Remote control devices and vehicles

Abstract

To provide a remote control device which does not become obstructive when a person operates a travel lever, and a vehicle.SOLUTION: A remote control device 1 that operates a travel lever 123 for controlling rotation of driving wheels of a vehicle 100 from a remote area includes: a mounting member 21 mounted on the travel lever 123; a link member 22 whose one end is swingably connected to the mounting member 21; a swing arm 23 for swinging the other end of the link member 22; and a motor 24 for driving the swing arm 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote control device.

Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle such as a construction machine equipped with a traveling device such as a crawler, by operating the left and right drive wheels independently, it is possible to change the direction in addition to moving forward and backward. Such a traveling device is generally controlled using a pair of traveling levers that control the speeds of the left and right drive wheels respectively. Specifically, the speed of the drive wheel is determined according to the inclination direction and inclination angle of the corresponding traveling lever.

[0003] For example, there are cases where it is desired to remotely control a vehicle such as a construction machine in a dangerous area during a disaster. In such a case, it has been proposed to dispose a pair of hydraulic cylinders that operate the traveling levers in the cab (operator's seat) (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When a hydraulic cylinder for operating a traveling lever is disposed as described in Patent Document 1, it cannot be operated by a person. Therefore, when there are cases where a person rides on the vehicle and operates it and cases where it is remotely controlled, it is necessary to attach and detach the hydraulic cylinder each time, which is cumbersome.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a remote control device and a vehicle that do not interfere when a person operates a traveling lever.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A remote control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a remote control device for operating a driving lever that controls the rotation of the driving wheels of a vehicle from a remote location, comprising: a mounting member attached to the driving lever; a link member whose one end is pivotably connected to the mounting member; a swing arm that swings the other end of the link member; and a motor that drives the swing arm.

[0008] In the remote control device described above, the link member may be formed to be extendable and retractable, and may also have a damper to suppress extension and retraction.

[0009] In the remote control device described above, it is preferable that the effective length of the swing arm is smaller than the effective length of the link member.

[0010] In the remote control device described above, the motor may have a reduction gear consisting of a planetary gear mechanism in which the output shaft is coaxial with the armature rotation shaft.

[0011] A vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a cabin having a driving lever for controlling the rotation of the driving wheels, and the above-mentioned remote control device disposed on the floor of the cabin for operating the driving lever.

[0012] The above-mentioned vehicle preferably satisfies the following relationship: (effective length of the swing arm) < (distance from the swing axis of the travel lever to the swing axis of the swing arm) < (effective length of the link member) < (distance from the swing axis of the travel lever to the connection point of the link member with respect to the mounting member). [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a remote control device and vehicle that do not interfere with a person operating the driving lever. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a simplified side view of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]Figure 1 is a detailed perspective view of the remote control device. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a front view of the remote control device. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a side view of the remote control device. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the damper in the remote control device. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the drive mechanism of the remote control device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a simplified side view of a vehicle 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] The vehicle 100 of this embodiment is a construction machine comprising a running gear 110, a main body 120 disposed on the running gear 110, and a working arm 130 whose base end is connected to the main body 120. Construction machines are sometimes required to work on slopes where there is a risk of collapse, or on buildings where there is a risk of collapse, so it is sometimes desirable that they be operable from a remote location without an operator on board in order to prevent personal injury in the event of an accident.

[0017] The running gear 110 is a hydraulic excavator having a pair of crawlers 111 that are driven independently on the left and right sides. Each crawler 111 includes a rotationally driven drive wheel 112 and an endless running belt 113 driven by the drive wheel. The main body 120 has a cabin (driver's seat) 121 in which the operator sits, and a mechanism 122 that includes a hydraulic system that generates pressurized oil to power the running gear 110 and the work arm 130, and a counterweight that balances the work arm. The work arm 130 has a bucket 131 at its tip. In other words, the vehicle 100 of this embodiment is a hydraulic excavator.

[0018] The cabin 121 is provided with a pair of travel levers 123 that independently control the rotation of the left and right drive wheels 112. The travel lever 123 of the present embodiment is pivotally supported near the floor surface of the cabin so that the grip 124 at the upper end can be held by hand and swung back and forth, and is biased to return to the neutral position at the center of the swing range. The vehicle 100 is configured to rotate the corresponding drive wheel 112 at a speed corresponding to the tilt angle of the travel lever 123 in the same direction as the tilt direction of the travel lever 123. Further, the illustrated travel lever 123 has a foot pedal 125 near the base end portion, and can also be operated by a person's foot.

