Jump support device

Abstract

This invention provides a jumping support device that can enhance the jumping force of a human or robot using a fluid pressure actuator. [Solution] The device includes a foot rest on which a human or robot foot is placed, a supported portion supported on a jumping support surface, and a fluid pressure actuator having an elastic cylindrical portion with one end in the axial direction connected to the foot rest and the other end connected to the supported portion, and forming a fluid chamber radially inward. The fluid pressure actuator is a jumping support device that enhances the jumping force of a jump by extending the elastic cylindrical portion in the axial direction using the fluid pressure obtained by introducing fluid into the fluid chamber in synchronization with a jumping motion performed when the supported portion is supported on the jumping support surface and the foot is placed on the foot rest.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a jumping assist device.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a fluid pressure actuator having an elastic cylinder portion that is formed on the radially inner side of a cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction and is stretched in the axial direction by applying a fluid pressure to a fluid chamber (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a jumping assist device that can increase the jumping force of a jumping motion of a human or a robot by using a fluid pressure actuator.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is as follows.

[0006] [1] A foot placement part on which a foot of a human or a robot is placed, a supported part supported by a jumping support surface, and a fluid pressure actuator having an elastic cylinder part whose one end in the axial direction is connected to the foot placement part and the other end is connected to the supported part and forms a fluid chamber on the radially inner side, The fluid pressure actuator increases the jumping force of the jumping motion by stretching the elastic cylinder part in the axial direction by a fluid pressure obtained by introducing a fluid into the fluid chamber in synchronization with the jumping motion performed in a state where the supported part is supported by the jumping support surface and the foot is placed on the foot placement part.

[0007] [2] The jumping support device according to [1], wherein the fluid pressure has a peak during the take-off time of the jumping motion.

[0008] [3] The elastic cylindrical portion comprises a cylindrical elastic body and an elongated body extending spirally or annularly along the cylindrical elastic body. The jumping support device according to [1] or [2], wherein the elongated body restricts the deformation of the tubular elastic body in the longitudinal direction of the elongated body when the tubular elastic body is deformed by the fluid pressure.

[0009] [4] The jumping support device according to any one of items [1] to [3], wherein the fluid is a gas.

[0010] [5] The jump support device according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the fluid pressure actuator has a plurality of elastic cylindrical portions arranged in parallel and adjacent to each other.

[0011] [6] The jumping support device according to [5], wherein the supported portion has an end-connecting member that connects the other ends of all the elastic cylindrical portions.

[0012] [7] The foot rest is a jumping support device according to any one of items [1] to [6] on which only one foot is placed.

[0013] [8] The jumping support device is attached to the foot of the human or the robot, The jumping motion is performed such that the supported portion separates from the jumping support surface, according to any one of items [1] to [7], the jumping support device.

[0014] [9] The jumping support device described in [8], which is attached to the leg of a jumping support leg-type robot that is mounted in parallel to the legs of a human.

[0015]

[10] A jumping assistance device set including a plurality of jumping assistance devices described in [8] and separately attached to all the feet of the human or the robot.

[0016]

[11] The jumping operation is performed such that the foot of the human or the robot leaves from the foot placement part of the jumping assistance device in which the supported part is installed on the jumping support surface. The jumping assistance device according to any one of [1] to [7]. [Advantages of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a jumping assistance device that can increase the jumping force of the jumping operation of a human or a robot by using a fluid pressure actuator. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] It is an external view showing a jumping assistance device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic view showing an elastic cylinder part of the jumping assistance device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a schematic view showing a modified example of the elastic cylinder part shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory view for explaining the operation of the jumping assistance device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a schematic view showing the jumping operation of the jumping assistance device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is an external view showing a jumping assistance device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a schematic view showing the jumping operation of a jumping assistance device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated and described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the jump support device 1 includes a foot rest 4 on which the soles of the feet 3a of the robot 3 are placed, a supported portion 6 supported on a jump support surface 5 such as the ground or floor, and a fluid pressure actuator 7 having an elastic cylindrical portion 7b whose axial end (upper end) is connected to the lower surface of the foot rest 4 and whose other end (lower end) is connected to the upper surface of the supported portion 6, and which forms a fluid chamber 7a radially inward. The elastic cylindrical portion 7b is cylindrical (cylindrical in this embodiment) with a central axis O. In this embodiment, the robot 3 is humanoid, but is not limited to this, and the number of feet 3a is not limited to two. Also, in this embodiment, the jump support device 1 supports the jump of the robot 3 by placing the feet 3a of the robot 3 on it, but is not limited to this, and a configuration in which human feet are placed instead of the feet 3a of the robot 3 to support the jump of a human may also be used.

