JPS6164573A - Inter-track travelling device - 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] [1. Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a wheel-type vehicle that runs independently by applying tension between a pair of opposing tracks, such as a pair of opposing lobes. Regarding traveling equipment.

[11. Prior Art] When transporting objects using a track, there are two possible methods: moving the track, and fixing the track and moving a device on the track.

Conventional examples of the former include elevators, ropeways, lifts, cranes, etc., and examples of the latter include mole rails, trolleys, railways, etc., and suspended self-propelled devices that utilize the frictional force between lobes and wheels. can be mentioned.

[10 Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As is well known, the various conventional transport devices and traveling devices described above are used selectively depending on the distance traveled and various other conditions. With the exception of the hanging type self-propelled devices that utilize the frictional force between lobes and wheels, as mentioned above, none of these devices can be used to transport or move objects in narrow and curved spaces. Extremely difficult or impossible. Also,
Track facilities generally tend to be large-scale, and changing routes is extremely troublesome and may even be impossible due to restrictions such as locational conditions.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned suspended self-propelled device has a considerable advantage in terms of freedom in selecting routes, but if swinging while traveling is unavoidable or if the lobe is tilted, it will be greatly affected by gravity and will not be able to travel. It has disadvantages in other senses, such as being difficult.

Furthermore, each of the above-mentioned conventional devices has considerable limitations in the facility conditions of the track itself and the running posture of the traveling device, and for example, in a device that is premised on the use of a pair of tracks, such as a railway track, this is not the case. The tolerance range for the inclination of the plane containing a pair of tracks and the variation in the spacing between the tracks is quite narrow, and on the other hand, there is a device that uses a single track that does not require consideration at least about the mutual installation conditions of the tracks, i.e. Even in the above-mentioned mole rails, ropeways, lifts, and suspended traveling devices, the posture of the traveling device that straddles or hangs from the track is within the range of inclination based on a predetermined direction (generally the vertical direction). For example, riding while lying on your side or upside down is completely prohibited.

However, at construction sites for various buildings and facilities, it is often necessary to transport equipment, materials, etc. through intricate slopes and curved paths due to spatial constraints. Also,
In chemical plants and nuclear power plants, in order to prevent major accidents and ensure safe operation of the plant, it is now necessary to monitor and inspect the operating status of the plant while moving freely in three-dimensional space.

Robotizing these tasks is a great hope for the future, and especially in the nuclear industry, it is an essential requirement that goes beyond simple rationalization and labor saving.

As a result, the conventional traveling devices as described above cannot meet these future demands, no matter what type is used.

The present invention has been developed from this point of view, and is capable of running independently between a pair of opposing tracks, and is capable of well following changes in the distance and attitude between the tracks, thereby eliminating limitations. A traveling device that can travel while closely following the inclination and bending of the track even in a narrow space, and in short, it has a high degree of freedom in a variety of ways, including design freedom, facility freedom, travel freedom, posture freedom, etc. The main purpose is to provide equipment.

[TV, Means for Solving Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides: A track-to-track running device comprising; a pair of car frames each holding a pair of wheels separately through joints; a pair of arms holding the pair of car frames at the tip side; each of the car frames a joint means capable of tilting relative to the axis within a plane including the axis of the arm; connecting adjacent ends of the pair of arms so as to separate the pair of arms in opposite directions on the same axis; extensible urging means for urging; intersection angle detection means for detecting each intersection angle between the axis and each of the vehicle frames held by each of the arms; at least one of the pair of wheels held by each of the vehicle frames; is a driving wheel, and a driving means for driving the driving wheel; and by applying both axles of one of the pair of vehicle frames to one of the pair of tracks and applying both axles of the other vehicle frame to the other track, Each wheel is placed in a steered state in which the wheels are directionally guided by the respective tracks through joints provided in the vehicle frame; and in the steered state, a tension force on the pair of tracks is applied by the urging force of the urging means. 1. Based on each intersection angle detected by the intersection angle detection means, 1. Complementarily variably control the wheel drive force generated by each of the pair of drive means. Provided is a track-to-track running device characterized by: obtaining the device's self-propelling power while maintaining the device's self-sustaining power.

