walking car

Abstract

The present application provides a walking vehicle. The walking vehicle (100) comprises a vehicle body (1) and a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism has a motor (2), a driving wheel (3), a support mechanism (4) and a transmission mechanism (5), the motor (2) is installed on the vehicle body (1), the support mechanism (4) supports the driving wheel (3), and the transmission mechanism (5) transmits a rotary driving force to the driving wheel (3). The support mechanism (4) has a holder (41) which rotatably supports the driving wheel (3) and is rotatably installed on the vehicle body (1) around a rotary shaft (M) extending in a horizontal direction. The transmission mechanism (5) has an output pulley (51), an input pulley (52) and a belt (53), the output pulley (51) is connected to the motor (2) and arranged on the vehicle body (1), the input pulley (52) is connected to the driving wheel (3) and arranged on the holder (41), and the belt (53) is wound around the output pulley (51) and the input pulley (52). The rotary shaft (M) is coaxially arranged with the output pulley (51).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a mobile vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] To date, vehicles including drive wheels are well known, with the drive wheels being driven by a drive source such as a motor. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle including a motor, drive wheels, and a belt that transmits the rotation of the motor to the drive wheels. The motor and drive wheels are mounted on a mounting plate. The mounting plate is supported on the bottom of the vehicle in a rotatable state about an axis extending in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the mounting plate is elastically connected to the bottom of the vehicle via a suspension. The elastic force of the suspension ensures that the drive wheels reliably contact the road surface. Even if the road surface is uneven, the elasticity of the suspension can absorb the unevenness of the road surface, maintaining the drive wheels in contact with the road surface.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-238959 Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a structure like the described vehicle, where the drive wheels are elastically pressed against the road surface, the drive wheels move up and down according to the unevenness of the road surface during movement. Specifically, the mounting plate on which the drive wheels are mounted moves up and down. Since the motor is also mounted on the mounting plate, the motor also moves up and down. That is to say, the same vibrations as those of the drive wheels are transmitted to the motor.

[0005] In view of the above, the technical objective of the present invention is to ensure that the drive wheel is grounded and to reduce the vibration transmitted to the drive wheel of the motor.

[0006] The vehicle disclosed herein includes a vehicle body and a drive mechanism that enables the vehicle body to move. The drive mechanism has a drive source, a drive wheel, a support mechanism, and a transmission mechanism. The drive source is mounted on the vehicle body and outputs rotational driving force. The support mechanism supports the drive wheel. The transmission mechanism transmits the rotational driving force to the drive wheel. The support mechanism has a retainer that rotatably supports the drive wheel and is rotatably mounted on the vehicle body about a horizontally extending rotation axis. The transmission mechanism has an output pulley, an input pulley, and a belt. The output pulley is connected to the drive source and disposed on the vehicle body. The input pulley is connected to the drive wheel and disposed on the retainer. The belt is wound around the output pulley and the input pulley. The rotation axis is coaxially configured with the output pulley.

[0007] (Invention Effects)

[0008] According to the aforementioned vehicle, it is possible to ensure that the drive wheels are grounded and reduce the vibration transmitted to the drive wheels of the motor. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a 3D view of the vehicle from an angle above.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a 3D view of the chassis of the vehicle.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the vehicle.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a side view of the lower part of the vehicle from the left.

[0013] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the drive wheel and retaining components that rotate with the extension and retraction of the suspension. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Hereinafter, the exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a 3D view of the vehicle 100 from an oblique, top-down perspective. Figure 2 This is a 3D view of the base plate 12 of the traveling vehicle 100. Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the vehicle 100. Figure 4 This is a side view of the lower part of the traveling vehicle 100 from the left.

[0015] The traveling vehicle 100 is a self-propelled device. For example, the traveling vehicle 100 is an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV). The traveling vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 1 and a drive mechanism that moves the vehicle body 1. The drive mechanism includes a first drive mechanism 10A and a second drive mechanism 10B. The traveling vehicle 100 is controlled by a control device 9. For example, the traveling vehicle 100 is used to transport multiple workpieces sequentially conveyed by a conveyor belt to a shelf.

