Traveling drone

Abstract

To provide a traveling drone that can move forward, backward, left and right with an extremely simple configuration.SOLUTION: A traveling drone 1 comprises: a DC motor 2 as a motor; a first wheel 41 which is connected to the DC motor 2, and has a first bevel gear 31 along a circumferential direction; a second wheel 42 which has a rotation axis same as the first wheel 41, and has a second bevel gear 32 along a circumferential direction; and a third bevel gear 33 which has an axis crossing both of the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32, and engages with both of the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32. The traveling drone further comprises a brake part 5 for braking rotation of the third bevel gear 33, and the brake part 5 is driven ON / OFF, whereby the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42 are mutually rotated in a reverse / same direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile drone that can move forward, backward, left and right using a single motor. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, robots with characteristic moving mechanisms have been known. For example, the moving mechanism described in Patent Document 1 has a first storage mechanism that brings the first drive wheels closer together, a second storage mechanism that stores the second drive wheel within the circumference of the first drive wheel in conjunction with the first storage mechanism, and a deployment storage motor that operates the first and second storage mechanisms, and is characterized in that it can transition between a stored form and a driving form. Due to this configuration, it is said that it is possible to provide a moving mechanism that can stably move the main body without having a reverse mechanism or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-264555 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional moving bodies including those disclosed in Patent Document 1 have a relatively complicated configuration including a plurality of motors.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile drone that can move forward, backward, and left and right with an extremely simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the traveling drone of the present invention comprises a motor, a first wheel connected to the motor and having a first bevel gear along a circumferential direction, a second wheel having the same rotation axis as the first wheel and having a second bevel gear along a circumferential direction, and a third bevel gear having an axis intersecting with both the first gear and the second gear and adapted to mesh with both the first bevel gear and the second bevel gear. Effect of the Invention

[0007] In this way, the traveling drone of the present invention includes a motor, a first wheel connected to the motor and having a first bevel gear along the circumferential direction, a second wheel having the same rotation axis as the first wheel and a second bevel gear along the circumferential direction, and a third bevel gear having an axis intersecting both the first gear and the second gear and meshing with both the first bevel gear and the second bevel gear. With this configuration, it is a traveling drone that can move forward and backward and left and right with a very simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a traveling drone. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a traveling drone. [Diagram 3] This is a front view of the traveling drone with the outer parts removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged explanatory view illustrating the structure of the braking portion. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram explaining the configuration of a control system for a traveling drone. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the braking portion when no power is supplied to the solenoid (OFF). [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the braking portion when power is being supplied to the solenoid (ON). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the components described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. EXAMPLES

[0010] (composition) First, the configuration of the traveling drone 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. As shown in Figure 1, the traveling drone 1 of this embodiment mainly includes a first wheel 41, a second wheel 42, and a DC motor 2 as a motor constituting the shaft. That is, two wheels 41 and 42 are rotatably attached to both ends of the DC motor 2 constituting the shaft so as to face each other.

[0011] Furthermore, the traveling drone 1 is equipped with a weight 61 and a battery and control unit 62 as an anti-torque unit (6). Of these, the weight 61 is installed on the output shaft 2a side of the DC motor 2. The battery and control unit 62 is installed on the rear side of the DC motor 2. In other words, the weight 61 and the battery and control unit 62 are in contact only with the main body of the DC motor 2 and the inner rings of the bearings 71 and 72.

[0012] The first wheel 41 is attached to one end of the DC motor 2, which serves as the rotating shaft, via a bearing 71, and the second wheel 42 is attached to the other end via a bearing 72. In other words, the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42 have the same rotating shaft (DC motor 2).

[0013] One of the first wheels 41 is fixed (directly connected) integrally to the output shaft 2a of the DC motor 2 via a casing 64, and the first wheel 41 also rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the DC motor 2. The other of the second wheels 42 is not directly connected to the output shaft 2a of the DC motor 2. The first wheel 41 may be directly connected to the output shaft 2a of the DC motor 2, or may be indirectly connected via a gear.

[0014] The first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32 are attached to the opposing surfaces of the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42, respectively, so as to face each other. That is, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32, which have the same outer diameter, are aligned along the periphery of the opposing side surfaces of the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42, respectively. Therefore, the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32 have the same rotation shaft (DC motor 2).

