MOVING BODY
20200339193 ยท 2020-10-29
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B60L15/20
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B62D15/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
G05D1/0094
PHYSICS
International classification
Abstract
[Problem]
To provide a moving body for which it is possible to change the movement direction without changing the orientation during travel.
[Solution]
With a moving body 1, an exterior case 2 and a drive part 3 are supported by a rotating shaft 4 so as to be able to rotate relative to each other. An upper support shaft 8 of the rotating shaft 4 and the exterior case 2 are connected at a position for which the center of gravity of the exterior case 2 is on the axis of a lower support shaft 10 of the rotating shaft 4. The weight of the exterior case 2 is such that a sufficiently high moment of inertia is provided so that no rotation occurs even when the drive part 3 rotates against the rotational resistance of a bearing 9. When the movement direction is changed during travel of the moving body 1, the drive wheel motor 7 is caused to operate as a differential so that the intended relative angle of the exterior case 2 and the drive part 3, as calculated from the movement direction and the speed of travel, matches the relative angle detected from the relative angle sensor 27. The center of gravity of the exterior case 2 is on the axis of the lower support shaft 10, and therefore the generation of moment to the exterior case 2 is suppressed, the drive part 3 rotates about the bearing 9 of the rotating shaft, and the movement direction of the drive part 3 can be changed without changing the orientation of the exterior case 2.
Claims
1. A moving body comprising: a lower vehicle body having drive wheels and a lower side rotating shaft; and an upper vehicle body having an upper side rotating shaft, the upper vehicle body being connected to the lower vehicle body through the upper side rotating shaft; wherein both the upper vehicle body and the lower vehicle body are constituted so as to be relatively rotatable through the upper side rotating shaft and the lower side rotating shaft, wherein the upper vehicle body has enough large moment of inertia against rotational resistance of the upper side rotating shaft to an extent that the upper vehicle body does not rotate even when the lower vehicle body rotates, and wherein a center of mass of the upper vehicle body positions on a shaft line of the lower side rotating shaft.
2. The moving body according to claim 1, wherein the upper vehicle body is constituted so as not to ground, and wherein it is provided control device for supporting the upper vehicle body through inverted pendulum control by the drive wheels when the lower vehicle body is operated in a front and back direction.
3. The moving body according to claim 2, further comprising: a weight transfer device for transferring the center of mass of the upper vehicle body in a left and right direction; wherein the control device supports the upper vehicle body by controlling the weight transfer device when the lower vehicle body operated in the left and right direction.
4. The moving body according to claim 3, wherein the weight transfer device is provided to the lower side rotating shaft of the lower vehicle body, and wherein it is provided a slide mechanism capable of displacing a relative position of the lower side rotating shaft of a drive wheel side and the lower side rotating shaft of an upper vehicle body side in the left and right direction.
5. The moving body according to claim 3, wherein the weight transfer device is provided to the lower side rotating shaft of the lower vehicle body, and wherein it is provided a tilting mechanism capable of inclining the lower side rotating shaft in the left and right direction.
6. The moving body according to claim 1, wherein the upper vehicle body is constituted so as not to ground, and wherein a driven wheel is provided to the lower vehicle body.
7. The moving body according to claim 1, further comprising: a slide mechanism provided to the lower side rotating shaft of the lower vehicle body, the slide mechanism capable of displacing a relative position of the lower side rotating shaft of a drive wheel side and the lower side rotating shaft of an upper vehicle body side in the front and back direction and in the left and right direction, and a slide control device for controlling the slide mechanism when the center of mass of the upper vehicle body is shifted and for returning the center of mass of the upper vehicle body on the shaft line of the lower side rotating shaft.
8. The moving body according to claim 1, further comprising: a weight transfer device for transferring the center of mass of the upper vehicle body in a left and right direction; wherein the upper vehicle body is constituted so as not to ground, and wherein it is provided a control device for supporting the upper vehicle body by controlling the weight transfer device when the lower vehicle body operated in the left and right direction.
9. The moving body according to claim 8, wherein the weight transfer device is provided to the lower side rotating shaft of the lower vehicle body, and wherein it is provided a slide mechanism capable of displacing a relative position of the lower side rotating shaft of a drive wheel side and the lower side rotating shaft of an upper vehicle body side in the left and right direction.