[0016] The vehicle body 1 is generally rectangular in shape. The vehicle body 1 has a top plate 11, a bottom plate 12, and four side plates 13. The top plate 11 and bottom plate 12 are arranged vertically. The four side plates are configured to face forward, backward, left, and right. Each of the top plate 11, bottom plate 12, and four side plates 13 is generally rectangular in shape. A first drive mechanism 10A and a second drive mechanism 10B are disposed on the lower surface of the bottom plate 12.

[0017] The traveling vehicle 100 also includes a plurality of driven wheels 32. Specifically, the traveling vehicle 100 includes four driven wheels 32. Each driven wheel 32 is rotatable about an axis extending in the horizontal direction. The four driven wheels 32 are disposed at the four corners of the base plate 12 on the lower surface of the base plate 12. Each driven wheel 32 is rotatably mounted on the base plate 12 about an axis extending in the vertical direction. That is, each driven wheel 32 is capable of changing the direction of travel 360 degrees in the horizontal direction.

[0018] The vehicle 100 also includes a robotic arm 7, which is mounted on the vehicle body 1. The robotic arm 7 is mounted on the top plate 11. The robotic arm 7 has multiple links 71. The multiple links 71 are rotatably connected via joints. Each joint is driven by a servo motor. An end effector is connected to the front end of the robotic arm 7.

[0019] Although the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B have different configurations for the vehicle body 1, they have the same structure. Therefore, the basic structure of the first drive mechanism 10A will be described, and the repeated description of the second drive mechanism 10B will be omitted.

[0020] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the first drive mechanism 10A includes a motor 2, a drive wheel 3, a support mechanism 4, and a transmission mechanism 5. The motor 2 is mounted on the vehicle body 1 and outputs rotational driving force. The support mechanism 4 supports the drive wheel 3, and the transmission mechanism 5 transmits the rotational driving force to the drive wheel 3. The first drive mechanism 10A may also include a reducer 6, which is connected to the motor 2 and reduces the rotational driving force. The motor 2 is an example of a drive source.

[0021] For ease of explanation, the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, i.e. the rolling direction of the drive wheels 3, will be referred to as the forward and backward direction. The horizontal direction orthogonal to the forward and backward direction will be referred to as the left and right direction or the vehicle width direction.

[0022] The support mechanism 4 has a retainer 41 that rotatably supports the drive wheel 3 and is rotatably mounted on the vehicle body 1 about a horizontally extending rotation axis M. The support mechanism 4 also has a suspension 42 that rotatably and elastically supports the retainer 41 on the vehicle body 1 about the rotation axis M.

[0023] The retainer 41 comprises two plates 43. The plates 43 extend in the front-to-back direction. The two plates 43 are spaced apart and face each other in the left-to-right direction. A drive wheel 3 is disposed between the two plates 43. The two plates 43 rotatably support the drive wheel 3 about a horizontally extending axis of rotation L.

[0024] The retainer 41 has a fixed end 41a and a movable end 41b, wherein the fixed end 41a is one end in the front-rear direction and the movable end 41b is the other end in the front-rear direction. The fixed end 41a is rotatably mounted on a pillar 14 extending from the vehicle body 1 (specifically, the floor 12) about a rotation axis M. The pillar 14 is fixed to the floor 12. The movable end 41b is rotatably mounted on the lower end of the suspension 42 about a rotation axis N. The rotation axes L, M, and N are parallel to each other and extend in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] The suspension 42 has a spring 42a that extends and retracts along the length of the suspension 42. The suspension 42 is rotatably mounted on the vehicle body 1 about a rotation axis Q that is at least parallel to the rotation axis M. In this example, the suspension 42 is mounted on the vehicle body 1 via a spherical sliding bearing 15. Specifically, the spherical sliding bearing 15 is mounted on the floor 12. The upper end of the suspension 42 is supported by the spherical sliding bearing 15. The suspension 42 is supported by the spherical sliding bearing 15 with its length direction oriented vertically. Since the suspension 42 is rotatably supported in any direction by the spherical sliding bearing 15, it can also rotate about the rotation axis Q.

