Driving unit

Abstract

To provide a travel unit with a simple configuration that reduces manufacturing costs and maintenance frequency, allows for a smaller device, and makes it easy to secure installation space. [Solution] A running unit 100 having a main body 110, a rotation transmission unit 120, a pair of left and right swinging arms 112 that are pivotably mounted around a swing shaft 111 connected to the rotation transmission unit 120, and wheels 113 provided on the swing arms 112, wherein the pair of swing arms 112 have interlocking rotating bodies 121 with the swing shaft 111 as the center of rotation at positions facing each other, the rotation transmission unit 120 has a transmission rotating body 122 with a transmission shaft 123 as the center of rotation, the outer circumference of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies 121 each has an interlocking outer circumference 124 that contacts the outer circumference of the transmission rotating body 122, and the transmission rotating body 122 contacts the interlocking outer circumference 124 in a plane that does not include the swing shaft 111 and is perpendicular to the transmission shaft 123.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a traveling unit having a main body, a rotational transmission unit connected to the main body, a pair of left and right swing arms provided swingably about a swing axis on the rotational transmission unit, and wheels provided on the swing arms respectively.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a traveling unit having a main body, a pair of left and right swing arms provided swingably about a swing axis, and wheels provided on the swing arms respectively is known, for example, from Patent Document 1 etc.

[0003] The multi-wheeled vehicle 1 provided with the traveling unit described in this Patent Document 1 has a main body (frame 2), a pair of left and right swing arms (swing arms 4L, 4R) provided swingably about a swing axis (support shaft portion 3A) with respect to the main body (frame 2), and wheels (5L, 5R) provided on the swing arms (swing arms 4L, 4R) respectively. On the swing axis (support shaft portion 3A), substantially fan-shaped tilting members 17L, 17R are provided, and the respective arc surfaces 21 of the tilting members 17L, 17R and the balance-shaped or pulley-shaped direction-changing member 19 are connected by string-like bodies 20 respectively. Thereby, the tilting members 17L, 17R can be interlocked. When one of the wheels (5L, 5R) is pushed up by receiving force from the road surface via the swing axis (support shaft portion 3A) and the swing arms (4L, 4R), the other of the wheels (5L, 5R) can be pushed down toward the road surface, and when turning or changing direction, or when traveling on a laterally inclined road surface, the wheels (5L, 5R) can be freely inclined together with the vehicle body while keeping the ground pressure of the wheels (5L, 5R) uniform.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, the travel units known from the above-mentioned patent documents still had room for improvement.

