member (430) on the rocker frame 220 side.

The support member 410 on the center frame 100 side is a U-shaped member having a U-shaped cross section including a bottom surface, a top surface, and a vertical surface connecting them, and the bottom surface is fixed to the top surface of the center frame 100 by a bolt or the like. Inside the vertical surface of the support member 410, a pivoting member 420 fixed to a central portion of the rod member 450 is pivotally supported by a shaft 440. The direction of the shaft 440 pivotally supporting the peristaltic member 420 is orthogonal to the vertical plane, which allows the peristaltic member 420 to rotate in a plane parallel to the vertical plane. Here, by designing the height of the peristaltic member 420 (the dimension in the direction orthogonal to the rod-like member 450) to a height slightly smaller than the distance between the top surface and the bottom surface of the support member 410, the pivotal movement of the peristaltic member 420 Is limited to a predetermined angular range, for example ± 15 degrees. As described above, by swinging the swing member 420 in a limited angle range, it is possible to absorb the vibration when the difference in height occurs in the left and right wheels without affecting the center frame 100.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the first end portion 211 and the second end portion 211 of the left and right rocker frames 210A and 210B are holders for slidably supporting the rod-like member 450 as a support member for the rod-like member 450. 430, 430 are fixed. The holder 430 has a shape in which two members having an L-shaped cross section are combined upside down and in the opposite direction, and a through hole is formed in the upper vertical surface, and the rod member 450 is made to penetrate through this hole. To support. By this supporting structure, even if the height difference between the left and right wheels is caused and the rod member 450 is bent, the end of the rod member 450 is shifted in the direction shown by the arrow in the figure to maintain the width between the left and right wheels. Can.

In the rocker bogie mechanism of the present embodiment, as described above, the pair of traveling portions 200A and 200B disposed with the center frame 100 interposed therebetween is rotatably fixed to the center frame 100 independently of each other. For this reason, when a part (or all) of the wheels on one of the running parts rides on or off the step, the frame twists and the running posture becomes unstable without maintaining the verticality of the wheels. There is sex. On the other hand, by providing the stabilizer 400 having the above-described structure, it is possible to prevent the twisting of the pair of traveling portions 200A and 200B (wheels) that can rotate independently, and to maintain the stability during traveling. Further, by adopting a torsion bar as the stabilizer 400, it is possible to obtain the effect of preventing twisting and maintaining the stability with a simple and lightweight structure without using a heavy mechanism such as a differential gear.

Although the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 shows an example in which the stabilizer 400 is provided at two places between the two end portions of the rocker frame, the position of providing the stabilizer and the number of the stabilizer are not limited to this embodiment.

Based on the configuration of the rocker bogie mechanism described above, the operation of the rocker bogie mechanism of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIGS. 8 (a-1) to 8 (g-1) are side views of the rocker bogie mechanism 1 when the rocker bogie mechanism 1 traveling with the third wheel 330 as the front wheel rides on and off the step S (a side view ). In FIG. 8, (a-2) to (g-2) show a state in which only one of the pair of traveling portions gets on and off the step S corresponding to (a-1) to (g-1). It is the figure (front view) seen from the front (front side) of 1. FIG.

First, the case where the rocker bogie mechanism 1 rides on a step S1 higher than the traveling surface G during traveling will be described using FIGS. 8 (a-1) to (c-1).
First, when the drive wheel 320 is driven by the drive source 400, the rocker bogie mechanism 1 travels forward as shown by the arrow in the figure. In the state where the rocker bogie mechanism 1 is traveling on the flat surface G (FIGS. 8A-1 and 8A-2), the third wheel (front wheel) 330 and the second wheel (driving wheel) 320 , And each pair of first wheels (front wheels) 310 is in contact with a flat surface G. In this state, the center frame 100 and the locker frame 210 are kept horizontal.

As shown in FIG. 8 (b-1), when the front wheel 330 collides with the step S1 during traveling, the front wheel 330 rides on the step S1 by the propulsive force of the drive wheels. At this time, the bogie frame 220 rotates clockwise with respect to the rocker frame 210 with the bogie shaft 510 as an axis, so that the driving wheel 320 is in contact with the flat surface G even if the front wheel 330 is lifted. Can be maintained. Further, when viewed from the center frame 100, the difference in height between the front wheel 330 and the drive wheel 320 is absorbed by the rotation of the bogie frame 220, so the horizontality of the center frame 100 is maintained.

