Auxiliary robot

Abstract

The invention provides an auxiliary robot which cuts off a part of a transmission path of vibration. An assist robot (1) is provided with: a base plate (11) extending in the front-rear direction; an endless belt (12) that moves in the front-back direction on the upper surface of the base plate (11), said upper surface extending in the front-back direction; and a control unit (13) disposed in front of the endless belt (12) and on the base plate, the control unit (13) having: a frame (21); an electric motor (22) disposed in the box-shaped interior formed by the frame (21); a bracket (23) which is connected to the motor and fixes the motor to the base plate (11); a first cushion (24) disposed between the bracket and the base plate (11); a second cushion (25) disposed between the frame (21) and the base plate (11); a top plate (26) provided on the upper portion of the frame; a first cover (27) connected to the top plate; and a second cover (28) connected to at least one of the top plate and the first cover.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an assistive robot. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, as an assistive robot for rehabilitation of a person who has difficulty walking, a treadmill is used.

[0003] Generally, the treadmill is able to adjust the speed by moving a belt-shaped endless belt using the force of a motor. Therefore, a user is able to continue walking in the treadmill without changing the position of the user almost, and is able to perform a long-time walking exercise by walking on the belt.

[0004] A treadmill in which a portion from the ground surface to the belt is formed thin is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.

[0005] [Related Art Documents]

[0006] [Patent Literature]

[0007] [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-085586 SUMMARY

[0008] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0009] As an assistive robot for the walking rehabilitation, a low-floor treadmill is required in order to be able to enter with a wheelchair. Here, in order to make the floor of the treadmill low, a small motor is required, and if the speed is increased, the frequency band of the vibration is broadened, and resonance with various components occurs, and thus noise during the operation becomes a problem.

[0010] Further, as related art, in the structure of the product, there is a technique in which a treadmill portion including a motor fixing portion and a patient overhanging support portion are separated to reduce noise. However, in this structure, the number of components is increased, and the cost is increased.

[0011] Here, in order to realize the cost reduction, the structural integration is effective, but since the product structure is complicated, there is a problem that it is difficult to remove the resonance components.

[0012] The present disclosure provides an assistive robot having a structure in which a transmission path of noise is reduced as an integrated structure.

[0013] [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0014] The assist robot of the present disclosure is provided with: a bottom plate extending in a front-rear direction; a ring-shaped belt whose upper surface extending in the front-rear direction on the bottom plate moves in the front-rear direction; and a control section disposed in front of the ring-shaped belt and on the bottom plate, the control section having: a frame forming a box-shaped skeleton; a motor disposed inside the box-shaped skeleton formed by the frame, the motor providing power to a roller that moves the ring-shaped belt; a bracket connected to the motor and fixing the motor to the bottom plate; a first buffer member disposed between the bracket and the bottom plate; a second buffer member disposed between the frame and the bottom plate; a top plate provided at an upper portion of the frame of the box-shaped skeleton; a first cover connected to the top plate and covering at least a portion of the inside of the frame of the box-shaped skeleton; and a second cover connected to at least one of the top plate or the first cover and covering at least a portion of the inside of the frame of the box-shaped skeleton. Thus, a part of the transmission path of vibration can be cut off.

[0015] [Effects of Invention]

[0016] According to the present disclosure, an assist robot having a structure in which a transmission path of noise is reduced as an integrated structure can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the assist robot of Embodiment 1.

[0018] Figure 2 is a view showing the inside of the assist robot of Embodiment 1 and a state in which a cover is provided.

[0019] Figure 3 is a sectional view of the connection portion of the bracket and the bottom plate of Embodiment 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Embodiment 1

[0021] Hereinafter, the assist robot of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a view showing an example of the appearance of the assist robot 1. As shown in Figure 1 , the assist robot 1 is provided with a bottom plate 11, a ring-shaped belt 12, and a control section 13.

[0022] The bottom plate 11 is a plate extending in a front-rear direction and having a lower surface grounded.

[0023] The ring-shaped belt 12 is disposed on the bottom plate 11 in such a manner that the upper surface extends in the front-rear direction. Typically, the ring-shaped belt 12 is provided with rollers that rotate in a left-right direction at a front side end portion and a rear side end portion, and at least one of these rollers moves by power from a motor described later, whereby the upper surface moves in the front-rear direction.

[0024] Thus, the user is able to continue the walking action in a substantially fixed position in the case where the user performs the walking action on the endless belt 12.