[0006] In other words, the running units known from Patent Document 1, etc., have a configuration in which a pair of left and right wheels are linked by a direction-changing member, a tilting member, and a string-like body, resulting in a complex drive system with many drive parts, which could increase manufacturing costs and the frequency of maintenance such as greasing. Furthermore, because the configuration involves connecting a balance-like or pulley-like direction-changing member with left and right tilting members via a string-like body to link the left and right wheels, it is necessary to arrange the direction-changing member and tilting members to have a predetermined size and distance from each other. This could lead to the device itself becoming large and making it difficult to secure installation space.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve these problems by providing a travel unit that has a simple configuration, can reduce manufacturing costs and maintenance frequency, can be made smaller, and can be easily installed in a suitable space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a running unit comprising a main body, a rotation transmission unit connected to the main body, a pair of left and right swing arms pivotably mounted around a pivot shaft connected to the rotation transmission unit, and wheels provided on each of the swing arms, wherein the pair of swing arms each have an interlocking rotating body that rotates around the pivot shaft as its center of rotation at positions facing each other, the rotation transmission unit has a transmission rotating body that rotates around a transmission shaft perpendicular to the pivot shaft as its center of rotation, the outer periphery of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies each has an interlocking outer periphery that contacts the outer periphery of the transmission rotating body, and the transmission rotating body contacts the interlocking outer periphery of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies in a plane perpendicular to the transmission shaft and not including the pivot shaft, thereby solving the above problem. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The running unit according to claim 1 has a pair of swinging arms, each having an interlocking rotating body that rotates around a swinging axis as its center of rotation at positions opposite to each other, and a rotation transmission unit having a transmission rotating body that rotates around a transmission axis perpendicular to the swinging axis as its center of rotation, and the transmission rotating body contacts the interlocking outer circumference of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies in a plane that does not include the swinging axis perpendicular to the transmission axis. For example, when one wheel swings upward due to road surface conditions, the transmission rotating body that is in contact with the interlocking outer circumference of one interlocking rotating body rotates in conjunction with the swinging of one swinging arm, and the other interlocking rotating body that is in contact with the transmission rotating body also rotates, thereby causing the other swinging arm to swing downward and interlocking it to swing the other wheel downward. Conversely, if only the other wheel swings upward, the other wheel can be linked to swing downward via a transmission rotor. This allows the transmission rotating body to change the height of the left and right wheels in accordance with the lateral tilt of the vehicle body, the unevenness of the road surface, and the slope, thereby ensuring that both wheels make firm contact with the ground and improving driving stability. Furthermore, by positioning the transmission rotating body so that it contacts the outer circumference of a pair of interlocking rotating bodies on a plane that does not include a pivot axis perpendicular to the transmission shaft, the oscillation of the left and right wheels can be easily synchronized. This results in a simple configuration, easy assembly, and infrequent maintenance. Furthermore, by consolidating the mechanism for linking the left and right wheels in the oscillating direction into the rotation transmission unit, and by having fewer components in the rotation transmission unit, space can be saved, and it is easy to secure space for the installation of the rotation transmission unit.

[0010] According to the configuration described in claim 2, since multiple transmission shafts are provided and a transmission rotating body is provided for each of the multiple transmission shafts, when one wheel swings, the other wheel can be swung in conjunction with the multiple transmission rotating bodies in a more stable manner. Furthermore, by arranging multiple transmission rotating bodies so as to sandwich a pair of linked rotating bodies from a direction intersecting the pivot axis, the forces that the linked rotating bodies receive in the direction of multiple transmission axes can be distributed when the pair of linked rotating bodies and the multiple transmission rotating bodies come into contact and rotate, thereby suppressing the wobble of the oscillating arm during oscillation. According to the configuration described in claim 3, since the interlocking rotating body and the transmission rotating body are composed of bevel gears that mesh with each other, the rotational positions of the meshed interlocking rotating body and transmission rotating body can be easily adjusted, preventing synchronization errors when the pair of wheels are oscillating in conjunction, and the reference height of the vehicle can be easily set by adjusting the oscillating positions of the pair of wheels before meshing the interlocking rotating body and the transmission rotating body.

