Tether reel mechanism for driving robots

Abstract

To provide a reel device capable of winding and unwinding a tether without slack. The present invention relates to a reel for using a tether 700 as a robot arm. Device It is a mechanism. Suggested reel Device The mechanism is equipped with two pulleys, an electric motor that rotates them, a spring-loaded hinge 300, a limit switch 400, and a control unit 800 that controls the electric motor. Also, reels Device The apparatus is equipped with a jig for uniquely determining the attitude of the fixing device at the tip of the tether simply by winding up the tether 700 using the jig. The slack detection mechanism 30 is located between these two pulleys and detects the slack in the tether by the operation of a spring-loaded hinge 300 and a limit switch 400. Furthermore, when the fixing device interface 620 is pulled into the attitude determination jig 610 by winding up the tether 700, the fixing device rotates according to its shape, and the attitude of the fixing device can be uniquely determined.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tether reel mechanism for driving a robot, in which a pulley for winding and unwinding a tether is rotationally driven by an electric motor. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in the following Patent Document 1, there has been an invention of a robot that moves in space using a tether, with the system configuration of a tether extension section included inside the robot. However, in this system, the tethered arm is assumed to be guided by a separately mounted extendable arm, and there is no description of the payout of the tether in a state where there is absolutely no tension from the outside, such as from the ground. There is also no description of the attitude of the tip device (the device that fixes the tether in a predetermined position) when the tether is wound up. For this reason, it is assumed that the extendable arm will be used to control the attitude of the tip device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-260436 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The extension type device described in Patent Document 1 has a complicated mechanism and is heavy. Additionally, a reel is a device used to wind up a string as a means of moving a robot that uses a string. However, because the string is a flexible material, problems can arise, such as the string becoming tangled inside the reel, especially when the string is being unwound. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inventors of the present invention have discovered that even a flexible string (tether) can be used as a new robot arm if it has a reel mechanism that can wind and unwind without slack. Specifically, the tether reel mechanism for driving a robot of the present invention reels even when no tension is applied to the tether. Device Its special feature is that it can be extended without any slack inside. Furthermore, when using a tether as a robot arm, a fixing device such as a hand or hook is required at the end of the tether to fix the tether at the destination. Device Since the fixing device is connected to the reel by a tether, the fixing device rotates freely around the axis of the tether. Therefore, by providing the attitude determination mechanism of the present invention, the fixing device can be reeled in a unique direction when the tether is wound up. Device and the posture of the fixing device is uniquely determined when the tether is wound up. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, The reel will stay in place even when there is no tension on the tether. Device It can be extended without any slack inside. If tethered robots become widespread, they will be small and capable of moving safely over a wide area. We believe that such robots can be used for many purposes, including not only solar panel maintenance, but also cleaning buildings and inspecting high places. This will not only enable a sustainable supply of clean energy, but is also expected to have benefits such as reducing labor costs, preventing personal injury and accidents, and improving work efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot equipped with a tether reel mechanism for driving a robot, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a reel device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]2 shows a reel device according to one embodiment of the present invention when the tension of the tether is equal to or greater than a certain value. [Figure 4] 1 shows a reel device according to one embodiment of the present invention when the tension in the tether is below a certain value. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a fastener interface of a reel device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an attitude determination jig for a reel device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the outer cylinder (attitude determination fixture component) of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the inner cylinder (attitude determination fixture component) of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a slack detection mechanism other than that shown in FIG. 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a reel device, an attitude determining jig, and a control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Schematic diagram showing movement of an embodiment of the present invention to another cleaning target. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of an attitude determination mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the attitude determination mechanism as 620a of one embodiment of the present invention approaches contact near the apex of 611a. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Description of the invention's structure

[0009] The robot of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The robot 1 includes reel devices 10 (A, B, C, D) and moves over the top surface of an object to be cleaned (a solar panel in this invention). As shown in Fig. 1, each reel device 10 includes a winding pulley 100, a payout pulley 200, a slack detection mechanism 30, a holding hinge 500, a posture determination mechanism 600, a tether 700, and a control unit 800.