As shown in FIG. 8 (c-1), when the rocker bogie mechanism 1 travels further forward and the drive wheel 320 rides on the step S1 following the front wheel 330, the bogey frame 220 pivots counterclockwise. Thereby, the front wheel 330 and the drive wheel 320 can be grounded to the step S1. At this time, although there is a height difference between the bogie shaft 510 and the shaft of the rear wheel 310, the drive wheel 320 is lifted because the rocker frame 210 rotates clockwise with respect to the center frame 100 with the main shaft 4 as the shaft. Also, the rear wheel 310 can be kept in contact with the flat surface G. Further, since the difference in height between the bogie axis 510 and the axis of the rear wheel 310 is absorbed by the rotation of the rocker frame 210, the levelness of the center frame 100 is maintained here as well.

Next, referring to FIG. 8 (d-1), the step S to be overcome by the rocker bogie mechanism 1 is convex, and the width of the convex portion is narrower than the distance between the front wheel 330 and the drive wheel 320. Explain the case. In this case, as described in FIG. 8 (b-1), the front wheel 330 riding on the step S1 is flat at a lower position than the convex portion when the drive wheel 320 climbs on the step S1 (convex portion). I'm getting down to face G. At this time, the front wheel 330 can be installed on the flat surface G without being affected by the position elevation of the drive wheel 320 due to the free rotation of the bogie frame 220 in the counterclockwise direction. In addition, even if the drive wheel 320 is lifted, the rear wheel 310 can be maintained in contact with the flat surface G by free rotation of the rocker frame 210 in the clockwise direction. In any state, the difference in height between the wheels generated in each state is absorbed by the rotation of the bogie frame 220 and the rocker frame 210, and the horizontality of the center frame 100 is maintained.

FIGS. 8 (e-1) to 8 (g-1) show cases where the rocker bogie mechanism 1 traveling on the flat surface G descends from the step S2 whose height is lower than that of the flat surface G. FIG. Also in these cases, as in the case of traveling the convex step S2, it is possible to go down or over the step while maintaining the horizontality of the center frame 100.

That is, when the front wheel 330 approaches the step S2 from the flat surface G while the locker bogie mechanism 1 travels on the flat surface G, the front wheel 330 floats due to the free rotation of the bogie frame 220 in the counterclockwise direction. It is possible to get down to the step S2 and to touch the low ground (FIG. 8 (e-1)).

Then, when rocker bogie mechanism 1 travels further forward and drive wheel 320 descends from step S2 following front wheel 330, front wheel 330 and drive wheel 320 are ground because of free rotation of bogie frame 220 clockwise. It is possible to get off the step S2 and to ground without leaving the step S2. At this time, the rear wheel 310 can be maintained in the state of being in contact with the ground G by the free rotation of the locker frame 210 in the counterclockwise direction. (FIG. 8 (f-1)).

Further, as shown in FIG. 8 (g-1), even when traveling along a recess where the distance between the steps S is narrower than the width between the wheels, the difference in height between the front wheel 330 and the drive wheel 320 and the corresponding bogey frame The pivoting of 220 and the difference in height between the driving wheel 320 and the rear wheel 310 and the pivoting of the corresponding rocker frame 210 are described in FIGS. 8 (b-1) and 8 (f-1), respectively. In the same manner as in the case described above, any of the wheels can travel while maintaining the grounded state without floating from the ground. Thereby, the power from the drive source 400 is efficiently transmitted to all the wheels.

In the description using FIGS. 8 (a-1) to 8 (g-1) above, the operation in which both wheels of the traveling unit 200 get on and off the step has been described. However, the rocker bogie mechanism of this embodiment travels on the left and right. Since the units 200A and 200B are basically independent of the center frame 100, the operation of the bogie frame 220 and the rocker frame 210 is the same as the operation described above even when only the wheels of one of the traveling units 200 get on and off the step. It is similar. However, in this case, stability of traveling is maintained by the stabilizer 400.