[0011] According to the configuration described in claim 4, since the outer circumference of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies is provided with a diameter-reducing recess that does not come into contact with the transmission rotating body, the rotational transmission between the transmission rotating body and the interlocking rotating body can be released by bringing the diameter-reducing recess to the contact position between the transmission rotating body and the interlocking rotating body. As a result, for example, if the interlocking positions of the left and right pair of wheels are misaligned and the reference height of the vehicle changes, the reference height of the vehicle can be corrected without disassembling the running unit by adjusting the swing angle of the other wheel while swinging one wheel so that the diameter-reducing recess reaches the contact position between the transmission rotating body and the interlocking rotating body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a travel unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A top view of a travel unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Front view of a travel unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A side view of a travel unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] A side view showing the state of the first wheel 113a of the travel unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention when it is swinging upward. [Figure 6] A side view showing the state of the first wheel 113a side when the first wheel 113a of the travel unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention swings upward. [Figure 7] A side view showing the state of the second wheel 113b side when the first wheel 113a of the travel unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention swings upward. [Figure 8] Front enlarged view of the rotation transmission unit 120 showing the rotation transmission state between the interlocking rotator 121 and the transmission rotator 122 of the traveling unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Front enlarged view of the rotation transmission unit 120 showing the rotation transmission state between another form of interlocking rotator 221 and transmission rotator 222 of the traveling unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Front view and side view showing the configuration of another form of interlocking rotator 321a of the traveling unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, the traveling unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. The traveling unit 100 is attached to a traveling vehicle, and the pair of left and right wheels 113 function as rear wheels. For the sake of explanation, the configuration other than the traveling unit 100 is not shown. Also, for the sake of explanation, the configuration on the side of the first wheel 113a is not shown in FIG. 7.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the traveling unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body portion 110 connected to a traveling vehicle (not shown), a rotation transmission portion 120 connected to the main body portion 110, and a pair of left and right swing arms 112 (first swing arm 112a, second swing arm 112b) provided so as to be swingable about a swing shaft 111 (first swing shaft 111a, second swing shaft 111b) connected to the rotation transmission portion 120, and wheels 113 (first wheel 113a, second wheel 113b) provided at one ends of the swing arms 112 that are not connected to the swing shaft 111 of the swing arms 112. The swing shaft 111 is connected to a traveling vehicle (not shown) at a position and in a manner that does not inhibit the swing about the swing shaft 111.

[0015] The rotation transmission unit 120 is connected to the main body 110 via a transmission shaft 123 and includes a first interlocking rotating body 121a (interlocking rotating body 121) connected to a first swing arm 112a by a first swing shaft 111a, a second interlocking rotating body 121b (interlocking rotating body 121) connected to a second swing arm 112b by a second swing shaft 111b, and a transmission rotating body 122 connected to the end of the transmission shaft 123. The first interlocking rotating body 121a, the second interlocking rotating body 121b, and the transmission rotating body 122 are all composed of bevel gears. The first interlocking rotating body 121a and the second interlocking rotating body 121b are arranged so that their centers of rotation are coaxial, that is, the centers of rotation of the first pivot shaft 112a and the second pivot shaft 112b are coaxial. The transmission rotating body 122 rotates around the central axis of the transmission shaft 123, and the transmission shaft 123 is oriented perpendicular to the first pivot shaft 112a and the second pivot shaft 112b, with the teeth of the bevel gears, specifically the first interlocking outer circumference 124a and the transmission outer circumference 125, and the second interlocking outer circumference 124b and the transmission outer circumference 125, meshing with each other.

[0016] Next, a method for linking the first wheel 113a and the second wheel 113b by the travel unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 5 to 8. First, while traveling on a flat surface FG, when the first wheel 113a of the travel unit 100 moves from the flat surface FG onto a convex surface TG, the first oscillating arm 112a oscillates upward around the first oscillating axis 111a. At this time, the first interlocking rotating body 121a, which is connected to the first oscillating arm 112a by the first oscillating shaft 111a, also rotates, and the transmission rotating body 122, in which the first interlocking outer circumference 124a and the transmission outer circumference 125 of the first interlocking rotating body 121a are meshed, also rotates. Furthermore, the second interlocking rotating body 121b, which is engaged with the transmission outer circumference 125 and the second interlocking outer circumference 124b, also rotates. However, since the second interlocking rotating body 121b is positioned to engage with the transmission rotating body 122 at a position opposite to the first interlocking rotating body 121a with the transmission rotating body 122 in between, the second interlocking rotating body 121b rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the first interlocking rotating body 121a. In other words, the second swinging arm 112b swings downward, in contrast to the first swinging arm 112a which swings upward, and the second wheel 113b makes contact with the flat surface FG.

[0017] As the vehicle moves further and the first wheel 113a moves from the convex surface TG to the flat surface FG, the first wheel 113a loses its upward swinging force and begins to swing downward together with the first swinging arm 112a due to its own weight. Meanwhile, the second wheel 113b moves upward together with the second oscillating arm 112b as viewed from the second oscillating axis 111b, while maintaining contact with the flat surface FG, until the rotation axes 114 (first rotation axis 114a, second rotation axis 114b) of the pair of left and right wheels 113 are aligned in a straight line and the wheel makes contact with the flat surface FG.