10. The moving body according to claim 4, wherein the weight transfer device is provided to the lower side rotating shaft of the lower vehicle body, and wherein it is provided a tilting mechanism capable of inclining the lower side rotating shaft in the left and right direction.
11. The moving body according to claim 8, wherein the weight transfer device is provided to the lower side rotating shaft of the lower vehicle body, and wherein it is provided a tilting mechanism capable of inclining the lower side rotating shaft in the left and right direction.
12. The moving body according to claim 9, wherein the weight transfer device is provided to the lower side rotating shaft of the lower vehicle body, and wherein it is provided a tilting mechanism capable of inclining the lower side rotating shaft in the left and right direction.
13. The moving body according to claim 2 comprising: a slide mechanism provided to the lower side rotating shaft of the lower vehicle body, the slide mechanism capable of displacing the relative position of the lower side rotating shaft of the drive wheel side and the lower side rotating shaft of the upper vehicle body side in the front and back direction and in the left and right direction, and a slide control device for controlling the slide mechanism when the center of mass of the upper vehicle body is shifted and for returning the center of mass of the upper vehicle body on the shaft line of the lower side rotating shaft.
14. The moving body according to claim 6 comprising: a slide mechanism provided to the lower side rotating shaft of the lower vehicle body, the slide mechanism capable of displacing the relative position of the lower side rotating shaft of the drive wheel side and the lower side rotating shaft of the upper vehicle body side in the front and back direction and in the left and right direction, and a slide control device for controlling the slide mechanism when the center of mass of the upper vehicle body is shifted and for returning the center of mass of the upper vehicle body on the shaft line of the lower side rotating shaft.
15. A moving body control program executable by a control portion of the moving body, the moving body comprising: the control portion; and a lower vehicle body having drive wheels and the lower side rotating shaft; and a upper vehicle body having the upper side rotating shaft, the upper vehicle body being connected to the lower vehicle body through the upper side rotating shaft; wherein the upper vehicle body is constituted so as not to ground, and wherein the center of mass of the upper vehicle body positions on a shaft line of the lower side rotating shaft, and wherein the upper vehicle body has enough large moment of inertia against rotational resistance of the upper side rotating shaft to an extent that the upper vehicle body does not rotate even when the lower vehicle body rotates, the moving body control program makes the control portion function as a control step supporting the upper vehicle body through inverted pendulum control by drive wheels, when the lower vehicle body is operated in the front and back direction.
16. A moving body control program executable by a control portion of the moving body, the moving body comprising: the control portion; and a lower vehicle body having drive wheels and the lower side rotating shaft; and a upper vehicle body having the upper side rotating shaft, the upper vehicle body being connected to the lower vehicle body through the upper side rotating shaft; and a weight transfer device for transferring the center of mass of the upper vehicle body in a left and right direction; wherein the center of mass of the upper vehicle body positions on a shaft line of the lower side rotating shaft, and wherein the upper vehicle body has enough large moment of inertia against rotational resistance of the upper side rotating shaft to an extent that the upper vehicle body does not rotate even when the lower vehicle body rotates, the moving body control program makes the control portion function as a control step supporting the upper vehicle body by controlling the weight transfer device when the lower vehicle body is operated in the left and right direction.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0017]
[0018]
[0019]
[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
[0023]
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0024] Hereafter, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. First, with reference to
[0025] As shown in
[0026] The drive part 3 is a device to travel and operate the moving body 1 and has a vehicle shaft 5 and drive wheels 6. The drive wheels 6 are respectively provided to both left and right end portions of the vehicle shaft 5 and drive wheel motors 7 to rotate and operate the left and right drive wheels 6 are respectively provided within the vehicle shaft 5. The drive wheel motor 7 rotates the drive wheel 6 based on control signals from a CPU 21 (see
[0027] The rotating shaft 4 is a member to relatively and rotatably support the exterior case 2 and the drive part 3, and the rotating shaft 4 has an upper support shaft 8, a bearing 9 constituted from a ball bearing and a lower support shaft 10. One end side of the upper support shaft 8 is connected to the exterior case 2 and the other end side thereof is connected to an upper portion of the bearing 9. One end side of the lower support shaft 10 is connected to the vehicle shaft 5 of the drive part 3 and the other end side thereof is connected to a lower portion of the bearing 9. Further, the upper support shaft 8 and the exterior case 2 are connected at a position that a center of gravity of the exterior case 2 lies on a shaft line of the lower support shaft 10 of the rotational shaft 4. Weight of the exterior case 2 is set to an extent so as not to rotate even when the drive part 3 rotates so that the weight has enough large moment of inertia against the rotational resistance of the bearing 9. As one example, the exterior case 2 weight of which is 10.0 kg or more is utilized against the bearing 9 rotational resistance of which is 0.001 Nm.
