Electronic devices, contactless charging systems, and pet robots
The case-based design for pet robots allows independent removal and replacement of consumable parts, addressing the cumbersome maintenance issues by enabling easy access and efficient part replacement.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-03
AI Technical Summary
The maintenance of consumable parts in pet robots is cumbersome due to the need to remove and replace multiple screws and components, making the process troublesome.
The design incorporates a first case and a second case that allow independent removal and replacement of consumable parts, such as a secondary battery and an operating unit, by overlapping them in a specific direction, facilitating easy access and maintenance.
This design enables easy and efficient replacement of consumable parts like the secondary battery and operating unit, enhancing the maintainability of electronic devices and pet robots.
Smart Images

Figure 2026058266000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, a non-contact charging system, and a pet robot.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, pet robots that can move their heads by communicating with a user, such as those described in Patent Document 1, are known.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] As shown in FIG. 21, the operation unit 506 and the secondary battery 507, which are composed of the head 501, motors 502 and 503 for operating the head 501, the neck 504 for housing the motor 502, the substrate 505 for controlling the motors, etc., used in the housing 500 of the pet robot described in Patent Document 1, are consumable parts, and thus need to be replaced after a certain period of use. However, in the invention of Patent Document 1, for example, in order to replace the secondary battery 507, it is necessary to remove the upper case 508 and then remove the operation unit 506 from the lower case 509, and almost all the parts of the housing 500 need to be removed. For this reason, many screws etc. need to be removed, and the replacement is troublesome. Also, when replacing the operation unit 506, since the operation unit 506 is composed of many parts, there are many screws etc. fixed to the upper case 508 and the lower case 509, and the replacement becomes troublesome.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device, a non-contact charging system, and a pet robot in which maintenance of consumable parts is easy. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] To achieve the above objective, one embodiment of the electronic device according to the present invention has a main body that houses a first consumable part and at least a part of a second consumable part, the main body comprising a first case to which the first consumable part and the second consumable part are attached, and a second case that is fitted to the first case in a state facing a first direction relative to the first case, the first consumable part and the second consumable part are arranged so that at least a part of them overlap each other in a direction along the first direction, and the first consumable part and the second consumable part, which are arranged to overlap each other in a direction along the first direction, can be removed independently of each other. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide electronic devices, contactless charging systems, and pet robots that facilitate maintenance of consumable parts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows the external appearance of the robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the robot according to the embodiment, seen from the side. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the housing according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the housing along the IV-IV cutting line. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is inverted vertically to show a disassembled perspective view of the first case of the fuselage. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the first case in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the operating unit. [Figure 8] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the fixing part of the operating unit in Figure 5. [Figure 9]It is a plan view of the state where the housing of FIG. 3 is turned upside down and the second case, the secondary battery, and the battery holder are removed. [Figure 10] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the board mounting portion of FIG. 5. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view of the state where the second case of FIG. 5 and the components attached to the second case are turned upside down. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view of the state where components attached to the second case such as a coil holder are removed from the opening of the second case of FIG. 11. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view of the second case according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] It is an exploded perspective view of components attached to the second case such as a coil holder removed from the second case of FIG. 11. [Figure 15] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the coil holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a perspective view of the power receiving coil and the power receiving board of FIG. 14 turned upside down. [Figure 17] It is a cross-sectional view of the housing cut along the XVII-XVII cutting line of FIG. 3. [Figure 18] It is a plan view of the state where the housing of FIG. 3 is turned upside down and the second case is removed. [Figure 19] It is a perspective view of the non-contact charging unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a cross-sectional view of the non-contact charging unit cut along the XX-XX cutting line of FIG. 19. [[ID=�5]] [Figure 21] It is an exploded perspective view of the housing according to Patent Document 1.
Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention
[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. The robot 200 according to the embodiment is a small animal-like pet robot that swings the head (corresponding part) with a battery capable of non-contact power supply. As shown in FIG. 1 as an example, the robot 200 includes an exterior 201 having decorative parts 202 and hair 203 that mimic eyes. As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 200 includes a housing 207. The housing 207 is covered by the exterior 201 and is housed inside the exterior 201. The housing 207 is an electronic device including a head 204, a connecting portion 205, and a body portion (case) 206. The connecting portion 205 connects the movable head 204 and the body portion 206 that is the main body portion.