[0015] In addition, the traveling drone 1 of this embodiment further includes a third bevel gear 33 sandwiched between the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32. That is, the third bevel gear 33 that meshes with the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32 is installed between them. More specifically, the rotation axis of the third bevel gear 33 is disposed so as to be perpendicular to the rotation axes of the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32.

[0016] 3, the third bevel gear 33 meshes with the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32 at the upper part of the figure. The outer diameters of the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32 and the outer diameter of the third bevel gear 33 can be appropriately determined based on the interval between the gears, etc., but it is preferable to make the outer diameter of the third bevel gear 33 small.

[0017] The traveling drone 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a braking unit 5 for controlling forward and backward movement and left and right turning. The braking unit 5 brakes the rotation of the third bevel gear 33. That is, the braking unit 5 is driven ON / OFF to cause the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42 to rotate in the opposite / same direction to each other.

[0018] Specifically, the braking unit 5 is composed of a brake pad 51 pressed against the third bevel gear 33, a solenoid 52 that drives the brake pad 51 to move forward and backward, and springs 53, 53 that press the brake pad 51 toward the third bevel gear 33. The braking unit 5 is attached via a bearing 73 to the center of the DC motor 2 that also serves as the rotating shaft. The brake pad 51 is attracted by passing electricity through the solenoid 52. The springs 53, 53 are compressed more than in their natural state, and press the brake pad 51 toward the third bevel gear 33.

[0019] That is, the braking unit 5 presses the brake pads 51 against the third bevel gear 33 with the force of the springs 53, 53, and fixes the third gear 33 perpendicular to the drive wheel 41, thereby driving both wheels 41, 42 as a unit to move in a straight line. On the other hand, when the brake pads 51 are released by turning on the solenoid 52, the operation of the third gear 33 perpendicular to the drive wheel 41 rotates both wheels 41, 42 in the opposite direction to change direction (pivot turn).

[0020] Here, the configuration of the control system of the traveling drone 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The control system of the traveling drone 1 is realized by transmitting an external signal from a transmitter (not shown) to a receiver 63. The receiver 63 that receives the external signal controls the solenoid 52 to turn ON / OFF by supplying power from a power source (battery and control unit) 62 by issuing a command to a transistor. Similarly, the receiver 63 that receives an external signal supplies power from the power source (battery and control unit) 62 to control the direction and speed of rotation of the DC motor 2.

[0021] (action) Next, the operation of the traveling drone 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 7. As shown in Fig. 6, the solenoid 52 is not energized and is in the OFF state when traveling straight or backward. When the solenoid 52 is not energized and is in the OFF state, the brake pad 51 is pressed against the third bevel gear 33 by the elastic force of the springs 53, 53, and the rotation of the third bevel gear 33 is braked, so that the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42 rotate in the same direction in unison. That is, the third bevel gear 33 can be regarded as a pseudo rigid body connecting the left and right wheels 41, 42 here. Therefore, the left and right wheels 41, 42 rotate in the same direction at the same speed, so that the traveling drone 1 moves forward or backward.

[0022] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 7, the solenoid 52 is energized and turned ON during a pivot turn. When the solenoid 52 is energized and turned ON, the brake pad 51 moves away from the third bevel gear 33 against the elastic force of the springs 53, 53, so that the third bevel gear 33 rotates freely and the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42 rotate in the opposite direction. That is, the rotation of the first wheel 41, which is the driving wheel, is transmitted to the second wheel 42, which is the driven wheel. Therefore, the left and right wheels 41, 42 rotate in the opposite direction at the same speed, so that the traveling drone 1 turns in the same position.

[0023] (effect) Next, the effects of the traveling drone 1 of the embodiment will be listed and explained.

