JPH0352730Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to an automatic traveling device that drives a vehicle body by exciting an electrostrictive element.

<Prior art> A plurality of driving bodies each consisting of an electrostrictive element attached to the main surface of a leaf spring that also serves as an electrode plate are interposed in an inclined manner between a conveyor table and a base. A conveying device in which an alternating voltage is applied to an element, a plate spring is bent, and a conveying table is vibrated in an oblique direction to send an object on the conveying table is disclosed in Utility Model Application No. 52-61087. It is well known that And this kind of conveying device
It is known that it operates on a commercial voltage of 100 to 200 VAC, has low power consumption, and can be used to miniaturize the device.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new automatic traveling device that can self-propel using the driving body.

<Means for solving the problem> In the present invention, on the main surface of the leaf spring that also serves as an electrode plate,
A plurality of driving bodies each having an electrostrictive element pasted thereon and a weight disposed on the upper end thereof are erected in an inclined manner in the longitudinal direction on the upper surface of the mass body disposed on the running surface, and are mounted on the vehicle body. It is characterized in that the front and rear ends of the mass body are connected via a flexible joint.

Here, the flexible joints include tension springs, ropes,
Elastic bodies etc. may be proposed.

<Operation> When the drive body bends between the weight and the mass body, a feeding force is applied to the mass body. Therefore, each time the driving body bends, the mass body generates a stepping motion and moves forward on the running surface. Since the vehicle body is connected to the mass body through flexible joints, the vehicle body is pulled by the mass body and runs.

<Example> An example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a mass body, on which driving bodies 2a, 2a tilting forward and driving bodies 2b, 2b tilting backward are erected in a cantilevered manner.

As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2, the driving bodies 2a and 2b are constructed by attaching electrostrictive elements 4a and 4b to the front and back surfaces of a leaf spring 3 which also serves as an electrode plate, and providing a weight 5 at the upper end thereof. The lower end thereof is slanted and fixed onto the mass body 1 by bolts 6.

The electrostrictive elements 4a, 4b are polarized in the opposite direction or in the forward direction by a conventional method, and the leaf spring 3 also serves as an electrode plate. And the electrostrictive element 4a,
4b are connected in series or in parallel by connecting their outer electrodes to an AC power source 7 via lead wires 6a and 6b. Therefore, when the electrostrictive element 4a is expanded in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 2 due to voltage application from the AC power source 7, the electrostrictive element 4b is contracted, causing the leaf spring 3 to curve.

The mass body 1 is mounted on a running surface 9 such as a rail, and a vehicle body 10 with wheels 11 mounted on the running surface.
connecting ends 12a, 12b, and tension springs 13a, 12b, which are surrounded by
13b.

In such a configuration, when a voltage is applied to the drive bodies 2a, 2a to cause bending vibration, the weight 5 at the upper end applies a feeding force to the right direction in the figure to the mass body 1 during bending. Therefore, the mass body 1 moves on the running surface 9 while making a stepwise motion for each vibration. As the mass body 1 moves, the vehicle body 10 is moved by the mass body 1 by the tension springs 13a and 13b.
Since the mass body 1 is continuously connected to the mass body 1, the vibration components generated in the mass body 1 are buffered, and the wheels 11 can smoothly follow the mass body 1. Therefore, by mounting various objects on the vehicle body 10, it becomes possible to transport the objects.

When moving the vehicle body 10 to the left, voltage may be applied to the driving bodies 2b, 2b tilted in the opposite direction. By selecting the drive, transport in any direction is possible.

Two or more driving bodies 2a, 2b may be provided to increase their driving force.

Further, instead of the tension springs 13a and 13b, linear joints such as ropes and chains may be used, or a rubber damper, cushion material, etc. may be interposed between the vehicle body 10 and the mass body 1. , the buffering effect and the transmission of tensile force may be achieved.

In addition, the vehicle body 10 may have an integrated storage space for containers and the like. Furthermore, as a power source for driving the electrostrictive elements 4a and 4b, in addition to the AC power source, a DC power source can also be used by providing a switching mechanism.

<Effects of the invention> The present invention has a plurality of driving bodies 2 provided on a mass body 1.
With the bending operation of a and 2b, a feeding force is applied to the mass body 1, and the vehicle body 10 is transported by being pulled by this, and is a new self-propelled vehicle that travels by applying voltage. It has excellent effects such as being able to provide a type of automatic driving device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The accompanying drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being a side view and FIG. 2 being an enlarged side view of the driving bodies 2a and 2b showing their operation. 1... Mass body, 2a, 2b... Drive body, 3...
Leaf spring, 4a, 4b...electrostrictive element, 5...weight,
9... Running surface, 10... Vehicle body, 11... Wheels, 1
3a, 13b... tension springs.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. A plurality of driving bodies, each consisting of an electrostrictive element attached to the main surface of a leaf spring that also serves as an electrode plate, and a weight disposed at the upper end thereof, are mounted on a running surface. What is claimed is: 1. An automatic traveling device, characterized in that the mass body is erected on the upper surface of the mass body in an inclined manner in the front-rear direction, and the front and rear ends of the mass body are connected to the vehicle body via a flexible joint. 2. An automatic traveling device characterized in that the flexible joint is a tension spring.