[0010] In the following description, assuming that the robot 200 is normally placed on a horizontal floor, the direction of the portion corresponding to the face of the robot 200 (the portion on the opposite side of the head 204 from the body portion 206) is defined as the front, and the direction of the portion corresponding to the tail (the portion on the opposite side of the body portion 206 from the head 204) is defined as the rear. Also, when the robot 200 is placed on a horizontal floor, the direction of the portion that contacts the floor is defined as the bottom, and the opposite direction is defined as the top. And the direction that is orthogonal to the straight line extending in the front-rear direction of the robot 200 and is also orthogonal to the straight line extending in the up-down direction is defined as the left-right direction.
[0011] The exterior 201 is an example of an exterior member, and has a bag-like shape that is long in the front-rear direction and can house the housing 207 inside. The exterior 201 is formed in a slender shape from the head 204 to the body portion 206, and integrally covers the body portion 206 and the head 204. By having the exterior 201 of such a shape, the robot 200 is formed in a belly-up shape. The surface of the exterior 201 is formed of an artificial pile fabric that mimics the hair 203 of a small animal in order to simulate the texture of the skin of a small animal. The lining of the exterior 201 is formed of a flexible material such as leather, resin, rubber, or the like. Since it is formed of a flexible material, the exterior 201 follows the movement of the housing 207. Specifically, the exterior 201 follows the rotation of the head 204, which is a movable part with respect to the body portion 206.
[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the torso 206 extends in the front-to-back direction. The torso 206 contacts the mounting surface, such as a floor or table, on which the robot 200 is placed, via the outer casing 201. The torso 206 is equipped with a torsion motor 221 at its front end. The head 204 is connected to the front end of the torso 206 via a connecting part 205. The connecting part 205 is equipped with an up-and-down motor 222. The head 204 is rotatably connected to the torso 206 with respect to the left-to-right and front-to-back directions of the robot 200.
[0013] The connecting section 205 connects the body section 206 and the head section 204 so as to be rotatable around the motor rotation shaft 2615 (with a fixing member 291 screwed into it) shown in Figures 2 and 4, which is the first rotation shaft that extends in the front-rear direction of the body section 206 through the connecting section 205. The twist motor 221 is a servo motor for rotating the head section 204 clockwise (right-hand rotation) or counterclockwise (left-hand rotation) around the first rotation shaft relative to the body section 206. The connecting section 205 also connects the body section 206 and the head section 204 so as to be rotatable around the second rotation shaft that extends in the left-right direction of the body section 206 through the connecting section 205. The up-down motor 222 is a servo motor for rotating the head section 204 upward (forward rotation) or downward (reverse rotation) around the second rotation shaft. The twist motor 221 and the up / down motor 222 are components of the motor unit that operates the head 204.
[0014] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the torso section 206 is a cylindrical case made of, for example, ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) resin, and has a first case 250 that forms the back side of the torso section 206 of the robot 200, and a second case 280 that forms the ventral side of the torso section 206. The torso section 206 houses the torsion motor 221, secondary battery 264, battery holder 265, coil holder 266, power receiving coil 268, etc., which will be described later.
[0015] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the first case 250 includes a twist motor 221 that provides power to the head 204, an operating unit fixing part 262 that fixes the twist motor 21 and the connecting part 205 to the body part 206, a board mounting part 263 on which the main board 275 and the like are mounted, a secondary battery 264 that supplies power to the robot 200, a battery holder 265 that holds the secondary battery 264, a main board 275 that controls the robot 200, and a PSoC board 276. The first case 250 constitutes the upper half of the outer shell of the body part 206. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first case 250 has an operating unit fixing part through hole 251 formed at the front, through which the motor rotation shafts 2615 of the twist motor 221 and the up / down motor 222 are inserted into the inside of the connecting part 205. Furthermore, the through hole 251 for the operating unit fixing part has a diameter considerably larger than the motor rotation shaft 2615 so that the operating unit fixing part 262 housing the twist motor 221 can be removed by sliding it forward. In the first case 250, screw holes 253 are used together with the mating part 254 to integrate the first case 250 and the second case 280. Screw holes 255 are used to fix the operating unit fixing part 262 to the inside 252 of the first case 250. Screw holes 256 are used to fix the circuit board mounting part 263 to the inside 252 of the first case 250.