[0019] In addition, a remote control device 1 for operating the travel lever 123 from a remote location is disposed in the cabin 121. The remote control device 1 itself is an embodiment of the remote control device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing in detail the state of the remote control device 1 as viewed from the right front of the cabin, FIG. 3 is a front view of the remote control device 1, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the remote control device 1.

[0020] The remote control device 1 includes a base plate 10 fixed to the floor surface of the cabin, and a pair of drive units 20 held on the base plate 10 and driving the left and right travel levers 123.

[0021] The base plate 10 is made of a steel plate or the like having sufficient strength and is attached so as to be laminated on the floor surface of the cabin. The base plate 10 is a reinforcing member for holding the main part of the drive unit 20, and can be omitted when the drive unit 20 is directly attached to the floor of the cabin. Further, the base plate 10 may be formed by being divided into a portion holding the left drive unit 20 and a portion holding the right drive unit 20.

[0022] The pair of drive units 20 each include a mounting member 21 mounted on the travel lever 123, a link member 22 having one end swingably connected to the mounting member 21, a swing arm 23 that swings the other end of the link member 22, and a motor 24 that drives the swing arm 23.

[0023] In this embodiment, the mounting member 21 has a fixed portion 211 that clamps and fastens the travel lever 123, and a two-stage shaft-shaped connecting portion 212 that extends outward from the fixed portion 211 in the left-right direction, with a link member 22 pivotably connected to its tip. The fixed portion 211 may include a shaft or bolt that is inserted into a hole formed in the travel lever 123, or it may be fixed to the travel lever 123 by welding. The connecting portion 212 is provided so as to offset the connection point of the link member 22 laterally to avoid interference between the link member 22 and the travel lever 123. However, depending on the shape of the travel lever 123, the space in front of the cabin, etc., it may be configured without offset, and depending on the structure of the tip of the link member 22, it may be configured as something other than a shaft, or it may be formed integrally and inseparably with the fixed portion 211.

[0024] The link member 22 is pivotably connected at one end to the mounting member 21 and at the other end to the swing arm 23. Preferably, the link member 22 is formed to be expandable and contractible and has a damper 221 that suppresses expansion and contraction. By having the damper 221 in the link member 22 in this way, it is possible to prevent shocks from being applied to various parts of the drive unit 20 when a person operates the travel lever 123 abruptly, and to prevent shortening of the lifespan of bearings and other parts in various places. The damper 221 may be an elastic material such as a metal spring or rubber that suppresses changes in the length of the link member 22 and converts axial stress into heat for dissipation. Preferably, the lower limit of the spring constant of the damper 221 is 50 N / mm in order to prevent delay when the travel lever 123 is operated by the remote control device 1. On the other hand, preferably, the upper limit of the spring constant of the damper 221 is 1000 N / mm in order to mitigate the shock caused by abrupt operation of the travel lever 123. In other words, it is preferable that the damper 221 mitigates the impact and does not substantially change the length of the link member 22 during normal operation.

[0025] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the damper 221 comprises a shaft body 2211 with a stepped diameter at its tip, a plurality of disc springs 2212 fitted to the tip of the shaft body 2211 and two washers 2213 that sandwich the plurality of disc springs 2212, a shaft end 2214 connected to the tip of the shaft body 2211, a holder body 2215 having a through hole with a small diameter portion for receiving the disc springs 2212 and washers 2213 and a large diameter portion for receiving the shaft end 2214, a holder cap 2216 attached to the holder body 2215 and having a through hole for receiving the shaft body 2211, and a connecting plate 2217 attached to the holder body 2215 and used as a connection structure with other members. In the damper 221, the disc springs 2212 are arranged so that their orientations are alternately opposite, and they can be compressed in the axial direction, absorbing axial stress through elastic deformation and friction with each other.

[0026] The swing arm 23 can be arranged to move the other end of the link member 22 by swinging about an axis in the left-right direction. Preferably, the swing arm 23 is arranged to swing about a position where the tip to which the link member 22 is connected is positioned in front of the vehicle. This allows the motor 24 to be placed near the travel lever 123, reducing the space occupied by the drive unit 20, so that the remote control device 1 can be installed even if the space in front of the cabin is relatively small. In addition, in order to reduce the space occupied by the drive unit 20, it is preferable that the effective length (distance between axes) of the swing arm 23 is smaller than the effective length of the link member 22.