[0010] [Control Unit] The control unit 800 controls the forward / reverse rotation of the electric motor connected to the winding pulley 100 and the unwinding pulley 200 based on the detection result of the slack detection mechanism 30, and winds the tether 700 into the reel device 10 or unwinds it out of the reel device 10. The control unit 800 is connected to the electric motor and the switch unit 40 of the slack detection mechanism 30.

[0011] When the control unit 800 receives a signal from the slack detection mechanism 30 while the tether 700 is being unwound, The winding pulley 100 is stopped for a certain period of time. The slack is eliminated by rotating the payout pulley 200 in the payout direction, After the cancellation, the winding pulley 100 and the unwinding pulley 200 are controlled to rotate at the same speed in the unwinding direction.

[0012] Furthermore, when the control unit 800 receives a signal from the slack detection mechanism 30 while the tether 700 is being wound up, The payout pulley 200 stops for a certain period of time. The winding pulley 100 is rotated in the winding direction to eliminate the slack. After the release, the winding pulley 100 and the unwinding pulley 200 are rotated in the winding direction at the same speed. The hinge 500 also holds down the tether 700 wound around the unwinding pulley 200. Device Reel due to sagging outside Device Prevents internal sagging.

[0013] [Slack detection mechanism] The slack detection mechanism 30 is a detection mechanism that detects slack in the tether 700 within the reel device 10 and sends the detection result to the control unit 800 in order to prevent the tether 700 from becoming tangled. The slack detection mechanism 30 includes a tension applying means 31, such as a spring-loaded hinge 300, that pulls the slack tether 700 and applies a tension to the tether 700 of a certain value or more, and a switch unit 40, such as a limit switch 400, that detects a state when the tension applying means is below the certain value.

[0014] [Spring hinge (means for applying tension 31)] Spring hinge 300 is a mechanism that rotates around 300a, and tether 700 passes through pulley 300c. Spring 310 is hooked onto 300b, pulling the spring hinge toward limit switch 400. As a result, when there is no tension in tether 700, the spring force causes it to come into contact with limit switch 400.

[0015] In FIG. 2, spring hinge 300 is shown as an example of means for applying tension 31. However, any means or mechanism that pulls slack tether 700 and applies a tension of a certain value or more to tether 700 can be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a helical spring or an elastic body that moves linearly, such as rubber, may be used. However, the spring hinge 300 is preferably used since it has a simple structure and is less prone to breakdowns and malfunctions.

[0016] [Limit switch (switch part 40)] The limit switch 400 is pressed by the spring hinge 300 to detect slack and send a signal to the control unit.

[0017] In FIG. 2, a limit switch 400 is shown as an example of the switch section 40, but any method or device can be used as long as it can detect that the tension applying means 31 has fallen below a certain value. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a sensor operating member 33 is provided on a helical spring 32, and the sensor operating member 33 operates the switch section 40. Alternatively, a photo sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like may be used instead of the limit switch 400. Also, a rotary encoder may be attached to the tension applying means 31 to detect slack based on the angle, or an ultrasonic sensor may be used to measure the distance from the tension applying means 31 to detect slack. However, the limit switch 400 is preferably used because of its simple control. In particular, in the case of a reel device 10 for a cleaning robot for solar panels, using the limit switch 400 as the switch section 40 is preferable in terms of eliminating the risk of malfunction due to sunlight, as compared to a photosensor.

[0018] The operation of the slack detection mechanism 30 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the tension of the tether 700 is higher than the force of the spring (tension applying means 31) and the tether 700 is not slack when the tether 700 is wound and unwound. As shown in Figure 3, the spring hinge 300 rotates in a direction away from the limit switch 400 (OFF direction) due to the tension of the tether 700. Therefore, when the limit switch 400 is in the OFF state, it can be detected that the tether tension in the reel device 10 is sufficiently high.