[V. Operation] The inter-track running device configured as described above can be operated as follows.

When this device is positioned between a suitable pair of tracks, such as a pair of ropes stretched at intervals, and each wheel of each car frame is applied from the inside to the corresponding track, the pair of arms holding the car frame will Due to the biasing force applied to the arm, a tension force is generated between the pair of tracks through the vehicle frame and the wheels, and this tension force makes the device as a whole self-supporting.

In this state, if at least one of the pair of wheels attached to each vehicle frame is used as a driving wheel and driven by the drive means, the entire device starts moving forward or backward along the pair of tracks.

Furthermore, the pair of arms can extend and contract toward and away from each other while being subjected to an urging force, and each vehicle frame can tilt with respect to the axis of each arm within a plane that includes the axis through the joints. Even if the distance between the pair of tracks varies depending on the location under the running conditions, each arm is tilted to the axis of each arm so that each car frame follows the corresponding track at that time. Because it expands and contracts, the device can continue traveling on its own.

However, if each driving wheel, one on each car frame, could only be driven with the same driving force or rotational speed, the tilt of each car frame and each arm would become extremely large, causing the device's posture to collapse.
As a result of the pair of arms fully extending away from each other, it is conceivable that the tension force between the tracks, that is, the self-sustaining force of the device, is lost.

Therefore, in order to prevent this, this device is provided with an intersection angle detection device, which detects each intersection angle between each vehicle frame and the axis of the arm, that is, each inclination angle between each arm and the corresponding vehicle frame.
Based on these differences, the driving force applied to each driving wheel by the driving means is variably controlled in a complementary manner to prevent posture collapse. There are several concrete ways to perform complementary driving force variable control, but the most basic method is to slightly reduce the driving wheels of the vehicle frame on the side with the larger inclination angle, and to greatly increase the driving wheels of the car frame on the side with the smaller inclination angle. drive In this way, the inclinations of each vehicle frame and each corresponding arm are always controlled so that they are approximately the same, and therefore the device posture can be suppressed to fluctuations within a constant range of approximately C.

Since this device uses the above-mentioned running principle, it can run even if the surface including the pair of tracks is bent or twisted. In particular, even if the bending is greater than that, each wheel is held by the corresponding vehicle frame via a joint, so by appropriately setting the rotation angle range and mechanical viscosity of the joint, it is possible to guide the wheel to the corresponding track. Therefore, the distance between the pair of tracks to be engaged by this device does not widen significantly when receiving the thrust force applied from this traveling device. It is sufficient if the facility is installed with a certain amount of tension;
There are no particularly large facility requirements; on the contrary, sufficient flexibility can be achieved, and the design and workability of track facilities can be greatly improved.

The track material and track shape are also arbitrary in terms of wood quality, and can take various materials and shapes such as metal, non-metal rope shape, T-shape, H-shape, channel shape, angle shape, etc. Therefore, the wheels can be of any suitable shape, such as one that straddles the track or one that fits into the groove of the track.

Furthermore, if a conductive material such as a suitable metal is used for the pair of tracks, the pair of tracks can be used as a power supply line for driving various electrical systems of this device or as a signal line for exchanging various signals. You can also do that.

[Vl, Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a basic embodiment of the traveling device of the present invention.

The traveling device 10 as a whole has a pair of arms 1.1,
These arms are arranged on the same axis and their adjacent ends are connected to each end of the biasing means 9. The biasing means 9 is schematically shown as a mechanical spring by imaginary lines in the figure, but
Due to this biasing means No. 9, the pair of arms 1.1 can be biased away from each other as shown by arrow F, and can also be contracted toward each other.

The biasing means 9 is housed, for example, in the main body 4, and the main body 4 may have a carrier part (not shown) for supporting an object to be conveyed by the apparatus 10. It can also contain electrical circuit systems and the like that control each operation of this device.

The tips of each arm 1, 1 are connected to each vehicle frame 2, 2 via joints 7, 7.
is retained. In this case, each vehicle frame is held by each arm at approximately its center position, and the joints 7, 7 are connected to each arm in at least one plane including the common axis of both arms.
For example, each vehicle frame can be tilted as shown by angles θa and θb in the plane of FIG.