[0025] In addition, typically, the assist robot 1 can also be provided with a gripping portion extending in the front-rear direction at a position slightly outward in the left-right direction with respect to the endless belt 12 so as to be gripped by the user walking with the endless belt 12. The gripping portion can be supported by a plurality of support portions erected from the floor 11 at a position outward in the left-right direction from the endless belt 12.

[0026] The control portion 13 is a box type provided at a position forward with respect to the endless belt 12, and various constituent articles are housed inside. Specifically, the control portion 13 has a frame 21, a motor 22, a bracket 23, a first damper 24, a second damper 25, a top plate 26, a first cover 27, and a second cover 28.

[0027] Figure 2 (a) in FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the covers of the control portion 13 are removed and the inside can be confirmed from a viewpoint forward. The top plate 26 is provided at an upper portion of the control portion 13 having a box type outer shape.

[0028] Figure 2 (b) in FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a lower portion of the inside of the front side of the control portion 13 in an enlarged manner. In addition, the bottom surface of the control portion 13 uses a portion of the floor 11.

[0029] The frame 21 is connected to the floor 11 via the second damper 25. The frame 21 forms the skeleton of the control portion 13 having a box type. Here, the outer shape of the control portion 13 is a cuboid shape, and the frame 21 is provided along each side at a portion corresponding to the sides of the cuboid.

[0030] Typically, various components are mounted to the frame 21. In addition, the structure of the frame 21 is not limited to this structure, but is at least a structure in which the top plate 26 connected to the frame 21 can be provided at an upper portion of the control portion 13 having a box type.

[0031] The motor 22 is provided inside the box type formed by the frame 21, and is provided at a lower position in the control portion 13 in a manner close to the floor 11. The motor 22 applies power to the roller that causes the endless belt 12 to act. Thus, the motor 22 becomes a vibration source.

[0032] The bracket 23 is connected to the motor 22, and is connected to the floor 11 via the first damper 24. Thus, the bracket 23 fixes the motor 22 and the floor 11.

[0033] The second damper 25 is provided between the floor 11 and the frame 21. Thus, the floor 11 and the frame 21 are in a state of not directly contacting each other.

[0034] Figure 2 (c) in FIG. 8 is an example of a state in which the inside of the control section 13 is covered with the first cover 27 and the second cover 28 in the control section 13. The first cover 27 is connected to and fixed to the top plate 26 arranged on the upper portion of the frame 21. In addition, the first cover 27 is in a state not directly connected to the bottom plate 11.

[0035] The second cover 28 is connected to at least one of the top plate 26 or the first cover 27. In addition, the second cover 28 can also be plural, and the second covers 28 can be connected to each other. In addition, the second cover 28 is in a state not directly connected to the bottom plate 11.

[0036] Here, the structure in which the first cover 27 and the one or more second covers 28 are connected can be handled as one cover section as a whole. In this case, the one cover section is connected to the top plate 26 in which vibration is difficult to transmit, and is in a state not directly connected to the bottom plate 11.

[0037] Note that the first cover 27 and the second cover 28 are mainly covers having a shape in which a wide flat surface is provided on the front side or the rear side and covering the front side or the rear side of the control section 13, but the covered portion is not limited thereto, and can cover the side surface and the like of the left and right sides of the control section 13.

[0038] Here, the mechanism of reducing the vibration generated from the motor 22 by the first damper 24 and the second damper 25 will be described.

[0039] In the assist robot 1, various components are installed in the frame 21, and noise is easily generated due to their vibration.

[0040] Here, the vibration generated by the driving of the motor 22 is transmitted from the motor 22 via the bracket 23, the first damper 24, the bottom plate 11, and the second damper 25 until it is transmitted to the frame 21.

[0041] That is, the assist robot 1 is a double structure in which it is difficult to transmit vibration via the first damper 24 and the second damper 25 until the vibration is transmitted from the motor 22 to the frame 21. Further, in other words, the assist robot 1 can be said to be in a state in which the motor 22, the bottom plate 11, and the frame 21 are floated so as not to be directly in contact with each other by the first damper 24 and the second damper 25.

[0042] Here, Figure 3 is a drawing showing an example of a cross section of a connection portion between the bracket 23 connected via the first damper 24 and the bottom plate 11.

[0043] As Figure 3As shown, as an example of the fastening in the assist robot 1, the bolt 31 is inserted in a state of being inserted from the bracket 23 side disposed on the upper side toward the bottom plate 11 disposed on the lower side. At this time, the head 31a of the bolt 31 is on the upper side.