[0026] When the suspension 42 extends or retracts in the longitudinal direction, the movable end 41b of the retainer 41 moves along with the lower end of the suspension 42. As a result, the retainer 41 rotates about the rotation axis M. Here, since the suspension 42 is rotatably mounted on the vehicle body 1 about a rotation axis Q parallel to the rotation axis M, the suspension 42 rotates relative to the vehicle body 1 about the rotation axis Q, accompanied by the rotation of the retainer 41 about the rotation axis M.

[0027] The drive wheel 3 also rotates along with the retainer 41. Strictly speaking, the trajectory of the drive wheel 3 is an arc shape centered on the axis of rotation M. However, since the length direction of the suspension 42 is perpendicular and the extension and retraction of the suspension 42 are very small, the trajectory of the drive wheel 3 becomes a roughly straight line extending in a roughly vertical direction.

[0028] When the spring 42a of the suspension 42 is in its natural state, the lower end of the drive wheel 3 is located further down than the lower end of the driven wheel 32. That is, when all four driven wheels 32 are in contact with the road surface, the drive wheel 3 is pressed against the road surface by the elastic force of the suspension 42.

[0029] The support mechanism 4 is disposed on the side edge of the base plate 12 in the vehicle width direction. Two driven wheels 32 are arranged in the traveling direction on the side edge of the base plate 12 in the vehicle width direction. The support mechanism 4 is disposed between the two driven wheels 32 in the traveling direction. That is, the drive wheel 3 is disposed between the two driven wheels 32 in the traveling direction and is disposed approximately at the center of the base plate 12 in the traveling direction.

[0030] Motor 2 is positioned inside the base plate 12 relative to support mechanism 4 in the vehicle width direction. A reducer 6 is integrally mounted on motor 2. Reducer 6 is connected to the output shaft of motor 2. The output shaft 61 of reducer 6 extends in the vehicle width direction. Reducer 6 is mounted on mounting plate 16 extending from base plate 12. That is, motor 2 is mounted on the lower surface of base plate 12 via mounting plate 16 and reducer 6. Motor 2 and reducer 6 are positioned approximately at the center of base plate 12 in the vehicle width direction. Motor 2 is a servo motor. Motor 2 is controlled by control device 9.

[0031] The transmission mechanism 5 has an output pulley 51, an input pulley 52, and a belt 53. The output pulley 51 is connected to the motor 2, the input pulley 52 is connected to the drive wheel 3, and the belt 53 is wound around the output pulley 51 and the input pulley 52. ​​The output pulley 51 is disposed on the vehicle body 1, meaning its position relative to the vehicle body 1 remains unchanged. The input pulley 52 is disposed on the retainer 41, meaning its position relative to the retainer 41 remains unchanged.

[0032] The output pulley 51 is mounted on the output shaft 61 of the reducer 6. The rotation axis P of the output pulley 51 is coaxial with the rotation axis of the output shaft 61. That is, the output pulley 51 is indirectly connected to the motor 2 via the reducer 6, so as to rotate in conjunction with the motor 2. When the motor 2 is activated, the rotational driving force of the motor 2 is reduced by the reducer 6 and transmitted to the output pulley 51. The output pulley 51 is a toothed pulley with multiple teeth arranged in the circumferential direction on its outer circumferential surface, parallel to the rotation axis P.

[0033] The input pulley 52 is non-rotatably connected to the drive wheel 3. The input pulley 52 rotates integrally with the drive wheel 3. That is, the input pulley 52 is directly connected to the drive wheel 3 and rotates in conjunction with it. The input pulley 52 is coaxially arranged with the rotation axis L of the drive wheel 3. The rotation axis L is also the rotation axis of the input pulley 52. ​​The input pulley 52 is positioned outside the retainer 41 and inside the retainer 41 in the vehicle width direction. The input pulley 52 and the output pulley 51 are arranged in the traveling direction. That is, in the vehicle width direction, the output pulley 51 and the input pulley 52 are positioned in the same location. The input pulley 52 is a toothed pulley with multiple teeth arranged circumferentially parallel to the rotation axis L on its outer circumferential surface.