[0019] 3 to a state shown in FIG 4 in which the tether tension decreases, the tether 700 sags, and the force of the spring (tension applying means 31) becomes greater than the tension of the tether 700, the spring force causes the spring hinge 300 to rotate in a direction approaching the limit switch 400 (ON direction), the spring hinge 300 presses the limit switch 400, the limit switch 400 turns ON, and a signal is sent to the control unit 800. This makes it possible to detect that the tether tension in the reel device 10 is low.

[0020] [Attitude determination mechanism] As shown in Figures 2 and 10, the attitude determination mechanism 600 uniquely determines the attitude of the fixing device interface 620 at the end of the tether when the reel device 10 has completely wound up the tether 700, and is equipped with an attitude determination jig 610 and a fixing device interface 620.

[0021] [Attitude determination jig] The attitude determination jig 610 is a reel Device10 side, and includes an outer cylinder 611 and an inner cylinder 612. The inclined surfaces of both cylinders (inclined surfaces 611a and 612a shown in Figs. 7 and 8) are shaped to match the protrusions (upper protrusion 620a and lower protrusion 620b) of the fixing device interface 620. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 12, when the fixing device interface 620 is pulled into the attitude determination jig 610 by winding up the tether 700, the upper protrusion 620a of the fixing device interface slides along the inclined surface 611a and fits into the recess 611b, as shown in the order of Figs. 12(A) to (C), and the attitude is uniquely determined. The lower protrusion 620b is stored so as to avoid the inclined surface 612a and hit the step surface 612b. As shown in FIG. 13, when the upper protrusion 620a is about to come into contact with the vicinity of the apex of the inclined surface 611a, the lower protrusion 620b slides along the inclined surface 612a, and the upper protrusion 620a avoids the vicinity of the apex of the inclined surface 611a (see FIG. 13(A)), and the fixing device interface is pulled. mosquito Then, the upper protrusion 620a slides along the slope 611a (see Figs. 13(B) and (C)) and the posture is uniquely determined. The lower protrusion 620b is stored by avoiding the slope 612a and hitting the step surface 612b.

[0022] Outer Cylinder The outer cylinder 611 is an outer component part of the attitude determination jig 610, and is structured so that its position is determined by a protrusion 620a on the upper part of the fixing device interface 620 fitting into a recess 611b on the lower part of the outer cylinder inclined surface 611a.

[0023] Inner Cylinder The inner cylinder 612 is a complementary element of the outer cylinder 611 and is housed inside the outer cylinder 611 . When the fixed fixture interface 620 is drawn into the attitude determination jig 610, there are cases where the protrusion 620a at the top of the fixed fixture interface 620 hits the apex of the inclined surface 611a, causing it to get stuck and making it impossible to determine the attitude. To prevent this, a structure is provided in which the protrusion 620b at the bottom of the fixed fixture interface comes into contact with the inclined surface 612a before the protrusion 620a at the top of the fixed fixture interface 620 reaches the apex of the inclined surface 611a, thereby prioritizing the function of the inner cylinder and preventing it from getting stuck.

[0024] [Fixed fixture interface] The fixing device interface 620 is a device that is attached to the end of the tether 700, and as shown in FIG. 10, with the fixing device 50 attached to the end of the fixing device interface 620, it is a member that is fixed by, for example, hooking it onto the pole 20 of the object to be cleaned 2, as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 10, the tether 700 attached to the fixing device interface 620 passes through the inside of the outer cylinder 611 and the inner cylinder 612, and is wound around and let out by the payout pulley 200 and the take-up pulley 100. The fixed fixture interface 620 is a member that is fixed by, for example, hooking onto the pole 20 of the object to be cleaned 2 as shown in FIG. 1, with the fixed fixture 50 attached to the tip of the fixed fixture interface 620 as shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 10, the tether 700 attached to the fixing device interface 620 passes through the inside of the outer cylinder 611 and the inner cylinder 612, and is wound around and let out by the payout pulley 200 and the take-up pulley 100. The fixing device interface 620 has an upper protrusion 620a corresponding to the outer cylinder 611 and a lower protrusion 620b corresponding to the inner cylinder 612, and when the tether is wound up, it is pulled into the attitude determination jig and the attitude is uniquely determined when the protrusion 620a fits into the recess 611b of the outer cylinder 611.