[0021] In this embodiment, the foot rest 4 is supported by only one foot 3a. In this embodiment, a jump support device set 2 is used, which consists of multiple jump support devices 1 that are separately attached to all of the robot's feet 3a.

[0022] The elastic cylindrical portion 7b comprises a cylindrical elastic body 7b1 and an elongated body 7b2 that extends spirally along the cylindrical elastic body 7b1. The elongated body 7b2 restricts the deformation of the cylindrical elastic body 7b1 in the longitudinal direction of the elongated body 7b2 when the cylindrical elastic body 7b1 is deformed by fluid pressure. Therefore, the elastic cylindrical portion 7b can be efficiently extended in the axial direction when fluid pressure is applied to the fluid chamber 7a.

[0023] In the example shown in Figure 2, the elongated body 7b2 extends spirally along the tubular elastic body 7b1, but it is not limited to this configuration; as shown in Figure 3, the elongated body 7b2 may also be configured to extend in an annular shape along the tubular elastic body 7b1. In the example shown in Figure 3, the elastic cylindrical portion 7b has multiple (three in the example shown in Figure 3) annular elongated bodies 7b2 arranged at intervals along the axial direction.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4-5, the fluid pressure actuator 7 increases the jumping force of the jumping motion by extending the elastic cylindrical portion 7b in the axial direction with the fluid pressure obtained by introducing fluid into the fluid chamber 7a in synchronization with the jumping motion performed when the supported portion 6 is supported on the jumping support surface 5 and the foot 3a is placed on the foot rest portion 4.

[0025] In this embodiment, the direction along the central axis O of the elastic cylindrical portion 7b (axial direction) is referred to as the vertical direction, the direction from the supported portion 6 to the foot rest portion 4 along the vertical direction is referred to as the upward direction, the opposite direction is referred to as the downward direction, the direction perpendicular to the central axis O is referred to as the radial direction, and the direction around the central axis O is referred to as the circumferential direction. During a jumping motion, the vertical direction typically coincides with the vertical direction, but the jumping support device 1 is not limited to such usage.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the fluid pressure actuator 7 has an end member 7c that covers one axial end (upper end) of the fluid chamber 7a and an end member 7d that covers the other axial end (lower end) of the fluid chamber 7a. The end member 7c may be provided as part of the footrest 4, or it may be provided separately from the footrest 4 and connected to the footrest 4. The end member 7d may be provided as part of the other end connecting member 6a, which will be described later, or it may be provided separately from the other end connecting member 6a and connected to the other end connecting member 6a.

[0027] The fluid pressure actuator 7 includes a fluid supply source (not shown) consisting of a compressor or pressure vessel that supplies pressurized fluid to a fluid chamber 7a, a supply path 7e that supplies fluid from the fluid supply source to the fluid chamber 7a, a discharge path 7f that discharges fluid from the fluid chamber 7a, a supply opening / closing unit (not shown) consisting of a valve or the like that opens and closes the supply path 7e, a discharge opening / closing unit (not shown) consisting of a valve or the like that opens and closes the discharge path 7f, and a control device (not shown) consisting of a computer that controls the supply opening / closing unit and the discharge opening / closing unit.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the jump support device 1 has a load transmission member 8 that, in the initial state before extension, is sandwiched between the foot rest 4 and the supported part 6 to transmit the load, thereby suppressing axial collapse of the elastic cylindrical part 7b, while allowing the foot rest 4 to move upward relative to the supported part 6 during the extension operation in which the elastic cylindrical part 7b extends. The load transmission member 8 is columnar in shape and extends in the vertical direction, but is not limited to this, and may be configured as, for example, a wall. In the example shown in Figure 1, the jump support device 1 has eight columnar load transmission members 8.

[0029] In the example shown in Figure 1, the load transmission member 8 is integrally connected to the supported portion 6, but not to the footrest portion 4, and in its initial state, it only abuts against the lower surface of the footrest portion 4. Alternatively, the load transmission member 8 may be integrally connected to the footrest portion 4, but not to the supported portion 6, and in its initial state, it may abut against the upper surface of the supported portion 6.

[0030] In this embodiment, the jump support device 1 is a mountable type attached to the leg 3a of the robot 3, and the jumping motion is performed so that the supported part 6 separates from the jump support surface 5. In this case, it is desirable that the jump support device 1 be as light as possible in order to jump high. For this reason, the fluid is preferably a gas such as air or carbon dioxide.