[0024] (1) As described above, the traveling drone 1 of this embodiment includes a DC motor 2 as a motor, a first wheel 41 connected to the DC motor 2 and having a first bevel gear 31 along the circumferential direction, a second wheel 42 having the same rotation axis as the first wheel 41 and a second bevel gear 32 along the circumferential direction, and a third bevel gear 33 having an axis intersecting both the first gear 31 and the second gear 32 and meshing with both the first bevel gear 31 and the second bevel gear 32. Therefore, since the rotation direction of the left and right wheels 41 and 42 is controlled only by operating and stopping the central third bevel gear 33, it is possible to change the direction of travel of the traveling body and make a super-pivot turn without requiring an external power such as a handle. Therefore, the traveling drone 1 can move forward, backward, left and right with an extremely simple configuration. In theory, if the width is the same as the diagonal line of the traveling drone 1, it is possible to travel on a road that turns at an acute angle, and it is expected to be able to operate in narrow places.

[0025] In addition, because the basic mechanism requires only three simple gears, it is possible to create unprecedented, ultra-compact robots that can move freely in all directions. Furthermore, because it can be made ultra-lightweight, it can also be used to create drones that can climb and descend vertical walls.

[0026] (2) In addition, a braking unit 5 that brakes the rotation of the third bevel gear 33 is further provided, and the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42 rotate in the opposite direction / same direction to each other by turning the braking unit 5 ON / OFF. With this configuration, it is possible to switch between changing the direction of travel and making a pivot turn by turning the braking unit 5 ON / OFF.

[0027] (3) Furthermore, the braking unit 5 is composed of the brake pad 51 pressed against the third bevel gear 33, the solenoid 52 that drives the brake pad 51 to move back and forth, and the spring 53 as an elastic body that biases the brake pad 51. Therefore, the braking unit 5 can be realized with an extremely simple configuration by switching the single solenoid 52 ON / OFF.

[0028] (4) Furthermore, by further providing an anti-torque section 6 that prevents the DC motor 2 from rotating without the first wheel 41 rotating, the DC motor 2 side on the inside of the bearings 71, 72, and 73 can be prevented from rotating, thereby making it possible to move the traveling drone 1.

[0029] (5) Specifically, by further providing a weight 61 directly connected to the output shaft 2a side of the DC motor 2 and / or a battery and control unit 62 directly connected to the tail side of the DC motor 2 as the anti-torque unit 6, the wheels 41, 42 will rotate if the inertial force is made larger than that of the wheels 41, 42 by adding mass to the DC motor 2 side. Furthermore, by arranging the weight 61 in this way, it also functions as ballast for balancing the weight of the aircraft.

[0030] (6) Furthermore, the DC motor 2 also functions as a rotating shaft for the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42, and the first wheel 41 and the second wheel 42 are rotatably supported by the DC motor 2 as a rotating shaft via a bearing or bearings 71 to 73. In this way, by using the DC motor 2 also as a rotating shaft, an ultra-compact traveling drone 1 can be realized as a whole.

[0031] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1: Drone 2: DC motor 2a: Output shaft 31: First bevel gear 32: 2nd bevel gear 33: 3rd bevel gear 41:1st wheel 42: 2nd wheel 5: Braking part 51: Brake pads 52: Solenoid 53: Spring 6: Anti-torque section 61: Weight 62: Battery and control unit 63: Receiver 71: Bearing 72: Bearing 73: Bearing

Claims

1. A motor; a first wheel connected to the motor and having a first bevel gear along a circumferential direction; A second wheel having the same rotation axis as the first wheel and having a second bevel gear along a circumferential direction; A third bevel gear having an intersecting axis with both the first gear and the second gear and configured to mesh with both the first bevel gear and the second bevel gear.

2. The traveling drone according to claim 1, further comprising a braking unit that brakes the rotation of the third bevel gear, and the braking unit is driven ON / OFF so that the first wheel and the second wheel rotate in opposite directions / the same direction to each other.

3. 3. The traveling drone according to claim 2, wherein the braking unit is composed of a brake pad pressed against the third bevel gear, a solenoid that drives the brake pad so as to be freely moved forward and backward, and an elastic body that biases the brake pad.

4. The traveling drone according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an anti-torque unit that prevents the motor from rotating without the first wheel rotating.

5. The traveling drone according to claim 4, further comprising, as the counter torque portion, a weight directly connected to the shaft side of the motor, and / or a battery and a control portion directly connected to the tail side of the motor.

6. The motor also functions as a rotation shaft of the first wheel and the second wheel, and the first wheel and the second wheel are rotatably supported by the motor as a rotation shaft via a bearing or a bearing. The traveling drone according to claim 5.

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