[0018] In this way, since the pair of left and right wheels 113 are configured to swing in conjunction with each other in opposite directions, even if one wheel 113 rides up onto a step or the like, the main body 110 can keep the other wheel 113 in contact with the ground without tilting significantly, thereby improving running stability. Furthermore, the interlocking relationship between the first wheel 113a and the second wheel 113b does not occur only when the first wheel 113a swings upward. When only the second wheel 113b swings upward, the rotation of the second interlocking rotating body 121b is transmitted to the first interlocking rotating body 121a via the transmission rotating body 122, causing the first wheel 113a to swing downward.

[0019] Furthermore, even when the vehicle body tilts, such as when turning a curve, both the first wheel 113a and the second wheel 113b can make contact with the ground, thereby improving driving stability. Furthermore, since the rotation transmission unit 120 is constructed by meshing a transmission rotor 122 with opposing interlocking rotors 121, each composed of bevel gears, it has a simple structure, is easy to assemble, and requires infrequent maintenance. Furthermore, because the rotary transmission unit 120 has fewer components, it can be made more space-efficient, and even if the vehicle is small, it is easy to secure space for installing the rotary transmission unit 120.

[0020] Furthermore, since the first interlocking rotating body 121a, the second interlocking rotating body 121b, and the transmission rotating body 122 are each composed of bevel gears, it is possible to prevent synchronization errors when the pair of wheels 113 are interlocked during oscillation, even when the oscillation is repeated. Furthermore, for example, if the transmission rotor 122 is configured to be movable in the direction of the transmission shaft 123, the reference height of the running vehicle can be easily set by adjusting the swing position of the pair of wheels 113 with the transmission rotor 122 retracted toward the main body 110 along the transmission shaft 123, and then returning the transmission rotor 122 to its original position to engage the interlocking rotor 121 and the transmission rotor 122 and restrict movement in the direction of the transmission shaft 123. Furthermore, for example, multiple transmission rotating bodies 122 can be provided, and each transmission rotating body can be engaged with each of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies 121 so as to simultaneously transmit rotation. This allows the force received by the pair of interlocking rotating bodies 121 in multiple transmission axis directions to be distributed when the pair of interlocking rotating bodies 121 and the multiple transmission rotating bodies 122 engage and rotate, thereby suppressing the wobble of the pair of oscillating arms 112 during oscillation and allowing the pair of oscillating arms 112 to oscillate in a more stable manner.

[0021] The pair of interlocking rotating bodies 121 and transmission rotating body 122 do not necessarily have to be composed of bevel gears. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the interlocking outer periphery 224 (first interlocking outer periphery 224a, second interlocking outer periphery 224b) of the disc-shaped interlocking rotating body 221 (first interlocking rotating body 221a, second interlocking rotating body 221b) may be configured to transmit rotation by contacting the transmission outer periphery 225 of the disc-shaped transmission rotating body 222. Alternatively, the outer surface of the transmission outer periphery 225 may be in contact with the opposing surfaces of the pair of interlocking outer periphery 224, or conversely, the disc surface of the transmission outer periphery 225 may be in contact with the outer surfaces of the pair of interlocking outer periphery 224.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, a reduced-diameter recess 326 that does not come into contact with the transmission rotor can also be formed on the interlocking outer circumference 324 (first interlocking outer circumference 324a) of the interlocking rotating body 321 (first interlocking rotating body 321a). This allows, for example, by providing a diameter-reducing recess 326 at a position where contact between the interlocking outer circumference and the transmission rotating body is not interrupted in the normal swinging state of a pair of wheels 113, if the interlocking positions of the pair of wheels 113 are misaligned and the reference height of the vehicle changes, the swing angle of the other wheel can be adjusted while swinging one wheel 113 so that the diameter-reducing recess 326 reaches the contact position between the transmission rotating body 222 and the interlocking rotating body 321, thereby correcting the reference height of the vehicle without disassembling the running unit.