[0031] The fluid pressure actuator 7 has multiple elastic cylindrical portions 7b (eight in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1) arranged in parallel and adjacent to each other. When the adjacent elastic cylindrical portions 7b are extended in the axial direction, they contact and support each other radially, thereby suppressing the occurrence of individual buckling. Note that the adjacent elastic cylindrical portions 7b do not need to be in contact radially with each other in the initial state. To facilitate mutual support, it is preferable to arrange the multiple elastic cylindrical portions 7b in a hexagonal close-packed arrangement as shown in Figure 1.

[0032] The foot rest 4 connects one end (upper end) of all the elastic cylindrical sections 7b. The foot rest 4 is plate-shaped with the foot 3a resting on its upper surface. The supported section 6 has an end-connecting member 6a that connects the other ends (lower ends) of all the elastic cylindrical sections 7b. The end-connecting member 6a is plate-shaped with its lower surface resting on the jump support surface 5. The number of elastic cylindrical sections 7b provided in the fluid pressure actuator 7 can be set as appropriate, and there may be one or more.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the jumping motion is performed by bending the knee joint 3b and lowering the center of gravity, then extending the knee joint 3b and the elastic cylinder 7b, causing the center of gravity to rise, and the supported part 6 to leave the jumping support surface 5 and jump. In other words, from the initial state shown in Figure 4(1), as shown in Figure 4(2), the center of gravity of the robot 3 and the jumping support device 1 as a whole descends (center of gravity velocity becomes negative), and then stops descending (center of gravity velocity becomes 0). Then, as the knee joint 3b extends and the elastic cylinder 7b extends, the center of gravity rises (center of gravity velocity becomes positive), the supported part 6 leaves the jumping support surface 5 (takes off the ground) as shown in Figure 4(3), and jumps as shown in Figure 4(4). In this case, the time from the point in Figure 4(2) when the descent of the center of gravity stops (center of gravity velocity becomes 0) to the point in Figure 4(3) when the robot takes off the ground is called the take-off time ts.

[0034] As the elastic cylindrical portion 7b extends during the takeoff time ts, the jumping force generated by the jumping support device 1 can be added to the jumping force when the jumping support device 1 is not used. From the viewpoint of increasing jumping force, it is preferable that the fluid pressure has a peak during the takeoff time ts of the jumping motion. That is, the fluid pressure first increases to a maximum and then decreases, but it is preferable that the time when it reaches a maximum and the time when the fluid pressure subsequently decreases fall within the takeoff time ts. With such a high-pressure application method, it is possible to easily exert instantaneous force suitable for jumping while suppressing damage to the elastic cylindrical portion 7b.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the law of conservation of energy, the jump height H is expressed by the following equation (1), where v is the upward velocity of the center of gravity at the time of takeoff and g is the acceleration due to gravity. Therefore, in order to increase the jump height H, it is necessary to increase the upward velocity v of the center of gravity at the time of takeoff. H=v 2 / 2g...Formula (1)

[0036] Furthermore, the upward velocity v is expressed by the following equation (2), where v0 is the velocity exerted by the robot 3 itself and v1 is the velocity added in series by the jump support device 1. Therefore, it is important to add as large a velocity v1 as possible with the jump support device 1. v=v0+v1...Equation (2)

[0037] As shown in the second embodiment in Figure 6, the jump support device 1 may be configured to be attached to the leg 3a of an exoskeleton-type jump support leg robot 3, which is mounted in parallel to the legs of a human 9. In this case, the speed exhibited by the jump support device 1 can be added in series to the speed exhibited by the leg 3a of the jump support leg robot 3, thereby efficiently increasing the jump height.

[0038] The jump-support legged robot 3 has a thigh 3c mounted in parallel to the thigh 9a of a human 9, a lower leg 3d mounted in parallel to the lower leg 9b of a human 9, a knee joint 3b mounted in parallel to the knee joint 9c of a human 9 and connecting the thigh 3c and the lower leg 3d, and a foot 3a connected to the lower end of the lower leg 3d via an ankle joint 3e. The jump-support legged robot 3 also has an actuator 3f that drives the knee joint 3b for jumping. In the illustrated example, the actuator 3f is an artificial muscle type fluid pressure actuator 3f that expands radially and contracts axially when fluid pressure is applied. This actuator 3f uses gas as the fluid. The knee joint 3b has a pulley 3b1 that is rotatably supported on the thigh 3c about a rotation axis P and is integrally connected to the lower leg 3d, and the lower end of the actuator 3f is connected to the other end of a tension member 3g which is held at one end and wrapped around the pulley 3b1. The upper end of the actuator 3f is held by the thigh 3c. Note that the mechanism for driving the knee joint 3b by the actuator 3f is not limited to a configuration using an artificial muscle-type fluid pressure actuator 3f and a pulley 3b1.