[0028] The moving body 1 in the present embodiment conducts travelling operation while balancing before and after through the inverted pendulum control. Thereby, even if the drive wheels 6 are two left and right, the exterior case 2 is supported by the drive part 3 and the exterior case 2 is not grounded. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the driven wheels and the like in the exterior case 2. Therefore, it can be prevented moment generation in the exterior case 2 in a case that the driven wheels and the like are provided.
[0029] Next, with reference to
[0030] The CPU 21 is an arithmetic unit to control each portion connected through the bus line 24. The ROM 22 is a non-rewritable nonvolatile memory in which a control program executed by the CPU 21 and fixed value data and the like are stored. Concretely, a control program 22a is stored in the ROM 22. When the control program 22a is executed by the CPU 21, the steering process in
[0031] The RAM 22 is a memory to store various work data and flags and the like in rewritable manner when the CPU 21 executes the control program 22a, and in the RAM 23, there are provided a relative angle memory 23a in which a relative angle of the exterior case 2 and the drive part 3 detected from the relative angle sensor 27 is stored and a target relative angle memory 23b in which a target relative angle (unit is rad) of the exterior case 2 and the drive part 3 is stored.
[0032] Next, with reference to
[0033] First, in the steering process, the target relative angle between the exterior case 2 and the drive part 3 is calculated based on the moving direction input or determined and the travelling speed detected from the speed sensor 26 and is stored in the target relative angle memory 23b (S1). After the process of S1, the relative angle is detected by the relative angle sensor 27 and is stored in the relative angle memory 23a (S2).
[0034] After the process of S2, it is confirmed whether or not a value of the relative angle memory 23a is a value of the target relative angle memory 23b or more (S3). When the value of the relative angle memory 23a is the value of the target relative angle memory 23b or more (S3: Yes), the steering process is terminated. On the other hand, when the value of the relative angle memory 23a is smaller than the value of the target relative angle memory 23b (S3: No), the drive wheel motor 7 is differentially driven so that the drive part 3 faces to the direction of the value of the target relative angle memory 23b (S4). After the process of S4, processes after S2 are repeated.
[0035] As described in the above, according to the moving body 1 of the present embodiment, the exterior case 2 and the drive part 3 are relatively and rotatably supported through the rotating shaft 4. Further, the upper support shaft 8 of the rotating shaft 4 and the exterior case 2 are connected at the position that the center of weight of the exterior case 2 lies on the shaft line of the lower support shaft 10 of the rotating shaft 4. Weight of the exterior case 2 is set to an extent so as not to rotate even when the drive part 3 rotates so that the weight has enough large moment of inertia against the rotational resistance of the bearing 9.
[0036] Here, in a case that the moving direction of the moving body 1 is changed during travelling, the target relative angle of the exterior case 2 and the drive part 3 is calculated based on the changed moving direction and the travelling speed detected by the speed sensor 26 and is stored in the target relative angle memory 23b. Further, the left and right drive wheel motors 7 are differentially driven so that relative angle detected from the relative angle sensor 27 and the value of the target relative angle memory 23b mutually coincides. Even in this case, since the center of weight of the exterior case 2 still lies on the shaft line of the lower support shaft 10, moment generation to the exterior case 2 can be suppressed. Therefore, since the drive part 3 rotates around the bearing 9 of the rotating shaft, even though the moving direction of the moving body 1 is changed during travelling, the moving direction of the drive part 3 can be changed without changing the facing direction of the exterior case 2.