[0016] The twist motor 221, together with the head 204, the connecting part 205, the up / down motor 222 within the connecting part, and the operating unit fixing part 262 (described later), constitutes the operating unit 208. The operating unit 208 shown in Figure 7 is a component that enables the operation of the robot 200. The operating unit 208 is a consumable part (second consumable part) and is replaced with a new operating unit 208 after a certain period of use. As shown in Figure 4, the motor rotation shaft 2615 of the twist motor 221 protrudes from the main body of the motor 221 and transmits rotation to the gear inside the connecting part 205 to operate the head 204. The connecting part 205 and the twist motor 221 are rotatably connected via the motor rotation shaft 2615. The twist motor 221 is fixed to the operating unit fixing part (motor fixing part) 262 using three screw holes 2617 formed on the front panel of the twist motor 221. Power is supplied from a secondary battery 264 via a connector (not shown) located at the rear of the twist motor 221. The operating unit fixing part 262 shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b) fixes the operating unit 208 to the upper front of the first case 250 of the body part 206 with fixing members 290 such as screws. The top surface of the twist motor 221 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the base part 2621, the front panel of the twist motor 221 is brought into contact with the fixing part 2622 while fitting the circular projection into the motor projection insertion hole 2624, and the right side of the twist motor 221 is brought into contact with the side wall 2623, and the fixing members 290 such as screws are tightened into the three holes 2626 and screw holes 2617, thereby fixing the operating unit 208 (the twist motor 221) to the operating unit fixing part 262 (see Figure 4). Furthermore, the operating unit fixing portion 262 is positioned by bringing the contact portion 2627 formed on the upper part of the base portion 2621 into contact with the base portion 2631 of the substrate mounting portion 263 (described later), and inserting the fixing projection 2628 through the fixing hole 2639 of the substrate mounting portion 263 (described later). The operating unit fixing portion 262 is fixed to the first case 250 and the substrate mounting portion 263 by using fixing members 290 such as screws in two holes 2625 and screw holes 255.As shown in Figure 9, the two holes 2625 and screw holes 255 (which may include the fixing member 290) are the mounting locations for the operating unit (motor fixing part mounting location, second mounting location) F. The operating unit mounting locations are positioned so that tools such as a screwdriver can be used to remove the operating unit 208 (specifically the twist motor 221) from the first case 250 (for mounting and removing the fixing member 290). These locations are not covered by other components (excluding the secondary battery 264 and battery holder 265) located inside the first case 250 (they are exposed inside the first case 250 in a state where tools such as a screwdriver can be used to mount and remove the fixing member 290). The position in which tools can be used means that there is enough space in the front, back, left, and right directions to move the screw to the screw hole, and enough height in the upward direction to allow for screw mounting and tightening operations with, for example, an electric screwdriver suspended above. As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 10(a) and (b), the main board 275 is mounted on the rear wall 2632 of the board mounting section 2633 using two board mounting bases 2637, and the PSoC board 276 is mounted on the left wall 2633 using two board mounting bases 2637. The board mounting section 263 is attached to the first case 250 using three screw holes 2638 provided in the base 2631. Battery holder fixing protrusions 2635 and screw holes 2636 are formed at the lower ends of the rear wall 2632 and the right wall 2634 of the board mounting section 2633. The battery holder fixing protrusions 2635 and screw holes 2636 are formed at a height that allows the operating unit fixing section 262 housing the twist motor 221 to be positioned in a location surrounded by the rear wall 2632, left wall 2633, and right wall 2634 of the board mounting section 2633. This type of substrate mounting section 263 allows for a compact arrangement of the torsion motor 221, secondary battery 264, main board 275, PSoC board 276, etc., while also ensuring the strength of the substrate mounting section 263.