The operation of the stabilizer 400 during traveling will be described below with reference to drawings (a-2) to (g-2) on the right side of FIG. In the drawing, the right side is described as the traveling unit 200A, and the left side is described as the traveling unit 200B. As shown in FIGS. 8 (b-1) and 8 (b-2), when only the front wheel 330A of the traveling unit 200A rides on the step S, the traveling units 200A and 200B operate independently of each other. Becomes possible.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 8 (c-1) and 8 (c-2), when the drive wheel 320A also rides on the step S, the holder 430A fixed to the first end 211A of the rocker frame 210A travels on the left side. It will be in the state lifted with respect to the part 200B. Due to the movement of the holder 430A, one end of the rod member 450 is pulled upward, and along with this, the peristaltic member 420 is inclined to a certain extent like a pendulum, the rod member 450 is bent, and the left and right height difference is absorbed. Do. Thus, the center frame 100 can maintain horizontality without being affected by the difference in height between left and right. In addition, the rod member 450 exerts a force to press the drive wheel 320A against the ground contact surface by its rigidity, so that the posture becomes unstable due to excessive rotation or left-right inclination of the rocker frame 210A by the momentum of the drive wheel 320A being lifted. Can be prevented.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8 (e-1) and FIG. 8 (f-1), even when the front wheel 330 and the drive wheel 320 of the traveling unit 200A get down on the step S of the recess, the The position of the holder 430A fixed to the one end portion 211A is lowered relative to the holder position of the traveling portion 200B on the left side, and the rod-like member 450 is pulled downward. As a result, the swing member 420 inclines to some extent like a pendulum, and the rod member 450 bends downward, thereby absorbing the difference in height between the left and right. Thus, the center frame 100 can maintain horizontality without being affected by the difference in height between left and right. Further, the rod-like member 450 can prevent the posture from being destabilized due to excessive rotation or left-right inclination of the rocker frame 210A.

As mentioned above, although the rocker bogie mechanism of this embodiment was demonstrated based on drawing, the rocker bogie mechanism of this invention is characterized by the structure which pivotally supported the rocker frame by the running part which consists of a rocker bogie mechanism on both sides of a center frame. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications such as deletion or addition of non-essential elements or deformation of constituent elements are possible. Some variations are listed below.

Second Embodiment
The rocker bogie mechanism of the present embodiment is characterized based on the rocker bogie mechanism of the first embodiment and further provided with means for enhancing the resistance of the torsional stress applied to the frame by the load. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the rocker bogie mechanism of the present embodiment will be described using FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the rocker bogie mechanism of the present embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the operation thereof. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same elements as those of the rocker bogie mechanism of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the redundant description will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 10B, the stabilizer 480 is disposed at the end of the frame portion 227 of the bogie frame 220 which is the mounting portion of the motor. In the illustrated example, the tip of the frame portion 227 is further bent, and a stabilizer 480 is attached using this structure. As the stabilizer 480, a rod-like member (tension bar) similar to the stabilizer 400 (450) disposed forward and backward from the center can be employed. In addition, although the supporting member of the stabilizer 480 is abbreviate | omitted in the figure, the structure similar to the stabilizer 400 arrange | positioned back and front is employable.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9B, the reinforcing plate 490 may be fixed to the bogie frame 220 supporting the motor 600, and the stabilizer 480 which is a rod-like member may be supported by the left and right reinforcing plates 490.

In the rocker bogie mechanism of the first embodiment, since the rocker frame and the bogie frame are arranged horizontally to the center frame, as shown in FIG. 10A, the load applied to the center frame is the outermost wheel. It takes to In particular, the load applied to the second wheel (drive wheel) located at the center is the largest, so the load (the frame portion 216 of the rocker frame and the frame portion 227 of the bogie frame) where the drive wheel and motor are connected Torsional stress is applied. For this reason, the upper part of the motor attached to the frame part 227 falls inward, and the drive wheel 320 is easily opened in a figure of eight.

On the other hand, when the stabilizer 480 is disposed at the center as in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), when a load is applied to the center frame 100, the stabilizer 480 bends downward along with its displacement. An outward force is applied to the tip of the bogie frame 220 (frame portion 227) supporting both ends. This resists the force of tilting the motor inward and prevents the wheels from opening in a C shape.

In addition, as a mechanism to increase the resistance to the torsional stress caused by the load applied to the center frame, instead of the stabilizer or together with the stabilizer, the diameter of the frame itself is increased, the thickness is increased, and the support is reinforced. Can be adopted.