[0044] Here, as Figure 3 shown, the collar 32 covers the periphery of the upper portion of the threaded portion 31b near the head 31a of the bolt 31, and the upper end portion is disposed in a flange shape at a position higher than the upper surface of the bracket 23. On the other hand, the nut 33 is disposed in the bottom plate 11 in a manner of being engaged with the front end portion 31c of the bolt 31.

[0045] By thus disposing the collar 32, in the assist robot 1, at the connection site between the bracket 23 and the bottom plate 11 connected via the first buffer 24, it is possible to fix the bracket 23 and the bottom plate 11 without crushing the first buffer 24.

[0046] Note that, with reference to Figure 3 , the structure using the collar 32 at the time of fixing the bracket 23 and the bottom plate 11 sandwiching the first buffer 24 is described, but for the fixing of the frame 21 and the bottom plate 11 using the second buffer 25, it is also possible to similarly configure to use the bolt 31 and the collar 32.

[0047] According to the above, the assist robot 1 makes the motor 22, the bottom plate 11, and the frame 21 float in a state of not directly contacting each other by the first buffer 24 and the second buffer 25, thereby cutting a part of the vibration transmission path, and in particular, it is difficult to transmit the vibration to the frame 21. Thereby, in the assist robot 1, it is possible to reduce the noise generated by the vibration of various components connected to the frame 21.

[0048] Further, in the assist robot 1, at the time of connecting the bracket 23 connected to the motor 22 and the bottom plate 11 by the bolt fastening of the bolt 31, by using the collar 32, it is possible to dispose the first buffer 24 in a manner of not being crushed. Therefore, in the assist robot 1, compared to the case where the first buffer 24 is disposed in a manner of being crushed, it is difficult for the vibration to be transmitted. The same applies to the second buffer 25.

[0049] Further, the first cover 27 and the second cover 28 are not connected but in a separated state with respect to the bottom plate 11 to which the vibration from the motor 22 is easily transmitted compared to the frame 21. The first cover 27 and the second cover 28 can cut the vibration path by fixing the covers to each other. Further, the thus integrated cover portion is fixed to the top plate 26 of the frame 21 to which the vibration from the motor 22 is difficult to transmit via the two buffers 24, 25. Therefore, in the assist robot 1, it is possible to reduce the generation of the vibration of the cover portion, and it is possible to reduce the noise.

[0050] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. That is, the above description has been appropriately omitted and simplified for the purpose of clarity, and those skilled in the art can easily modify, add to, or transform the various elements of the embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0051] For example, the assistive robot 1 can be equipped with an input section that can be operated by the user, an output section for confirming the input content through the input section, and various other displays.

[0052] Furthermore, the control unit 13 can have a structure for changing the operation of the motor 22 and thus the operating state of the annular belt 12 according to the user's input. Additionally, the control unit 13 can also have a structure for providing instructions to the user via an output unit. Typically, the control unit 13 can have a computer structure including a main storage device, auxiliary storage device, and a computing device.

[0053] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown in (b), as part of the structure of the box-shaped control unit 13, it may also house a part of the annular belt 12, a roller that moves the annular belt 12, and a mechanism for moving the roller from the motor 22. The structure of the control unit 13 is not limited to this and can be modified appropriately.

[0054] [Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures]

[0055] 1. Assistive Robot

[0056] 11. Base Plate

[0057] 12 Annular Belt

[0058] 13 Control Department

[0059] 21 Framework

[0060] 22 Electric motors

[0061] 23 Brackets

[0062] 24 First Buffer

[0063] 25 Second Buffer

[0064] 26 Top Slab

[0065] 27 First Cover

[0066] 28 Second Cover

[0067] 31 bolts

[0068] 31a Head

[0069] 31b Threaded section

[0070] 31c Front end

[0071] 32 rings

[0072] 33 Nuts

Claims

1. An auxiliary robot, comprising: The base plate extends in the front-to-back direction; An annular belt, whose upper surface extends in the front-rear direction on the base plate, moves in the front-rear direction; and A control unit is disposed in front of the annular belt and on the base plate. The control unit has: The frame forms a box-shaped skeleton; An electric motor, disposed inside a box-shaped structure formed by the frame, provides power to the rollers that actuate the annular belt. A bracket is connected to the motor and the motor is fixed to the base plate; A first buffer element is disposed between the bracket and the base plate; A second buffer is disposed between the frame and the base plate; A top plate is provided on the upper part of the box-shaped frame; A first cover is connected to the top plate and covers at least a portion of the interior of the box-shaped frame; and The second cover is connected to at least one of the top plate and the first cover, and covers at least a portion of the interior of the box-shaped frame.

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