[0034] Belt 53 is an annular belt wound around the output pulley 51 and the input pulley 52. ​​Belt 53 is a toothed belt with multiple parallel teeth arranged circumferentially on its inner circumferential surface. Belt 53 transmits the rotation of the output pulley 51 to the input pulley 52. ​​In this example, the diameter of the output pulley 51 is approximately the same as the diameter of the input pulley 52. ​​Therefore, the rotation of the output pulley 51 is transmitted to the input pulley 52 at the same rotational speed. It should be noted that the diameter of the output pulley 51 may also be different from the diameter of the input pulley 52.

[0035] The second drive mechanism 10B is configured in the same way as the first drive mechanism 10A. However, the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center point of the base plate 12.

[0036] Specifically, the support mechanism 4 of the first drive mechanism 10A is located on the left side edge of the base plate 12, while the support mechanism 4 of the second drive mechanism 10B is located on the right side edge of the base plate 12. Although the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B are positioned differently in the vehicle width direction, they are roughly the same in the travel direction. That is, the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B are arranged in the vehicle width direction, i.e., the left-right direction. In the first drive mechanism 10A, the suspension 42 is located in front of the drive wheels 3 in the travel direction, and the fixed end 41a of the retainer 41 is located behind the drive wheels 3 in the travel direction. On the other hand, in the second drive mechanism 10B, the suspension 42 is located behind the drive wheels 3 in the travel direction, and the fixed end 41a of the retainer 41 is located in front of the drive wheels 3 in the travel direction.

[0037] As a result, the motor 2 of the first drive mechanism 10A is positioned on one side of the travel direction (specifically, the rear side) relative to the drive wheel 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the drive wheel 3 of the second drive mechanism 10B, while the second motor 2B is positioned on the other side of the travel direction (specifically, the front side) relative to the drive wheel 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the drive wheel 3 of the second drive mechanism 10B.

[0038] Here, the statement that the motor is positioned on one side or the other side of the travel direction relative to the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B means that the motor 2 and the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B are arranged in the travel direction. That is, it does not mean that the positions of the motor 2 and the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B in the vehicle width direction are the same. The motor 2 and the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B can be arranged in the travel direction or not. In this example, the motor 2 and the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B are not arranged in the travel direction.

[0039] Since the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B are positioned approximately at the center of the chassis 12 in the direction of travel, by positioning the motors 2 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B in the front and rear of the two drive wheels 3 respectively in the direction of travel, the space under the vehicle body 1 can be effectively utilized to accommodate the motors 2 and drive wheels 3. Furthermore, the weight of the motors 2 and drive wheels 3 of the vehicle body 1 can be balanced.

[0040] Furthermore, in the structure where the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B are arranged on the left and right respectively, the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B are driven independently. That is, the motor 2 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the motor 2 of the second drive mechanism 10B independently drive their respective drive wheels 3. Therefore, by making the two drive wheels 3 rotate at the same speed and in the same direction, the vehicle body 1 can move forward or backward in a straight line in the direction of travel. Furthermore, by making the rotation speeds of the two drive wheels 3 different and / or making the directions of rotation different, the vehicle body 1 can be turned.

[0041] Control device 9 controls the movements of robot arm 7. Control device 9 uses the end effector connected to the front end of robot arm 7 as an external axis for control. Control device 9 also uses motor 2 as an external axis for control. Control device 9 moves the trolley 100 to the desired position, enabling robot arm 7 to perform prescribed actions and processes.

[0042] The control device 9 includes a control unit, a storage unit, and a memory. The control unit performs various calculations and controls the entire control device 9. For example, the control unit may be formed using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit may also be formed using a MCU (Microcontroller Unit), MPU (Microprocessor Unit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), etc. The storage unit stores the programs executed by the control unit and various data. The storage unit may be formed using non-volatile memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive). The memory temporarily stores data, etc. For example, the memory may be formed using volatile memory.