However, it is preferable that the device as a whole be designed to be tiltable only within that one plane. The reason for this will be understood from the operation of this embodiment, which will be described later.
For example, a pivot joint that rotates only around one axis orthogonal to the axis of the arm can be used.

In this embodiment, a joint 8 is provided along the length of at least one arm to allow rotation around the arm axis. However, as this is omitted in the above-mentioned summary structure, this is a desirable component in the embodiment, and it is necessary to connect one of the vehicle frames 2 and the main body 4, which are opposed to each other via the joint 8, Car frame 2.2
It allows relative rotational deviation around the respective arm axes, and operates as described below.

Each vehicle frame 2 has, for example, a U-shape, and has wheels 3a and 3b at the tips of both legs of the U-shape, respectively. Each wheel is of course rotatable, and its axis of rotation is perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG.

Further, each wheel is held on each vehicle frame by a respective joint 6, and the direction of the wheel can be changed by this joint 6. Accordingly, in accordance with the illustrated embodiment, W16 is a joint in the U-shaped vehicle frame whose rotation axis is the leg axis of the U-shaped leg.

However, since the car frames 2, 2 are not limited to the U-shape, generally speaking, this joint 6 rotates the entire wheel around an axis perpendicular to the wheel axis, or at least an axis parallel to this. It only needs to be a joint that can be rotated and the direction of the wheel can be changed.

At least one of the pair of wheels 3a and 3b held on each vehicle frame, for example, the two wheels 3 on the upper cloth side and the lower left side in the figure.
a and 3a are rotationally driven by drive devices 5.5 provided in respective corresponding vehicle frames. Therefore, the other wheels 3b, 3b of each vehicle frame serve as idlers or slave shafts.

Moreover, each wheel adopts a form adapted to the shape of the pair of target tracks %lla and Wb. For example, in this embodiment, if the lobe is a track, each wheel is connected to the rope W
It has a groove on its circumferential surface that can span over a and Wb. This is well illustrated in the embodiments of FIGS. 3-5, which show more specific embodiments.

Furthermore, although this device is not shown, the inclination angle between each arm and the corresponding vehicle frame, that is, the intersection angle Oa between the vehicle frame and the axis related to the arm,
It has means for detecting θb, and based on the detected difference between the two intersecting angles, the driving forces of the two driving wheels 3a, 3a are controlled in a cooperative and complementary manner, for example, in a manner described later. As this intersection angle detection means, any known appropriate rotation angle detection means such as a potentiometer can be employed. Also, if it is necessary to orient each intersection angle Da and Ob for reasons of electronic control, which will be described later,
For example, in the figure, the direction in which each intersection angle is indicated by an arrow may be set as positive.

For convenience, the following explanation will be based on the assumption that the trajectories Wa and Wb are a pair of ropes stretched at an appropriate distance as described above, and this device operates within the space defined between the pair of ropes. Insert and use.

That is, the present apparatus 1 having the above configuration is placed inside the pair of lobes Wa and Wb.
0, the two arms 1, 1 extend away from each other due to the urging force generated by the urging means 9 in the main body 4, and each of the vehicle frames 2, 2 held at the respective ends thereof. Wheels 3a, 3b; 3a, 3b are fitted onto the corresponding ropes, and even in this state, the biasing means 9 is configured to press each wheel against the corresponding rope from the inside to the outside. When viewed from the main body 4, the ropes Wa and Wb appear to be tensioned from the inside, and the biasing force or tension force acts as a self-supporting force of the device, and the device As a whole, it stands on its own between this pair of lobes.

Under this condition, if each drive device 5 drives the corresponding driving wheels 3a, 3a, the self-propelling power of the device can be obtained. Of course, the direction in which the two driving wheels are driven depends, for example, on whether the device as a whole moves in the direction indicated by arrow Tf in FIG. 1 or in the opposite direction indicated by arrow Tb.