[0017] The secondary battery 264 that supplies power to the robot 200 is a rechargeable battery that can be charged by contactless charging. The secondary battery 264 is also a consumable part (first consumable part) and is replaced with a new secondary battery 264 after a certain period of use. As shown in Figure 5, shock-absorbing material 270 is attached to the secondary battery 264 to protect the area where the protective circuit board inside the battery is located. The battery holder 265 houses the secondary battery 264 with its lower main surface 2651 and peripheral walls 2653, 2654, and 2655, and protects the secondary battery from vibration, shock, etc., together with the shock-absorbing material 270, etc. The upper main surface 2652 of the battery holder 2655 is fixed with two screws or other fixing members 290 to screw holes 2656 in screw holes 2636 at the lower end of the circuit board mounting part 263. Screw holes 2656 and screw holes 2636 are the first mounting locations. The first mounting location is positioned so that a tool can be operated to remove the battery holder 265 from the circuit board mounting section 263 when the secondary battery 264 is removed from the battery holder 265. Of the peripheral walls 2653, 2654, and 2655 that are erected downward from the main surface 2651, the rear peripheral wall 2654 is provided with an impact-absorbing material (for preventing foreign matter from entering) 270 between it and the secondary battery 264.
[0018] As shown in Figures 11, 12, and 13, the second case 280 includes a coil holder 266 to which a power receiving coil 268 is attached, a power receiving board 267 that transmits the power received by the power receiving coil 268 to the robot 200, a power receiving coil 268 that is wirelessly connected to a power transmitting coil 310 of a charging device 300 (described later), and a coil tape 269 that protects the power receiving coil 268. The second case 280 constitutes the lower half of the outer shell of the body portion 206 and is fitted into the first case 250 with the portion that fits upward (first direction) to the first case 250 facing outwards. A rectangular opening 282 is formed in the bottom portion 281 of the second case 280, which is the position furthest from the fitting portion with the first case 250, and as shown in Figure 4, the power receiving coil 268 is positioned inside the opening 282 along the outer circumferential surface of the second case 280. As shown in Figures 4, 11, and 4, a coil holder retainer 283 is formed at the lower rear of the interior of the second case 280, and contacts the protruding portion 2667 of the coil holder 266 when a strong upward force is applied to the coil holder 266. The coil holder retainer 283 has a horizontal portion 2831 that is horizontal to the main surface of the coil holder 266, and a vertical portion 2832 that is vertical and serves as a reinforcing rib for the horizontal portion 2831. The coil holder 266 is fixed to the opening 282 by tightening fixing members 290 such as screws into the four screw holes 287 and the four screw holes 26681 of the coil holder 266. A connecting portion 205 is positioned at the front of the fuselage 284 with a small gap. At the upper end of the second case 280, one screw hole 286 is formed on each side. The first case 250 and the second case 280 are fixed together and integrated by inserting a fixing member 290, such as a screw, through the screw hole 286 into the screw hole 253 of the first case 250 and tightening it.