For example, in addition to the reinforcing plate 490 shown in FIG. 9 (b), as shown in FIG. 11, a reinforcing frame or a reinforcing frame which becomes a brace between a portion pivotally supported by the center frame 100 and each

end

211, 212 or A reinforcing plate 219 or the like may be added. In this example, the reinforcing plate 219 is fixed to the rocker bearing portion 215 and the first bogie bearing portion 218 of the rocker frame 210, and reinforces the portion of the rocker frame 210 most likely to be loaded. Further, the second bogie bearing portion 225 and the

frame portions

226 and 227 fixed to both sides thereof may be reinforced by a reinforcing plate.

According to the present embodiment, the rocker frame and the bogie rocker frame can solve the problem of the structure that may occur due to being mounted in the horizontal direction with respect to the center frame, and can provide a structurally robust rocker bogie mechanism.

<Modification example>
As mentioned above, although the embodiment of the rocker bogie mechanism of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings, the shape of each frame constituting the rocker bogie mechanism may be a shape different from that of the embodiment described above. It is also possible to add members to reinforce the For example, although the locker frame 210 is shown to include two

frame portions

216 and 217 having a portion bent in an oblique front and an oblique rear, an arc frame or a frame bent in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction is shown. Etc. can also be adopted.

With regard to the bogie frame 220, it is also possible to change the distance between the front wheels and the drive wheels by changing the bending direction appropriately.

<Embodiment of Traveling Device>
The locker bogie mechanism of the present invention can be applied to various traveling devices such as a person-free mobile robot (robot), a person-mounted electric cart, a wheelchair, and the like, and in particular, the horizontality of the center frame is maintained. The present invention can be suitably applied to a traveling apparatus for carrying a person by taking advantage of the feature of being a mechanism that maintains a low stable posture.

In the present embodiment, an electric cart (electric wheelchair) in which a chair on which a person sits and a handle for operation are attached to the above-described rocker bogie mechanism 1 will be described as an example of a traveling device. The electric wheelchair has a standard defined by JIS (total length: 1200 mm, full width: 700 mm, total height: 1090 mm, step difference: 40 mm), and the size of the rocker bogie mechanism 1 and the size of the chair attached thereto are within these standards. It is the size to enter.

From the viewpoint of structural strength and operation smoothness, each frame (rocker frame 210 and bogie frame 220) of rocker bogie mechanism 1 has its bottom surface (lower end) at the position of the axis (center) of drive wheel 320. It is preferable that the range from the position of the shaft to the thickness of the frame be an acceptable range. When the lower end of the frame is lower than the axis of the wheel, it is difficult to get over a step higher than the radius of the wheel, and the lower end is likely to contact the step. Specifically, the height of a standard sidewalk is 200 mm, the step on the slope when riding up from the road to the sidewalk is about 50 mm, and the height near the center of the slope is about 100 mm. It is preferable that the height of the frame be about 120 mm. On the other hand, when the position of the lower end of the frame is higher than the axis of the wheel, a load from above is applied to the upper side of the drive wheel, and a torsional stress is applied to the inside of the frame. In addition, the clearance between the load on the center frame and the locker frame 210 or the bogie frame 220 is narrowed, and the tolerance when the frame is rotated is also narrowed due to overcoming of a step or the like.

An example of the electric cart according to the present embodiment is shown in FIG. As shown, a pillar 700 of a chair (not shown) is fixed slightly behind the center bearing of the center frame 100 of the rocker bogie mechanism 1, and a top plate 710 for fixing the chair to the upper end of the pillar 700 is It is rotatably fixed about a support 700 as an axis. At the front end of the center frame 100, a handle 750 and its support 760 are fixed. In the vicinity of the handle 750, an operation button for operating the traveling device may be provided. As an operation button, for example, an on-off button of a drive source, a reverse button to reversely rotate a driving wheel, a button to make traveling speed variable, a turn button, and a light on / off button when the traveling device has a light possible. Further, the top plate 710 to which the chair is fixed may be provided with a vertical movement mechanism that makes its height variable, and in that case, the operation button also includes the operation button of the vertical movement mechanism of the top plate 710.

In this case, the drive source 600 for driving the drive wheel 320 is provided with a control device, and controls the drive wheel 320 in response to the button operation. For example, when the reverse button is operated, the controller reversely rotates the drive wheel. Thus, the traveling device moves rearward in the traveling direction. When the turning button is operated, one of the left and right driving wheels is rotated forward, and the other is rotated reversely by the same amount as the rotation. This enables turning on the spot.