As shown in FIG. 2, which schematically shows the progress state between positions 1FfQ1 and 07, the present device 1O is able to operate even if the distance between the pair of ropes Wa and Wb varies depending on the location.
That is, even if each rope undulates independently, the tension force generated by the biasing means 9 and the reaction force from the rope are balanced while changing the intersection angles θa and θb between each arm 1 and each vehicle frame 2. It is possible to travel between the tracks while expanding and contracting the distance between the tips of both arms.

However, if the driving wheels 3a, 3a are always driven with the same driving force or rotational speed, the positions of the pair of vehicle frames in the traveling direction may shift significantly back and forth along the rope, and both arms 1.1 There may also be cases where the tension force generated by the biasing means becomes ineffective due to, for example, being fully extended.

Therefore, in the present invention, as described above, the intersection angles θa and θb representing the degree of inclination between each arm and each vehicle frame are detected, and the driving wheels 3a and 3a are controlled in a cooperative and complementary manner according to the difference. do.

However, the control mode is not uniquely determined, and several methods can be considered, but one basic control mode is, for example, the intersection angle θa.

After detecting θb, compare it and select the driving wheel 3 on the smaller value side.
By rotating a more significantly than the other driving wheel, the entire device will move while the arm axis connecting the centers of both car frames is positioned perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the tracks. The overall posture of the device does not collapse to the extent that it loses its tensile strength.

Furthermore, when both intersection angles θa and θb have the same value, the posture of the apparatus is sufficiently stable, so it is sufficient to rotate both driving wheels with the same energy.

In addition, as schematically shown in FIG. 1, for example, when a mechanical spring is used, the biasing means 9 is compressed in response to the reaction force received from the rope, thereby accumulating a large biasing force inside. However, it is also possible to attach appropriate feedback control means to this so as to always generate as much of the same tension force as possible. Such control becomes particularly simple when using electromagnetic, hydraulic or pneumatic biasing means. However, of course, feedback control such as making the biasing force variable in accordance with the compressive force is an example matter that may be performed as necessary.

Although FIG. 2 shows a case where the ropes or tracks are arranged on the same plane, it is clear that the present device 10 can run stably even when this plane is bent or twisted. This can be clearly seen by actually bending the paper on which Figure 2 is attached by holding both edges, or twisting it by holding both corners.

In addition, even if the bending of the plane containing the pair of tracks is greater than that, and the direction in which the rope extends differs greatly depending on the position of the pair of wheels of each vehicle frame, this is omitted in Figure 2. However, as shown in Figure 1,
Each wheel is f! Since it is supported by Tffff6 so as to be able to change direction, it is automatically steered by the rope, so it can follow such bends well.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the rotary joint 8 is disposed on one arm, even if the pair of ropes Wa and Wb are in a spatially twisted relationship in some parts, each vehicle frame will be able to move around each corresponding rope at that time. Accordingly, the device alIO of this embodiment can travel even between pairs of tracks that are partly twisted between them.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in more detail.

When the vehicle frame 2 is U-shaped, the wheels 3a and 3b can be steered by ropes such as a gate @6 or one arm 1.
The rotary joint 8 disposed in the rotary joint 8 can be easily constructed using, for example, an existing thrust bearing.

Further, the joint 7 that allows the vehicle frame 2 to rotate or tilt only in one plane with respect to each arm l can be easily configured as a pivot joint using an existing radial bearing or the like. .

The intersection angle detecting devices PI and Pi can be constituted by, for example, various existing potentiometers that convert the inclination of the arm and the vehicle frame into a rotation angle of the gear 11 and detect the rotation angle.

The drive device 5 for each drive wheel 3a, 3a may include a power source such as a conventional electric motor M, and the drive energy of the power source can be transferred using a belt, gear, or other suitable drive train 51 using known and existing technology. What is necessary is to transmit it to the driving wheels 3a.

Although not shown, for example, in the main body 4, the intersection angles θa and θ detected by the intersection angle detection devices PI and Pl are provided.
A circuit device is built in to complementarily vary the rotational speed of the motor for each driving wheel in accordance with the difference in b, for the above-mentioned device posture stability control.