[0019] As shown in Figures 4, 11, 12, 14, 15(a), (b), a power receiving board 267 is attached to the upper main surface 2661 of the coil holder 266 with a gap, and a power receiving coil 268 (Figure 16), which is attached to the ferrite 271 (bottom surface), is attached to the lower main surface 2662 with double-sided tape 272. The coil holder 266 has vertical risers 2663, 2664, 2664, and 2665 formed on the main surface 2661. The power receiving board 267 is attached to the coil holder 266 with a fixing member 290 such as a single screw, so that the circuit components face the main surface 2661, and is mounted on a projection with a mounting part 26611, a screw hole with a mounting base 26612, etc., with its front end sandwiched between 2666. Thus, the coil holder 266 is mounted so that the power receiving board 267 is housed inside the coil holder 266. The coil holder 266 has a protruding portion 2667 that may come into contact with the coil holder retainer 283 of the second case 280. The protruding portion 2667 includes a flat portion 26671 that comes into contact with the horizontal portion 2831 to suppress deformation of the coil holder 266 when a load is applied, such as when the power receiving coil 268 or the coil holder 266 is pushed upward, and a vertical wall 26672 which is a rib that reinforces the flat portion 26671. In normal operation, the flat portion 26671 faces the horizontal portion 2831 with a gap between them and does not come into contact. In addition, the coil holder 266 has a small wall 2669 fitted into the opening 282 of the second case 280. Furthermore, an impact cushioning material 270 is attached to the mounting portion 26683 of the coil holder 266. As a result, the coil holder 266 is positioned below the secondary battery 264, with shock-absorbing material 270 on either side of its left and right ends, and supports the secondary battery 264 via the shock-absorbing material 270. The coil holder 266 is a rectangular flat plate surrounded by four raised edges, and reinforcing ribs 2661 3Because it is reinforced by this, it has high strength even though it has a cavity inside to house the power receiving board 267. As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 14, the coil tape 269 is positioned to cover the power receiving coil 268 and close the opening 282. The ends 2692, 2693, 2694, and 2695 of the coil tape 269 are bent and sandwiched between the end of the opening 282 and the coil holder 266 to secure it.
[0020] Furthermore, the robot 200 is equipped with various sensors, a control unit, a memory unit, etc., which are known configurations as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-104908, but a detailed explanation is omitted.
[0021] Next, the positional relationships of the components arranged inside the fuselage section 206 will be explained. As shown in Figure 4, in the fuselage section 206, at least a portion of the following components are mounted on the first case 250 from top to bottom, overlapping each other in a direction along the first direction (upward, vertical direction): the circuit board mounting section 263, the operating unit fixing section 262, the twist motor 221, the battery holder 265, and the secondary battery 264. In the second case 280, at least a portion of the following components are mounted on the second case 280 from top to bottom, overlapping each other in a direction along the first direction: the power receiving circuit board 267, the coil holder 266, the power receiving coil 268, and the coil tape 269. More specifically, the secondary battery 264 is positioned closest to the opening 282 among the components located inside the first case 250, and the shock absorber 270 attached to the coil holder 266 is positioned furthest from the opening 282 among the components located inside the second case 280. Since the secondary battery 264 is supported by the shock absorber 270 attached to the coil holder 266, when the first case 250 and the second case 280 are disassembled, the secondary battery 264 is positioned in the first case 250 for easy replacement. Therefore, the secondary battery 264 can be removed as soon as the body section 206 is inverted and the second case 280 is removed. In addition, the secondary battery 264 is protected from above and to the left by the battery holder 265, from the front by the second case 280, and from the remaining direction by the shock absorber 270 (Figure 17, etc.), thereby enhancing the safety of the robot 200. Furthermore, the coil holder 266 is fixed to the periphery of the opening 282 of the second case 280 by inserting the insertion part 288 through two insertion holes 26682 into the second case 280, thereby suppressing movement of the coil holder 266 in the front-back and left-right directions, and by fixing it to the periphery of the opening 282 with the fixing member 290 using four screw holes 26681,287, thereby suppressing movement in the up-down and front-back and left-right directions, thereby increasing the integration between the second case 280 and the coil holder 266 and increasing the strength of the second case 280. In addition, the torsion motor 221 and the operating unit fixing part 262 are positioned on the opposite side of the power receiving coil 268 (the back side of the robot 200) in an overlapping position, so that the power receiving coil 268 and the torsion motor 221 can be compactly arranged when power is received from the ventral side of the robot 200.Furthermore, the operating unit fixing part 262 and the twist motor 221 are positioned on the opposite side (the back side of the robot 200) from the power receiving coil 268 and the secondary battery 264, overlapping each other vertically, and there is a gap between the twist motor 221 and the battery holder 265 (or between the twist motor 221 and the secondary battery 264). This allows the power receiving coil 268, the secondary battery 264, and the twist motor 221 to be compactly arranged within the body part 206, and prevents interference between components even if there is play when fixing the twist motor 221 or dimensional tolerances of the twist motor 221 itself. In addition, the secondary battery 264 and the operating unit 208, which are positioned to overlap each other in a direction along the first direction, can be removed independently of each other.