[0023] Furthermore, for example, by housing the rotation transmission unit 120 in a box-shaped housing (not shown) without hindering the rotation of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies 121 and the transmission rotating body 122, it is possible to prevent the leakage of grease applied to the components inside the housing (not shown) and the intrusion of foreign matter from the outside, thereby reducing the frequency of maintenance such as greasing. Furthermore, the leakage of operating noise to the outside due to the meshing of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies 121 and the transmission rotating body 122 can be reduced.

[0024] Furthermore, cushioning members may be attached to various parts of the running unit 100 to suppress the transmission of impacts received from the ground when the wheels 113 are in contact with the ground to the main body 110. Furthermore, the running unit 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used not only in automobiles equipped with engines, etc., but also in various vehicles that can run on wheels, such as bicycles driven by human power and carts for carrying luggage.

[0025] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention as described in the claims.

[0026] In the embodiments described above, the wheels of the running unit were described as functioning as the rear wheels of the vehicle, but the configuration of the running unit is not limited to this, and for example, it may be mounted to function as the front wheels of the vehicle. Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment was explained in which a diameter reduction recess is provided on one of the interlocking rotating bodies, the location of the diameter reduction recess is not limited to this, and for example, the diameter reduction recess may be provided on both of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies, or the diameter reduction recess may be provided on the transmission rotating body.

[0027] Furthermore, although the linked rotating body and the transmission rotating body were described in the above-described embodiment as being configured as bevel gears or discs, the configuration of the linked rotating body and the transmission rotating body is not limited to these, and for example, they may be configured as helical gears. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0028] 100 ··· Running Unit 110 ··· Main body 111 ··· Oscillating axis 111a ··· First oscillating shaft 111b ··· Second oscillating axis 112 ... swinging arm 112a... 1st swing arm 112b...Second swing arm 113...wheel 113a 1st wheel 113b 2nd wheel 114 ··· Rotation axis 114a ··· First rotation axis 114b ··· Second rotation axis 120 ··· Rotation transmission section 121, 221, 321... Interlocking rotating body 121a, 221a, 321a... First interlocking rotating body 121b, 221b... Second linked rotating body 122, 222 ··· Rotating transmission body 123 ··· Transmission shaft 124, 224, 324... Interlocking outer perimeter 124a, 224a, 324a... 1st interlocking outer periphery 124b, 224b... 2nd interlocking outer periphery 125, 225... Outer circumference of the transmission 326 ··· Reduced diameter recess FG...Flat surface TG...Convex surface

Claims

1. A running unit comprising a main body, a rotation transmission unit connected to the main body, a pair of left and right swinging arms pivotably mounted around a pivot axis connected to the rotation transmission unit, and wheels provided on each of the swinging arms, Each of the pair of pivoting arms has a linked rotating body that rotates around the pivot axis as its center of rotation at a position opposite to the other. The rotational transmission unit has a transmission rotating body that rotates with a transmission shaft perpendicular to the oscillating shaft as its center of rotation. The outer periphery of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies each has an interlocking outer periphery that contacts the outer periphery of the transmission rotating body, The driving unit is characterized in that the transmission rotating body contacts the interlocking outer periphery of a pair of interlocking rotating bodies in a plane perpendicular to the transmission shaft and not including the oscillating shaft.

2. Multiple transmission shafts are provided. The travel unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission rotating body is provided for each of the plurality of transmission shafts.

3. The travel unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the interlocking rotating body and the transmission rotating body are composed of bevel gears that mesh with each other.

4. The travel unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer circumference of the pair of interlocking rotating bodies is provided with a reduced diameter recess that does not come into contact with the transmission rotating body.

5. A vehicle having a main body, front wheels, and rear wheels, wherein at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels is composed of a driving unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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