[0037] For example, in a case that the moving body 1 travels while the user H faces the HMI portion 11, even if the moving direction is changed, the HMI portion 11 can be maintained in a state that the HMI portion 11 faces the user H. Therefore, information from the HMI portion 11 can be appropriately provided to the user H and it can be maintained a position that the user H can easily operate the HMI portion 11.
[0038] Next, with reference to
[0039]
[0040] The left and right weight transfer device 51 is constituted from an upper plate 51a which is an upper plate member and a lower plate 51b which is a lower plate member in two plate members mutually overlapping and a left and right weight transfer motor 52 to transfer the upper plate 51a and the lower plate 51b in the left and right direction. Based on that the left and right transfer motor 52 is driven and the lower plate 52b is transferred in the left and right direction, the upper plate 51a and the lower plate 51b can be displaced in the left and right direction (hereinafter, called as left and right displacement) (see
[0041] Further, from the left and right weight transfer motor 52, an output current and an output value of the motor are output to the CPU 21, thereby torque control of the left and right weight transfer motor 52 is conducted by the CPU 21. Here, as the left and right weight transfer motor 52, it can be exemplified an induction motor or a brushless motor.
[0042] Next, with reference to
[0043] Next, with reference to
[0044] After process of S10, processes of S2 to S4 and processes of S11 to S13 mentioned later are executed in parallel. After process of S10, in parallel with processes of S2 to S4, the left and right displacement in the left and right weight transfer device 51 is detected by the left and right displacement detection sensor 53 and is stored in the left and right displacement memory 23c (S11). After process of S11, it is confirmed whether or not the value of the left and right displacement memory 23c is the value of the target left and right displacement memory 23d or more (S12). When the value of the left and right displacement memory 23c is smaller than the value of the target left and right displacement memory 23d (S12: No), the left and right weight transfer motor 52 is operated for the direction of the value of the target left and right displacement memory 23d (S13). After process of S13, processes after S11 are repeated. On the other hand, when the value of the left and right displacement memory 23c is the value of the target left and right displacement memory 23d or more (S12: Yes), process of S13 is skipped.
[0045] After processes of S2 to S4 and processes of S11 to S13 are terminated, concretely, when the value of the relative angle memory 23a is the value of the target relative angle memory 23b or more in S3 and the value of the left and right displacement memory 23c is the value of the target left and right displacement memory 23d or more, the steering process is terminated. Here, although processes of S2 to S4 and processes of S11 to S13 are processed in parallel, it may be conceivable that processes of S2 to S4 are first conducted and thereafter processes of S11 to S13 are conducted. Or it may be conceivable that processes of S11 to S13 are first conducted and thereafter processes of S2 to S4 are conducted.
[0046] As described in the above, according to the moving body 50 of the second embodiment, it is provided on the lower support shaft 10 the left and right weight transfer device 51 which horizontally transfers the position of a part of the drive part 3 and the lower support shaft 10 in the left and right direction. Here, when the moving direction of the moving body 50 is changed during travelling thereof, the target left and right displacement in the left and right weight transfer device 51 is calculated based on the changed moving direction and the travelling speed detected by the speed sensor 26 and is stored in the target left and right displacement memory 23d. Further, the left and right weight transfer motor 52 is operated so that the left and right displacement of the left and right weight transfer device 51 detected by the left and right displacement detection sensor 53 and the value of the target left and right displacement memory 23d mutually coincide, thereby the center of weight of the exterior case 2 is horizontally transferred in the left and right direction. That is, the position of the center of weight of the exterior case 2, which is deviated from the shaft line of the lower support shaft 10 of the rotating shaft 4 due to centrifugal force and the like generated by change of the moving direction of the moving body 50, is corrected on the shaft line of the lower support shaft 10 of the rotating shaft 4. Therefore, since travelling of the moving body 50 is made stable and the exterior case 2 is supported by the drive part 3 without providing driven wheels and the like to the exterior case 2, the moving body 50 can be travelled in a state that the exterior case 2 does not ground.
[0047] In the above, although the present invention is described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned above, and it can be easily guessed that various improvements and modifications can be made within a range not deviating the scope of the present invention.
[0048] In the above embodiments, the bearing 9 is constituted from the ball bearing. However, this bearing 9 is not necessarily limited to this, and the bearing 9 may be constituted from various bearings such as oil bearing, air bearing, magnetic bearing.