[0025] [others] reel DeviceThe satellite 10 also includes a tether 700, a communication cable, and a power supply cable, which may be conventional. EXAMPLES

[0026] The movement of the robot 1 of the present invention when cleaning objects 2a and 2b (solar panels) and the operation of the reel device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. The robot 1 is equipped with four reel devices 10 (A, B, C, D), and moves horizontally above a cleaning target 2 (a solar panel) by the operation of the four reel devices 10. First, the fixtures 50 attached to the tips of the fixture interfaces 620 of the four reel devices 10 are fixed to the poles 20 (20Aa, 20Ba, 20Ca, 20Da) at the corners of the object to be cleaned 2a. In this state, for example, when the robot is moved in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 1, of the four reel devices 10, reel devices 10A and 10B reel out and reel devices 10C and 10D reel in, and while the robot 1 moves, a cleaning tool such as a cloth for cleaning the object to be cleaned 2 (not shown) cleans the surface of the object to be cleaned 2.

[0027] At this time, if slack occurs in the tether 700 when the reel device 10 operates, the slack detection mechanism 30 detects the slack and sends a signal to the control unit 800. If slack occurs when the tether 700 is being unwound, the winding pulley 100 is stopped for a certain period of time, and the unwinding pulley 200 is rotated in the unwinding direction to eliminate the slack, and normal operation is resumed (the winding pulley 100 and the unwinding pulley 200 rotate at the same speed). If slack occurs when the tether 700 is being wound up, the unwinding pulley 200 is stopped for a certain period of time, and the winding pulley 100 is rotated in the winding direction to eliminate the slack, and normal operation is resumed. This is a mechanism that prevents malfunctions caused by tangling of the tether 700 due to slack.

[0028] Next, the case where the robot 1 is moved to another object to be cleaned 2b after cleaning of the object to be cleaned 2a is completed, as shown in FIG. 11, will be described. The robot relocation arm 60 installed in the center of the robot 1 holds the fixture interface 620 and replaces the fixture 50 from the pole 20 to which it is attached to another pole 20. First, the fixture 50D is removed from the pole 20Da and replaced with the pole 20Ab. Next, the fixture 50C is replaced from the pole 20Ca to the pole 20Bb. Next, the fixture 50A is replaced from the pole 20Aa to the pole 20Ea. Finally, the fixture 50B is replaced from the pole 20Ba to the pole 20Fa. The dashed lines in FIG. 11 indicate the positions of the fixture interfaces 620 and the tethers 700 after replacement. In this way, the operation of replacing the fixture interface 620 with the pole 20 on the right is repeated, and finally, the movement to the cleaning target 2b is completed.

[0029] In this embodiment, the winding pulley 100 and the unwinding pulley 200 are stopped for a certain period of time to wind up the slack tether 700. for Pulley and payout for The control unit 800 may perform control to generate a difference in the amount of winding or unwinding between the pulleys, thereby winding up the slack tether 700. However, a method in which the winding pulley 100 and the unwinding pulley 200 are stopped for a certain period of time is preferable in that control is simplified. [Industrial Applicability]

[0030] The reel device of the present invention is not limited to use for moving a robot, but can also be used as a device for winding up a tether (line), for example, as an electric reel for fishing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1. Robot 2. Items to be cleaned 2a Cleaning object a 2b Cleaning object b 10(A, B, C, D) Reel device 20(Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, Ea, Fa, Ab, Bb) Paul 50(A, B, C, D) Fixtures 60 Robot Movement Arm 100 Winding pulley 200 Payout pulley 30 Slack detection mechanism 31 Means of applying tension 300 Spring Hinge 310 Spring 32 Spiral spring 33 Sensor operating member 40 Switch section 400 Limit Switch 500 Presser Hinge 600 Attitude determination mechanism 610 Attitude determination jig 611(a, b) Outer cylinder 612(a,b) Inner cylinder 620(a,b) Fixed fixture interface 700 Tether 800 Control section