[0043] In the vehicle 100 configured in this way, the drive wheel 3 is held rotatably (i.e., rockingly) relative to the vehicle body 1 by a retainer 41 and a suspension 42. The elasticity of the suspension 42 absorbs the unevenness of the road surface and presses the drive wheel 3 against the road surface. Therefore, the drive wheel 3 is maintained in contact with the road surface.

[0044] At this time, motor 2 is mounted on vehicle body 1. The rotational driving force of motor 2 is transmitted to drive wheel 3 via belt 53. Since motor 2 does not rotate with retainer 41, the vibration transmitted to drive wheel 3 is reduced.

[0045] Furthermore, the rotation axis M of the retainer 41 is coaxially configured with the rotation axis P of the output pulley 51. The fixed end 41a of the retainer 41, when separated from the output pulley 51, is aligned with the output pulley 51 in the width direction, and more specifically, in the direction of the rotation axis M. Figure 5 As shown, as described above, the retainer 41 rotates (i.e., rocks) about the rotation axis M as the suspension 42 extends and retracts. Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the drive wheel 3 and retaining member 41, which rotate with the extension and retraction of the suspension 42. Additionally, in Figure 5 In the diagram, to clearly illustrate the displacement of the drive wheel 3 and the retainer 41, the retainer 41 is shown rotating more than it actually is. As the retainer 41 rotates, the drive wheel 3 and the input pulley 52 also rotate around the axis M. Since the axes M and P are coaxial, even though the input pulley 52 rotates around the axis M, the distance between its axes L and P remains constant. That is, the distance between the output pulley 51 and the input pulley 52 remains constant. As a result, the tension of the belt 53 wound around the output pulley 51 and the input pulley 52 remains constant. Therefore, the tension of the belt 53 does not decrease, and the rotational driving force of the motor 2 is properly transmitted to the drive wheel 3.

[0046] As described above, the vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 1 and a drive mechanism that enables the vehicle body 1 to move. The drive mechanism has a motor 2 (drive source), a drive wheel 3, a support mechanism 4, and a transmission mechanism 5. The motor 2 is mounted on the vehicle body 1 and outputs rotational driving force. The support mechanism 4 supports the drive wheel 3, and the transmission mechanism 5 transmits the rotational driving force to the drive wheel 3. The support mechanism has a retainer 41 that rotatably supports the drive wheel 3 and is elastically rotatably mounted on the vehicle body 1 about a horizontally extending rotational axis M. The transmission mechanism 5 has an output pulley 51, an input pulley 52, and a belt 53. The output pulley 51 is connected to the motor 2 and disposed on the vehicle body 1. The input pulley 52 is connected to the drive wheel 3 and disposed on the retainer 41. The belt 53 is wound around the output pulley 51 and the input pulley 52. ​​The rotational axis M is coaxially arranged with the output pulley 51.

[0047] According to this structure, the retainer 41 supporting the drive wheel 3 is elastically rotatable around the rotation axis M and mounted on the vehicle body 1. The elastic rotation of the retainer 41 around the rotation axis M absorbs the unevenness of the road surface and maintains the ground contact between the drive wheel 3 and the road surface. At this time, the drive wheel 3 may vibrate due to the unevenness of the road surface. However, since the motor 2 is not mounted on the retainer 41 but on the vehicle body 1, the vibration of the drive wheel 3 transmitted to the motor 2 is reduced. The rotational driving force of the motor 2 is transmitted to the drive wheel 3 via a belt 53, which is wound around the output pulley 51 connected to the motor 2 and the input pulley 52 connected to the drive wheel 3. Since the output pulley 51 is disposed on the vehicle body 1, the output pulley 51 does not displace even if the retainer 41 rotates around the rotation axis M. On the other hand, since the input pulley 52 is disposed on the retainer 41, the input pulley 52 also rotates around the rotation axis M as the retainer 41 rotates around the rotation axis M. Here, since the rotating shaft M is coaxially arranged with the output pulley 51, the input pulley 52 rotates around the output pulley 51. Because the distance between the shafts of the output pulley 51 and the input pulley 52 remains constant, the tension of the belt 53 wound around the output pulley 51 and the input pulley 52 remains constant. As a result, the tension of the belt 53 does not decrease, and the rotational driving force of the motor 2 is appropriately transmitted to the drive pulley 3.