It is also preferable to provide a rotation amount detector P2 in order to know the total traveling distance of the device, etc. In that case, the meter itself may be a known and existing suitable one, and it can be installed, for example, on the power transmission train 51. What is necessary is to engage the input rotating shaft with the input rotating shaft. Furthermore, in order to detect the central position between the pair of ropes at any given moment, it is sufficient to incorporate, for example, a device into the main body 4 to detect the amount of expansion and contraction of each arm.

By incorporating the rotation amount detector P2 and the center position detecting means, it is possible to determine an unknown trajectory on an appropriate coordinate system simply by running the device.

Therefore, it is also possible to expect applications such as, for example, temporarily assembling a pair of tracks in a complicated space that is difficult to measure, and running the present device on this to learn the overall shape of the space.

By the way, in the embodiments so far, the device of the present invention has been explained as a single device, but according to the present invention, it is also possible to assemble a multiple device, that is, a traveling device in which several devices are connected.

FIG. 6 shows a case where two units are connected as an example of such a case, and the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 5 indicate the same or corresponding components as in the previous embodiment.

A pair of traveling devices 10 that may have substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment
, 10 are connected by a connector 18, which has an extendable telescoping device 19 and a device (not shown) for detecting the telescoping length of this device.

The coupling hand 18 and the main body 4.4 of each device are pivot connections @1
7.17, and a rotary joint 1B is also provided in the connector t8.

Further, in this point, unlike the traveling device 10 of the first embodiment, both of the pair of arms 1.1 are provided with rotary joints 8.8.

The purpose of this arrangement of each joint is to eliminate the mutual influence of the postures between the devices 10 and 10, and the
For example, if they are connected by a universal joint, just like the first embodiment, only one joint 8 on the arm side of each device is sufficient, and as mentioned above, mutual twisting of the orbits will not be a problem. If it's not as thick as you see, please use the seki tlJ in this arm.
8 may be omitted.

Note that the joint 16 in the joint 18 may be provided at the joint on one side of the main body of the device.

The tree linkage device can be operated as follows.

Basically, the drive device of the reversing device 10.10 is driven so that the length L of the telescoping device 19 in the joint 18 is always kept constant.

In other words, while the drive device of one traveling device 1O mainly drives its driving wheels as explained in the first embodiment, the drive device of the other traveling device 1O, which is a secondary one, drives its driving wheels as explained in the first embodiment. The driving wheels are driven so that the length L of the telescoping device 19 is set to a predetermined value. For example, in FIG. 6, if the right traveling device 10 is assumed to be actively traveling to the right, the length L of the telescopic device 19 in the joint 18 is increased, so that the left traveling device 10 is being driven to the right. Shrink this.

Conversely, when the right side device 10 is driven to the left or the left side device 10 is driven to the right, the length of the telescopic device 18 in the joint 18 is shortened, so that the driven side The traveling device IO moves away from the main drive side and attempts to return its length L to within a predetermined range.

From the above mechanism, it can be seen that the embodiment shown in Figure 6 can be further developed to connect a plurality of units in series, but in any case, if the connection method and travel control mode as described above are adopted, the traveling device of the present invention can be used. Even when multiple units are connected together, no unreasonable force is generated, and the entire system feels as smooth as if it were running alone.

Further, when goods are transported by multiple units connected in parallel, it is convenient to provide the carrier portion of the goods at the joint 18, since the positional fluctuation is minimized.

In addition, in the case of a multi-unit system of a king-sized or higher level, some of the traveling devices may not have driving wheels.

As detailed above, since the device of the present invention has a simple structure, those skilled in the art can make various design changes. For example, as mentioned above, the biasing means 9 is not limited to a mechanical spring, but can be configured using electromagnetic force, hydraulic pressure, pneumatic pressure, etc., and the biasing force is inversely proportional to the amount of compression deviation. It is possible to use both a type with a control system that generates a biasing force that is as constant as possible regardless of the amount of compression deflection.

In addition, the joints 6 provided on each car frame to make each wheel steered are generally not spread over a wide range even if the rope has a fairly large curvature, that is, draws a fairly small arc, depending on the length of the car frame. Since there is no need to allow rotation, depending on the case, it may be sufficient to provide some flexibility around the axis, and therefore it can be simply constructed using a spring or the like.