Also, the operation of the handle 750 is transmitted to the drive wheel 320 via an electrical signal or via a mechanical transmission mechanism. When an electrical signal is used, the leftward or rightward movement is possible by changing the amount of rotation of the left and

right drive wheels

320A and 320B according to the output of the sensor that detects the operation of the steering wheel. For example, when the handle 750 is rotated to the left, an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of rotation is transmitted to the control device of the drive source 600 to relatively increase the amount of rotation of the right drive wheel.

The traveling apparatus of the present embodiment uses a structure in which traveling sections consisting of a pair of rocker bogie mechanisms are axially supported on both sides of the center frame, so that it is easy to get over the steps and get on and off, and maintain posture stability. it can. In addition, since the center frame on which a chair on which a person mounts is fixed is kept horizontal, a comfortable ride can be obtained with less shaking.

In addition, it is preferable to fix the seat on which a person mounts to the center frame, but providing a known shock absorbing mechanism such as a spring between the center frame and the seat, protecting the seat, riding comfort and riding It goes without saying that a backrest, elbow rest, foot rest, etc. may be provided to ensure the stability of the time.

According to the present invention, a novel rocker bogie mechanism and traveling device capable of securing stability and levelness in traveling on a rough ground are provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rocker bogie mechanism, 100 ... Center frame, 115 ... Center bearing part, 200A, 200B ... Traveling part, 210 ... Locker frame, 211 ... 1st end part, 212 · · · 2nd end, 215 · · · first bogie bearing, 216 · · · frame portion, 217 · · · frame portion, 218 · · · first bogie bearing portion, 220 · · · bogey frame, 225 · · · ... second bogie bearing portion, 226 ... frame portion, 227 ... frame portion, 310 ... first wheel (rear wheel), 320 ... second wheel (drive wheel), 330 ... Third wheel (front wheel), 400, 480: Stabilizer, 410: support member, 420: peristaltic member, 430: holder, 450: rod-like member, 500: main shaft, 600 .. Drive source (motor ), 700 ... posts, 750 ... handle.

Claims

A center frame, and a pair of traveling parts mounted symmetrically with respect to the center frame,
The pair of traveling units are each
A locker frame pivotally supported by the center frame;
A bogie frame pivotally supported at a first end of the rocker frame;
The second end of the rocker frame and the two ends of the bogie frame are respectively provided with a first wheel, a second wheel and a third wheel pivotally supported,
Each rocker frame of the pair of traveling portions is bent so as to be separated in the horizontal direction with respect to a position where each first end and each second end are pivotally supported by the center frame. Rocker bogie mechanism characterized by having two frame parts.
The locker-bogie mechanism according to claim 1, wherein
A rocker bogie mechanism characterized in that a stabilizer made of a rod-like member is provided between the pair of traveling parts.
The locker bogie mechanism according to claim 2, wherein
The center frame includes a pivot support member that pivotally supports the rod-like member
The rocker bogie mechanism is characterized in that each of the pair of traveling parts includes a support member slidably supporting the rod-like member.
The locker bogie mechanism according to claim 2, wherein
The second wheel is located between the first wheel and the third wheel in the traveling direction,
The rocker bogie mechanism is characterized in that the stabilizer is provided between frame portions of the bogie frame that pivotally supports the second wheel of the pair of traveling portions.
The locker-bogie mechanism according to claim 1, wherein
2. A rocker bogie mechanism characterized in that each second wheel of the pair of traveling parts is a drive wheel independent of each other and located between the first wheel and the third wheel.
The locker-bogie mechanism according to claim 5, wherein
A rocker bogie mechanism characterized in that at least one of the first wheel and the third wheel is a driven wheel which is rotatable in all directions.
A traveling device comprising a main body and a carriage,
A travel device comprising the rocker bogie mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6 as the carriage.
The traveling device according to claim 7, wherein
The traveling device according to claim 1, wherein the main body is fixed to a center frame of the rocker bogie mechanism.
A rocker frame, a bogie frame pivotally supported at one end of the rocker frame, and a first wheel pivotally supported at the other end of the rocker frame and at two ends of the bogie frame, A traveling device comprising a plurality of rocker bogie mechanisms having a second wheel and a third wheel, wherein
A traveling device comprising a center frame at a lateral center perpendicular to a traveling direction, and the rocker frame of the rocker bogie mechanism is pivotally supported on both lateral sides of the center frame.