[0022] The above describes the configuration of the robot 200 according to this embodiment. Next, the method for replacing the secondary battery 264 and the operating unit 208 of the robot 200 will be described. First, the replacement of the secondary battery 264 will be described. Open the zipper (not shown) on the exterior 201 of the robot 200 and remove the housing 207. Next, invert the housing 207 upside down and remove the second case 280 from the housing 207. As shown in Figure 18, the housing 207 with the second case 280 removed is positioned so that the secondary battery 264 can be easily removed from the first case 250 (with the main surface of the component that protrudes the most towards the second case and is closest to the opening 282 exposed), and the user can replace the depleted (or faulty, damaged, etc.) secondary battery 264 with a new secondary battery 264. After that, the second case 280 can be attached, the housing 207 can be returned to the exterior 201 and the zipper can be closed to easily complete the battery replacement.
[0023] Next, the method for replacing the operating unit 208 will be explained. After removing the secondary battery 264 as described above from the state shown in Figure 18, remove the battery holder 265. As shown in Figure 9, by removing the battery holder 265, which was obstructing the attachment and detachment of the fixing member 290 attached to the screw hole 2625 (it was covering the motor fixing part mounting location F inside the first case 250), the user can now use a screwdriver or other tool on the screw hole 2625 of the operating unit fixing part 262 shown in Figure 8(b). Remove the fixing member 290 that was attached to the screw hole 2625 and pull out the operating unit fixing part 262 housing the twist motor 221 forward (Figure 5). Replace the pulled-out operating unit 261 with a new operating unit 261. The operating unit fixing part 262 of the new operating unit 208 is attached to the first case 250, and the battery holder 265 is attached to the rear wall 2632, left wall 2633, and right wall 2634 of the circuit board mounting part 263 that are closer to the second case 280. Then, the secondary battery 264 is attached to the battery holder 265, the second case 280 is attached, the housing 207 is returned to the outer casing 201 and the fastener is closed, making it easy to complete the replacement of the operating unit 208.
[0024] Next, the configuration of the charging device 300 according to this embodiment will be described. In Figures 19 and 20 used to describe the charging device 300, the exterior 201 has been omitted for clarity. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the charging device 300 has a bowl-like shape and comprises an outer frame 301, a floor surface 302, and a power transmission unit 303. The outer frame 301 forms the outer circumference of the charging device 300 and is made of an insulating material such as plastic. An AC adapter (not shown) connected to a household outlet is connected to the connection part 3011 of the outer frame 301. The floor surface 302 is the surface on which the body portion 206 of the robot 200 is placed, and is configured to be parallel to the power receiving coil 268 provided on the body portion 206 when the robot 200 is placed on it. The floor surface 302 has a position-defining wall 304 and a power transmission opening 305 for defining the position on which the body portion 206 of the robot 200 is placed. The power transmission unit 303 converts the DC current supplied from the AC adapter into AC current and transmits power to the robot 200 via the power transmission board 311 from the power transmission coil 310 (from the power transmission coil unit which is exposed from the power transmission opening 305) which is located inside the power transmission opening 305 and along the floor surface 302. The coil tape 312 is arranged to cover the power transmission opening 305. The power transmission coil 310 and the coil tape 312 are components of the power transmission coil unit which performs contactless charging power transmission. The power transmission coil unit may not include the coil tape, or it may consist only of the power transmission coil 310.