[0027] The motor 24 is arranged to swing the swing arm 23. As the motor 24, for example, a stepping motor or the like can be used so as to control the angle of the swing arm 23, and it may be a servo motor that is feedback-controlled. Further, the motor 24 preferably has a speed reducer 241 so as to precisely control the swing angle of the swing arm 23. The speed reducer 241 is configured such that the output shaft can be rotated by the swing arm 23 when stopped in order to enable a person to operate the travel lever 123. As a specific example, it is preferably a planetary gear mechanism in which the output shaft to which the swing arm 23 is attached is coaxial with the armature rotation shaft. By adopting a configuration in which force acts relatively evenly around the rotation axis of each gear constituting the speed reducer 241, such as a planetary gear mechanism, even if the reduction ratio is increased, the armature can be rotated relatively smoothly by rotating the output shaft.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, the drive unit 20 constitutes a four-bar link mechanism including the travel lever 123, and the link member 22 can be tilted according to the swing angle of the swing arm 23. In this four-bar link mechanism, the swing axis of the travel lever 123 and the swing axis of the swing arm 23 (the output shaft of the motor 24) are connected via the base plate 10 and the vehicle structure, and are interpreted as one joint with the joint position fixed. Let the effective length of this fixed joint (the distance from the swing axis of the travel lever 123 to the swing axis of the swing arm 23) be A, the effective length of the joint constituted by the swing arm 23 be B, the effective length of the joint constituted by the link member 22 be C, and the effective length of the joint constituted by the travel lever 123 be D. Then, in order to reduce the dedicated space of the drive unit 20, it is preferable to satisfy the relationship of B < A < C < D.

[0029] The distance from the pivot axis of the travel lever 123 to the connection point of the link member 22 to the mounting member 21 can be, for example, 200 mm to 300 mm. This allows the mounting member 21 to be attached while avoiding the foot pedal 125 and the feet of the person operating the foot pedal 125. The distance from the pivot axis of the travel lever 123 to the pivot axis of the swing arm 23 (output shaft of the motor 24) can be, for example, 100 mm to 200 mm. This allows the motor 24 to be positioned so as not to interfere with the travel lever 123.

[0030] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible. For example, the vehicle according to the present invention is not limited to construction machinery, but may be other types of vehicles such as tanks. Furthermore, the vehicle according to the present invention may drive wheels fitted with something other than crawlers, such as rubber tires.

[0031] In the remote control device according to the present invention, the link member does not need to have a damper. Also, in the remote control device according to the present invention, the motor may be a direct drive motor without a reduction gear. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0032] 1. Remote control device 10 Base plate 20 Drive unit 21 Mounting member 211 Fixed part 212 Connecting part 22 Link members 221 Damper 2211 Holder body 2212 Holder Cap 2213 Shaft body 2214 Shaft End 2215 Washer 2216 Farewell 2217 Connection Plate 23. Swivel Arm 24 motors 241 Reducer 100 vehicles 110 Running gear 111 Crawler 112 Driving wheels 113 Drive belt 120 Main Unit 121 Cabin 122 Mechanism 123 Driving lever 124 Grip 125 Foot pedals 130 work arm 131 buckets

Claims

1. A remote control device that is pivotable around a pivot axis and controls the rotation of the vehicle's driving wheels by operating a driving lever from a remote location, A mounting member that is attached to the driving lever, A link member, one end of which is pivotably connected to a mounting member, A swinging arm that swings the other end of the link member to move, The pivot center of the pivot arm is determined by fixing the aforementioned travel lever to be held in a fixed position relative to the pivot axis, and a motor drives the pivot arm, Equipped with, A remote control device wherein the link member is formed to be extendable and retractable, and the link member has a damper that suppresses the extension and retraction of the link member.

2. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the effective length of the swing arm is smaller than the effective length of the link member.

3. The remote control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the motor has a reduction gear consisting of a planetary gear mechanism in which the output shaft is coaxial with the armature rotation shaft.

4. A cabin having a driving lever that controls the rotation of the driving wheels, A remote control device according to claim 1 or 2, which is disposed on the floor of the cabin for operating the aforementioned travel lever, A vehicle equipped with the following features.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, satisfying the relationship: (effective length of the swing arm) < (distance from the swing axis of the travel lever to the swing axis of the swing arm) < (effective length of the link member) < (distance from the swing axis of the travel lever to the connection point of the link member with respect to the mounting member).

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