Claims

1. A reel device for use in a mobile robot, the reel device including a pulley for winding and a pulley for unwinding a tether, a control unit that detects slack in the tether in the reel device and controls an electric motor that drives the winding pulley and the unwinding pulley; and a slack detection mechanism that detects slack in the tether in the reel device and transmits the detection result to the control unit. The slack detection mechanism is a detection mechanism that transmits a signal to the control unit when detecting the slack that may cause entanglement, a tensioning means actuated by a variation in tension of the tether; A switch unit that is linked to the tension applying means; When the slack detection mechanism does not detect the slack during winding of the tether, the winding pulley and the unwinding pulley rotate at a constant speed, When the slack detection mechanism detects the slack, the winding pulley continues winding while the unwinding pulley stops for a certain period of time, thereby correcting the slack. A reel device comprising:

2. A reel device for use in a mobile robot, the reel device including a pulley for winding and a pulley for unwinding a tether, a control unit that detects slack in the tether in the reel device and controls an electric motor that drives the winding pulley and the unwinding pulley; and a slack detection mechanism that detects slack in the tether in the reel device and transmits the detection result to the control unit. The slack detection mechanism is a detection mechanism that transmits a signal to the control unit when detecting the slack that may cause entanglement, a tensioning means actuated by a variation in tension of the tether; A switch unit that is linked to the tension applying means; When the slack detection mechanism does not detect the slack during winding of the tether, the winding pulley and the unwinding pulley rotate at a constant speed, When the slack detection mechanism detects slack, the winding pulley stops for a certain period of time while the unwinding pulley unwinds the slack, thereby correcting the slack. A reel device comprising:

3. The control unit is connected to the slack detection mechanism and the electric motor, 3. The reel device according to claim 1, wherein forward / reverse driving of the electric motor is controlled based on a detection result of the slack detection mechanism.

4. The slack detection mechanism is mounted in the reel device, 3. The reel device according to claim 1, wherein a signal is sent to the control unit when the slack is detected during winding and unwinding of the tether.

5. The slack detection mechanism has a spring hinge as the means for applying tension and a limit switch as the switch unit. When the tension of the tether is equal to or greater than a certain value, the spring hinge rotates in a direction away from the limit switch, and the limit switch is not pressed down.

5. The reel device according to claim 4, wherein when the tension of the tether is less than the certain value, the spring hinge rotates in a direction approaching the limit switch, thereby pressing down the limit switch to detect the slack.

6. A reel device for use in a mobile robot, the reel device including a pulley for winding and a pulley for unwinding a tether, a control unit that detects slack in the tether in the reel device and controls an electric motor that drives the winding pulley and the unwinding pulley; a slack detection mechanism that detects slack in the tether in the reel device and transmits the detected slack to the control unit, the reel device further comprises an attitude determining mechanism for uniquely determining the attitude of a fixing device at the tip of the tether when the tether is completely wound up; The attitude determination mechanism includes a fixed device interface including an attitude determination tool and a protrusion corresponding to the attitude determination tool; A reel device comprising:

7. The attitude determination jig is composed of an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, and is attached to the tether outlet of the reel device. The reel device according to claim 6 .

8. 7. The reel device according to claim 6, wherein the fixing device interface is attached to an end of the tether, and the protrusion includes an upper protrusion corresponding to an outer cylinder of the attitude determination jig and a lower protrusion corresponding to an inner cylinder of the attitude determination jig.

9. The reel device described in claim 8, characterized in that, when the fixing device interface is pulled into the attitude determination jig by the winding action of the tether of the reel device, the attitude determination mechanism uniquely determines the attitude by the upper protrusion sliding along the inclined surface of the outer cylinder and fitting into a recess of the outer cylinder, and when the upper protrusion reaches the top of the inclined surface of the outer cylinder, the lower protrusion slides along the inclined surface of the inner cylinder to change direction, preventing the upper protrusion from getting caught on the inclined surface of the outer cylinder.

10. A robot comprising the reel device according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 6 to 9.

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