[0025] As described above, the robot 200 according to this embodiment has a body portion 206 that houses a secondary battery 264, which is a first consumable part, and at least a part of an operating unit 208, which is a second consumable part. The body portion 206 comprises a first case 250 to which the secondary battery 264 and the operating unit 208 are attached, and a second case 280 that fits with the first case 250. The secondary battery 264 is positioned to protrude the most from the lower end of the components arranged in the first case 250, which is on the side of the second case 280. The operating unit 208 is positioned such that its head 204, which is a movable part that operates relative to the body portion 206, is exposed from the first case 250. The operating unit mounting location F, where the operating unit 208 is fixed to the first case 250, is positioned so that a tool for removing the operating unit 208 from the first case can be operated when the second case 280 is removed from the body portion 206. Therefore, maintenance of the secondary battery 264 and the operating unit 208 is easy. The device also includes a head 204, a body 206 that houses at least a portion of the twist motor 221 that operates the head 204 and the operating unit fixing part 262 that fixes the operating unit 208, and a connecting part 205 that rotatably connects the head 204 to the body 206. The body 206 has a first case 250 to which the operating unit fixing part 262 is attached, and a second case 280 that fits into the first case 250. The operating unit 208, which includes the head 204, the connecting part 205, the operating unit fixing part 262, and the twist motor 221, is such that the head 204, the connecting part 205, the operating unit fixing part 262, and the twist motor 221 are fixedly or rotatably connected to each other. The operating unit fixing portion 262 is fixed to the first case 250, and with the second case 280 removed, the operating unit mounting location F, where the operating unit fixing portion 262 is fixed to the first case 250, is located within a space where a tool for removing the operating unit 208, including the twist motor 221, from the first case 250 can be attached and removed.Therefore, after removing the outer casing 201, the second case 280, the secondary battery 264 and battery holder 265 from the robot 200, the operating unit 208 can be easily removed from and reattached to the first case 250, and the operating unit 208 (motor) can be easily replaced. The first case 250 has a motor fixing part through hole 251 that allows the operating unit fixing part 262, which houses the twist motor 221, to move in the front-rear direction of the body part 206. Therefore, after removing the second case 280, the secondary battery 264 and battery holder 265, and the fixing member 290 of the hole 2625, the operating unit fixing part 262, which houses the twist motor 221 connected to the head 204 and connecting part 205, can be easily removed from the first case 250 by sliding it forward (while slightly lifting it) through the operating unit fixing part through hole 251, resulting in high maintainability. Furthermore, the control boards for the twist motor 221 and the up / down motor 222 are positioned so as not to interfere with the replacement of the operating unit 208 in the torso 206, allowing for easy replacement of the operating unit 208. In addition, the second case 280 can be removed from the housing 207 with the receiving coil 268, receiving board 267, coil holder 266, etc., which are located below the secondary battery 264, attached to it. Since the secondary battery 264 is located at the very bottom of the first case 250, the secondary battery 264 can be easily replaced by inverting the housing 207 and removing the second case 280, resulting in high maintainability. Thus, the robot 200 of this embodiment allows for easy replacement of consumable parts such as the operating unit 208 (twist motor 221, up / down motor 222) and the secondary battery 264.
[0026] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of application of the present invention is not limited thereto. In other words, the embodiments of the present invention can be applied in various ways, and all embodiments fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiments, the robot 200 was a pet robot, but it may also be an electronic device powered by a secondary battery, such as a cleaning robot or a serving robot, which does not have an exterior that imitates a small animal, such as the exterior 201.
[0027] In the above embodiment, the body portion 206 was configured to have a first case 250 and a second case 280. However, for example, the body portion may be composed of a single case with a removable bottom portion 281, or one case may have an openable and closable door that allows for easy replacement of secondary batteries, operating units, etc. It may also have a configuration with three or more cases. Furthermore, the first case 250 and the second case 280 may be in opposite configurations, or the second case may be attached to the first case in a way that allows for opening and closing with a hinge or the like. In addition, the first and second consumable parts to be replaced may be other parts, and the second consumable part may be a part of the operating unit. Moreover, although the first and second consumable parts were attached and removed by tool, they may be attached and removed by hand, for example, by fitting a concave part and a convex part together, or by using a snap button.
[0028] In the above embodiment, the secondary battery 264 and battery holder 265 were shaped and arranged in such a way that they blocked the mounting location F of the operating unit. However, they may be shaped and arranged in a way that does not obstruct the mounting location F of the operating unit.
[0029] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the exterior 201 had hair 203, but instead of hair, it may be feathers, or it may be made to resemble the skin of other organisms such as reptiles.
[0030] In the above embodiment, the head 204 (or a part equivalent thereto) which resembles a small animal is configured to move, but the tail (or a part equivalent thereto) may move instead of the head, or both the head and tail may move. Alternatively, the arms, legs, fingers, eyelids, mouth, etc. may move instead of the head, or the arms, shafts, etc., of a non-animal-like machine may move.