[0049] In the above embodiments, the rotating shaft 4 is constituted so that the upper support shaft 8 connected to the exterior case 2 and the lower support shaft 10 connected to the drive part 3 are connected to the bearing 9. However, the rotating shaft 4 is not necessarily limited to this, and further it may be constituted so that a motor (hereinafter, called as motor for shaft) to relatively rotate the upper support shaft 8 and the lower support shaft 10 is provided. By rotating the motor for shaft, the upper support shaft 8 and the lower support shaft 10 rotate, thereby the exterior case 2 can be faced to any direction.
[0050] Further, in a case that the steering process in
[0051] In the above embodiments, the moving body 1, 50 conducts travelling operation while balancing before and after to travelling direction through the inverted pendulum control. However, it is not necessarily limited to this, and it may be constituted so as to omit the inverted pendulum control by providing the driven wheels 71 to the drive part 3. With reference to
[0052]
[0053] In the second embodiment, it is constituted so that the left and right weight transfer motor 52 is operated by the moving direction and the left and right displacement of the left and right weight transfer device 51. However, it is not necessarily limited to this, and it may be constituted so that, instead of the left and right displacement detection sensor 53, it is provided a sensor to detect weight in the left and right direction in the moving body 50, the target value such as weight difference or ratio in the left and right direction is calculated to the moving direction and it is disappeared a difference between the target value and the weight difference or ratio in the left and right direction detected by the sensor detecting weight in the left and right direction.
[0054] In the above second embodiment, it is constituted so that the position of a part of the drive part 3 and the lower support shaft 10 is horizontally transferred in the left and right direction through the left and right weight transfer device 51. However, it is not necessarily limited to this. It may be constituted so that a tilting mechanism is provided in the left and right weight transfer device 51 and the position of a part of the drive part 3 and the lower support shaft 10 is inclined in the left and right direction through the tilting mechanism. In this case, the maximum inclined angle in the left and right direction is set to an extent that the exterior case 2 does not ground to the road surface on which the moving body 50 travels. A part of the drive part 3 and the lower support shaft 10 is inclined in the left and right direction through the left and right weight transfer device 51 corresponding to the moving direction of the moving body 50. Thereby, the center of weight in the exterior case 2 of the moving body 50 is transferred in the left and right direction.
[0055] Therefore, the position of the center of weight of the exterior case 2 deviated from the shaft line of the lower support shaft 10 of the rotating shaft 4 due to centrifugal force and the like generated due to change of the moving direction of the moving body 50, can be corrected on the shaft line of the lower support shaft 10 of the rotating shaft 4. Further, since the exterior case 2 can be supported by the drive part 3 without providing the driven wheels and the like to the exterior case 2, the moving body 50 can be travelled while the exterior case 2 does not ground to the road surface. Here, the left and right weight transfer device 51 may be constituted so that there are provided both the constitution in which the position of a part of the drive part 3 and the lower support shaft 10 is inclined in the left and right direction and the constitution of the second embodiment in which the position of a part of the drive part 3 and the lower support shaft 10 is horizontally transferred in the left and right direction.
[0056] In the second embodiment, it is constituted so that it is provided the left and right weight transfer device 51 through which the position of a part of the drive part 3 and the lower support shaft 10 is horizontally transferred in the left and right direction. However, it is not necessarily limited to this, and instead of the left and right weight transfer device 51, it may be constituted so that a left and right weight transfer device having a slide mechanism capable of displacing the position of a part of the drive part 3 and the lower support shaft 10 in the front and back direction and in the left and right direction. The center of weight of the exterior case 2 is controlled so as to position on the shaft line of the lower support shaft 10 by the slide mechanism. For example, in a case that a baggage and the like is put on the exterior case 2, thereby the center of weight of the exterior case 2 is shifted, the center of weight of the exterior case 2 is returned on the shaft line of the lower support shaft 10 through the slide mechanism.
[0057] Therefore, even if the moving body 50 travels in the above state and the drive part 3 changes the moving direction during travelling, moment generation to the exterior case 2 can be suppressed. Thus, the moving direction of the drive part 3 can be changed without changing the facing direction of the exterior case 2 during travelling of the moving body 50.