This also applies to the other rotary joints 8 and 16.

Furthermore, as seen in the above embodiment, if the structure around the pair of car frames is symmetrical, it will be easier to design and manufacture than if separate car frame structures were used for the upper and lower parts of the device. It is also very advantageous in terms of cost. However, of course,
This is not limiting; therefore, it may not necessarily be necessary to make the connection with each arm at the center of each vehicle frame.

As for the driving wheels, it is also conceivable to drive both wheels 3a and 3b at both ends of each vehicle frame as driving wheels. Increasing the number of driving wheels increases the frictional force between the wheels and the track, which can generate greater traction force. In addition, when the wheels 3a and 3b at both ends of each vehicle frame are driven as driving wheels, they are generally controlled by the same control signal, but each wheel is provided with a dedicated drive device 5.
．． 5, both wheels can be rotated asynchronously, and if a zero-operation gear device is used that does not cause conflict, even one drive device 5 can simultaneously drive two wheels at both ends of the vehicle frame without stress. I can do it.

Even if it reaches orbit, as mentioned above, it is not limited to lobes,
If the track is made of an electrically conductive material such as a rusty rope, there is a pair of tracks, which can be used as a power supply line or a signal transmission line.

For example, the wheels or each car frame and the main body are electrically insulated, while at least one wheel of each car frame is electrically connected to the track, and then an appropriate route is established from the electrically connected wheels. It is also possible to take out the current applied to the orbit and use it to operate the drive unit M5 and various control circuits.

Similarly, it is also possible to send various control signals to the drive device by, for example, adopting various appropriate modulation methods, or conversely, it is also possible to pick up inter-orbit center position information etc. from the device via the orbit. .

[■0 Effect of the invention 1 According to the present invention, a device is able to run autonomously even on a pair of tracks where the distance has to vary considerably, a B-curve, an incline, and even a track pair that is completely twisted. can be provided.

Therefore, it is possible to obtain a device that can freely run in a narrow and complicatedly curved space, which was previously thought to be difficult for a self-propelled vehicle.

Therefore, this device can be used extremely effectively for transporting various equipment and materials necessary for various tasks such as monitoring, inspection, maintenance, and repair at construction sites and various plants. It can also be used for

Moreover, its configuration is relatively simple, and in that sense it is sufficiently practical.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a basic embodiment of the inter-track running device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the running state of the device shown in Fig. 1, Figs. 3, 4, and 5. 6 are a side view, a front view, and a plan view, respectively, of an embodiment in which the first illustrated device is more specific, and FIG. 6 is a schematic structure I&D of an embodiment in which one device is connected. In the figure, 1 is an arm, 2 is a car frame, 3a, 3b are wheels, 4 is a main body, 5 is a drive device, 6, 8, 16 are rotary joints,
7.17 is a pivot joint, 9 is a biasing means, and 10 is the main traveling device as a whole.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An inter-track running device that is located between a pair of tracks spaced apart from each other and runs independently between the pair of tracks; a pair of car frames held apart from each other; a pair of arms holding one of the pair of car frames on the distal end side; each of the car frames can be tilted relative to the axis within a plane including the axis of the arms; joint means for connecting adjacent ends of the pair of arms to each other and urging the pair of arms to move away from each other in opposite directions on the same axis; Intersection angle detection means for detecting each intersection angle with each of the vehicle frames held by an arm; and a drive means for driving at least one of the pair of wheels held by each of the vehicle frames as a driving wheel; By applying both wheels of one of the pair of car frames to one of the above-mentioned pair of tracks, and applying both wheels of the other car frame to the other track, each wheel is directed by each track via the joint provided on the above-mentioned car frame. Under the steered state, the biasing force of the biasing means generates a tensioning force on the pair of tracks, and the tensioning force becomes a self-sustaining force of the device; Based on each intersection angle detected by the detection means, the wheel driving force generated by each of the pair of driving means is variably controlled in a complementary manner to obtain the self-propelling power of the device while maintaining the self-sustaining power of the device; inter-track running device.