[0048] The support mechanism 4 also has a suspension 42, which rotatably and elastically supports the retainer 41 on the vehicle body about the rotation axis M.

[0049] According to this structure, the retainer 41 can elastically rotate about the rotation axis M due to the suspension 42. The suspension 42 absorbs the unevenness of the road surface and keeps the drive wheel 3 in contact with the road surface.

[0050] Furthermore, the suspension 42 is rotatably mounted on the vehicle body 1 about an axis at least parallel to the axis of rotation M.

[0051] According to this structure, the retainer 41 can rotate smoothly around the rotation axis M by the suspension 42 rotating about an axis parallel to the rotation axis M in the mounting part with the vehicle body 1.

[0052] The suspension 42 is mounted on the vehicle body 1 via a spherical sliding bearing 15.

[0053] Based on this structure, it is relatively easy to install a suspension 42 that can rotate around an axis parallel to the rotation axis M.

[0054] The vehicle 100 also includes driven wheels 32, which are mounted on the vehicle body 1 and rotatable about an axis extending in the horizontal direction.

[0055] According to this structure, the vehicle 100 includes a drive wheel 3 and a driven wheel 32. At least the drive wheel 3 is held by a retainer 41 and a suspension to be elastically rotatable about a rotation axis M extending in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the contact between the drive wheel 3 and the driven wheel 32 and the road surface can be stably maintained.

[0056] The traveling vehicle 100 also includes a reducer 6, which is connected to the motor 2 and reduces the rotational driving force. An output pulley 51 is disposed on the output shaft 61 of the reducer 6.

[0057] According to this structure, the output pulley 51 is indirectly connected to the motor 2 via the reducer 6. Even in this structure, the rotational driving force of the motor 2 can be properly transmitted to the drive wheel 3.

[0058] The drive mechanism includes a first drive mechanism 10A and a second drive mechanism 10B, wherein the drive wheel 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the drive wheel 3 of the second drive mechanism 10B are driven independently.

[0059] According to this structure, by making the two drive wheels 3 rotate at the same speed and in the same direction, the vehicle body 1 can move forward or backward in a straight line in the direction of travel. Furthermore, by making the two drive wheels 3 rotate at different speeds and / or in different directions, the vehicle body 1 can be turned.

[0060] Furthermore, the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B are arranged in a left-right direction when the travel direction of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B is the forward-backward direction. The motor 2 of the first drive mechanism 10A is arranged on one side of the travel direction relative to the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B, while the motor 2 of the second drive mechanism 10B is arranged on the other side of the travel direction relative to the drive wheels 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the second drive mechanism 10B.

[0061] According to this structure, the motor 2 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the motor 2 of the second drive mechanism 10B are respectively positioned on one side and the other side of the travel direction relative to the drive wheel 3 of the first drive mechanism 10A and the drive wheel 3 of the second drive mechanism 10B. Therefore, the weight of the vehicle body 1 is balanced.

[0062] The vehicle 100 also includes a robotic arm 7, which is mounted on the vehicle body 1.

[0063] (Other implementation methods)

[0064] As described above, the embodiments have been presented as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology disclosed herein is not limited to this and can be applied to embodiments with appropriate modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. Furthermore, the various constituent elements described in the embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments. Moreover, the constituent elements described in the drawings and detailed descriptions include not only those necessary to solve the problem, but also, for the purpose of illustrating the technology, constituent elements that are not necessary to solve the problem. Therefore, one should not immediately assume that those non-essential constituent elements are essential simply because they are described in the drawings and detailed descriptions.

[0065] For example, the mobile vehicle 100 may not include the robotic arm 7. Furthermore, the mobile vehicle 100 is not limited to AGVs; as long as it includes a vehicle body and a drive mechanism, it can adopt any structure.