[0031] In the above embodiment, the operating unit fixing part 262 was configured to fix the surface on which the motor rotation shaft 2615 of the twist motor 221 protrudes, covering the entire top surface and half of the left side surface. However, it may also be configured to cover the right side surface, or to cover the entire left side surface. It is preferable to fix the surface on which the motor shaft protrudes, but for example, it may be configured to fix the bottom surface of the motor (motor part). Also, the number of motors constituting the motor part may be one or three or more. The motor part was configured with one motor rotation shaft 2615 protruding, but it may have two protruding shafts, or three or more, and may be the same number as the number of motors constituting the motor part, or different. The direction in which the head 204 is operated may be only in the up and down direction, only around the motor rotation shaft 2615, only in other directions, or in multiple directions combining these. Furthermore, although the motor fixing portion passage hole was provided in the first case 250, it may also be provided in the second case, or in both the first case and the second case.
[0032] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0033] 204...Head (movable part), 205...Connecting part, 206...Body part (main body), 208...Operation unit, 250...First case, 280...Second case, F...Motion unit mounting location (motor fixing part mounting location)
Claims
1. It has a main body that houses a first consumable part and at least a part of a second consumable part, The main body comprises a first case to which the first consumable part and the second consumable part are attached, and a second case that is fitted to the first case in a state facing a first direction relative to the first case. The first consumable part and the second consumable part are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap each other in a direction along the first direction, The first consumable part and the second consumable part are arranged to overlap each other in a direction along the first direction, and are configured to be removable independently of each other. electronic equipment.
2. With the second case removed from the main body, the first mounting location, where the first consumable part is fixed to the first case, and the second mounting location, where the second consumable part is fixed to the first case, are positioned so that a tool for removing the first and second consumable parts from the first case can be operated. The electronic device according to claim 1.
3. The first consumable part is positioned such that it protrudes the most from the second case side among the parts arranged in the first case. The electronic device according to claim 1.
4. The second consumable part has a motor unit that operates a movable part that operates relative to the main body, The first consumable part is arranged such that its main surface faces the motor section and is aligned with the first direction. The electronic device according to claim 1.
5. The second consumable part has a connecting portion that connects the movable portion and the main body portion, The motor unit comprises a first motor that rotates the movable part in the circumferential direction of a motor rotation shaft extending from the main body to the connecting part, and a second motor that rotates the movable part in a direction intersecting the motor rotation shaft. The electronic device according to claim 4.
6. The first motor is fixed to a motor fixing part that fixes the first motor to the first case, and is connected to the connecting part via the motor rotation shaft. The second motor is housed in the connecting portion. The electronic device according to claim 5.
7. At the position furthest from the portion of the second case that fits with the first case, a receiving coil for contactless charging of the secondary battery, which is the first consumable part, is positioned with its main surface aligned with the first direction. The first motor is positioned so as to face the main surface of the power receiving coil. The motor fixing portion supports the surface of the first motor furthest from the power receiving coil. The electronic device according to claim 6.
8. Between the first motor and the power receiving coil, a secondary battery that supplies power to the first motor and a battery holder that holds the secondary battery are arranged. There is a gap between the first motor and the secondary battery, or between the first motor and the battery holder. The electronic device according to claim 7.
9. The main body includes a coil holder attached to an opening formed in the second case, The coil holder is fitted with the power receiving coil and a power receiving board connected to the power receiving coil. The electronic device according to claim 8.
10. The motor fixing portion is attached to the first case by a fixing member that is detachable from it. The electronic device according to claim 6.
11. A pet robot having an exterior that mimics a living organism attached to an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and equipped with a charging coil for contactless charging, The charging device includes a power transmission coil that transmits power to the electronic device placed on the floor surface in a non-contact manner, An opening for power transmission is formed in the floor surface. The power transmission coil is provided to be positioned inside the power transmission opening and along the floor surface. Contactless charging system.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Charging system, robot, and charger
JP2022149408A