[0039] As shown in the third embodiment in Figure 7, the jumping motion may be configured such that the robot's foot 3a leaves the foot rest 4 of the jumping support device 1, which has a supported part 6 installed on the jumping support surface 5. Thus, the jumping support device 1 is not limited to a wearable type, but may also be configured as a catapult type. In this case, the time from the point when the center of gravity stops descending (the velocity of the center of gravity becomes 0), as shown in Figure 7(2), to the point when the foot 3a leaves the foot rest 4 (takes off the ground), as shown in Figure 7(3), is called the take-off time ts. In this embodiment as well, the jumping support device 1 may be configured to support human jumping by placing a human foot on it instead of the robot's foot 3a.

[0040] In this embodiment, the foot rest 4 may be configured to support only one foot 3a, or it may be configured to support multiple feet 3a. From the viewpoint of simplifying the configuration, the fluid is preferably a gas such as air or carbon dioxide.

[0041] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the embodiments described above can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Examples]

[0042] As an embodiment of the present invention, a monolegged robot having hip, knee, and ankle joints was fabricated, and a jumping experiment was conducted using a catapult-type jumping support device according to the third embodiment. The weight of the monolegged robot was 10.0 kg. The jumping support device was provided with two elastic cylindrical sections arranged in parallel. Air was used as the fluid. The fluid pressure was applied using a high-pressure application method, first applying 0.9 MPa for 0.10 seconds during the takeoff time, and then reducing it to 0.2 MPa. As a result, a jumping height of 0.458 m was recorded, which was up to 1.95 times the jumping height of the robot alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 Jump support device 2 Jumping support device set 3 Robots 3a feet 3b Knee joint 3b1 Pulley 3c thigh 3D lower leg 3e Ankle joint 3f actuator 3g tension member 4 Footrest section 5 Jump support surface 6 Supported part 6a Other end connecting member 7. Fluid pressure actuator 7a Fluid chamber 7b Elastic tube section 7b1 Cylindrical elastic body 7b2 Long body 7c One end member 7d Other end member 7e Supply Route 7f Discharge route 8 Load transmission member 9 Human 9a thigh 9b Lower leg 9c Knee joint O center axis P is the axis of rotation. ts takeoff time

Claims

1. The device comprises a foot support portion on which a human or robot foot is placed, a supported portion supported on a jumping support surface, and a fluid pressure actuator having an elastic cylindrical portion with one end in the axial direction connected to the foot support portion and the other end connected to the supported portion, and forming a fluid chamber radially inward. The fluid pressure actuator is a jumping support device that enhances the jumping force of a jump by extending the elastic cylindrical portion in the axial direction using the fluid pressure obtained by introducing fluid into the fluid chamber in synchronization with a jumping motion performed when the supported portion is supported on the jumping support surface and the foot is placed on the foot rest.

2. The jumping support device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid pressure has a peak during the take-off time of the jumping motion.

3. The elastic cylindrical portion comprises a cylindrical elastic body and an elongated body extending spirally or annularly along the cylindrical elastic body. The jump support device according to claim 1, wherein the elongated body restricts the deformation of the cylindrical elastic body in the longitudinal direction of the elongated body when the cylindrical elastic body is deformed by the fluid pressure.

4. The jump support device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is a gas.

5. The jump support device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid pressure actuator has a plurality of elastic cylindrical portions arranged in parallel and adjacent to each other.

6. The jumping support device according to claim 5, wherein the supported portion has an end-connecting member that connects the other ends of all the elastic cylindrical portions.

7. The foot rest portion is on which only one foot is placed, the jumping support device according to claim 1.

8. The jumping support device is attached to the foot of the human or the robot, The jumping motion is performed such that the supported portion separates from the jumping support surface, according to claim 1.

9. The jump support device according to claim 8, which is attached to the leg of a jump support leg-type robot that is mounted in parallel to the legs of a human.

10. A jumping support device set comprising a plurality of jumping support devices according to claim 8, each separately attached to all of the feet of the human or the robot.

11. The jumping motion is performed such that the foot of the human or robot is removed from the foot rest of the jumping support device on which the supported portion is installed on the jumping support surface, according to claim 1.

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