[0066] The traveling vehicle 100 only needs to include at least one drive mechanism. For example, the traveling vehicle 100 may also include one drive mechanism and multiple driven wheels. In that case, some of the driven wheels may also have a steering function.

[0067] The number of driven wheels 32 is not limited to four; it can be three or fewer, or five or more. For example, the number of driven wheels 32 can also be such that the number of driven wheels 32 alone is sufficient to support the movement of the vehicle 100, excluding the drive wheels 3. For example, the vehicle 100 can also have three driven wheels 32 arranged at the vertices of a triangle.

[0068] The retainer 41 can be elastically rotatably mounted on the vehicle body 1 about a rotation axis extending in the horizontal direction, and is not limited to being supported by the suspension 42. For example, the retainer 41 can also be elastically held in the vehicle body 1 by means of elastic components such as anti-vibration rubber.

[0069] The mounting of the suspension 42 to the vehicle body 1 is not limited to the spherical sliding bearing 15. For example, the suspension 42 can be rotatably mounted on the vehicle body 1 on an axis parallel to the rotation axis M of the retainer 41. Alternatively, when the suspension 42 is elastic not only in its length direction but also in its bending direction, the suspension 42 can also be fixedly (i.e., non-rotatably) mounted on the vehicle body 1. In this case, the retainer 41 can rotate about the rotation axis M through the elastic bending deformation of the suspension 42.

[0070] The output pulley 51 can also be directly mounted on the motor 2 instead of being a speed reducer. The rotational driving force from the motor 2 can also be reduced in speed between the input pulley 52 and the drive pulley 3. Alternatively, the diameter of the input pulley 52 can be larger than the diameter of the output pulley 51.

Claims

1. A mobile vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle includes a vehicle body and a drive mechanism, the drive mechanism causing the vehicle body to move. The drive mechanism includes a drive source, a drive wheel, a support mechanism, and a transmission mechanism. The drive source is mounted on the vehicle body and outputs rotational driving force. The support mechanism supports the drive wheel, and the transmission mechanism transmits the rotational driving force to the drive wheel. The support mechanism has a retainer and a suspension. The retainer rotatably supports the drive wheel and is elastically rotatably mounted on the vehicle body about a horizontally extending axis of rotation. The suspension, centered on the axis of rotation, allows the retainer to be rotatably and elastically supported on the vehicle body. The transmission mechanism has an output pulley, an input pulley, and a belt. The output pulley is connected to the drive source and disposed on the vehicle body. The input pulley is connected to the drive wheel and disposed on the retaining member. The belt is wound around the output pulley and the input pulley. The rotating shaft is coaxially configured with the output pulley. The portion of the retainer rotatably supported on the vehicle body about the rotation axis, the drive wheel, and the suspension are arranged in the direction of travel of the drive mechanism. Regarding the left and right positions when the travel direction is the forward and backward direction, the output pulley is positioned inside the vehicle body compared to the retaining member.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suspension is rotatably mounted on the vehicle body about an axis at least parallel to the axis of rotation.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The suspension is mounted on the vehicle body via spherical sliding bearings.

4. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The vehicle also has driven wheels, which are mounted on the vehicle body and rotatable about an axis extending in the horizontal direction.

5. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The vehicle also includes a speed reducer connected to the drive source and which reduces the rotational driving force. The output pulley is located on the output shaft of the reducer.

6. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The drive mechanism includes a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism. The drive wheel of the first drive mechanism and the drive wheel of the second drive mechanism are driven independently.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: The drive wheels of the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism are arranged in a left-right direction when the travel direction of the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism is the forward-backward direction. The drive source of the first drive mechanism is configured on one side of the travel direction relative to the drive wheel of the first drive mechanism and the drive wheel of the second drive mechanism. The drive source of the second drive mechanism is configured on the opposite side of the travel direction relative to the drive wheel of the first drive mechanism and the drive wheel of the second drive mechanism.

8. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The vehicle also includes a robotic arm mounted on the vehicle body.

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