JP2894191B2 - Drive device of self-propelled transport device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a driving device for a transfer device which travels on a floor by itself, and more particularly to a driving device in which one wheel is used for both driving and steering. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Driving devices of this type of self-propelled transfer device include:
A wheel driving means, a wheel steering driving means, and an encoder for steering control are required. Thus, a driving device of a type in which a traveling drive wheel is also used as a steering wheel is provided with a motor that supports the wheels and drives the wheels on a rotating steering body that is supported by a carrier frame. Mounting, the steering rotating body and the steering motor are linked and connected, but when the steering motor is automatically controlled using an encoder that detects the rotation angle of the steering rotating body. , The encoder must be linked to the steering rotating body.

That is, both the steering motor and the steering control encoder must be connected to the steering rotating body in an interlocked manner. In order to increase the detection accuracy of the steering control encoder, the steering is performed. It is desirable to connect the encoder directly to the rotary shaft for use. For this purpose, the steering motor has to be linked to the steering rotating body via a gear or a chain.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional driving apparatus, the rotation angle of the steering rotating body is detected with high accuracy by the steering control encoder, and the steering motor is detected based on the detection result. Even if the motor can be controlled with high accuracy, the backlash in relay transmission means such as gears and chains between the steering motor and the steering rotating body, and the amount of backlash due to wear over time Due to the objective change, the control accuracy of the motor could not be reflected in the actual steering accuracy of the wheels. Therefore, in particular, even if two or more driving devices each having one wheel that performs both the steering and the traveling drive are arranged to configure a self-propelled transport device capable of traveling in all directions, the driving devices are required to be connected between the driving devices. There is a possibility that a so-called "push-push phenomenon" or "pull-pull phenomenon" which occurs because the thrust directions do not completely coincide with each other has been difficult to put to practical use.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its features are indicated by parenthesized reference numerals in the embodiments described later. As shown, the motor unit (1) with a built-in reduction gear installed vertically on the transfer device frame (12), the steering control encoder (2), the encoder drive shaft (3), and the wheels (5) are A driving device comprising a supported rotating body for steering (4) and a motor for driving a wheel (6), the motor unit having a built-in reduction mechanism.
(1) has a ring-shaped output rotating part (8a) of a built-in reduction mechanism (8) on the lower end side, and has a vertically oriented through hollow part (10) concentric with the output rotating part (8a). Rotating body for steering (4)
Is the output rotating part (8a) of the motor unit (1) with built-in speed reduction mechanism
The encoder drive shaft (3) passes through the hollow part (10) of the motor unit (1) with a built-in speed reduction mechanism, and its lower end is concentrically connected to the output rotating part (8a). Direction control encoder (2) is a motor unit with a built-in speed reduction mechanism
The wheel drive motor (6) is disposed at the upper end of (1) and linked to the upper end of the encoder drive shaft (3).
It is characterized in that it is attached to (4) and is interlockingly connected to a wheel (5) which is supported by the steering rotating body (4).

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a motor unit with a built-in reduction mechanism, 2 denotes a steering control encoder, and 3 denotes an encoder drive shaft. Reference numeral 4 denotes a steering rotating body that supports the wheels 5, and reference numeral 6 denotes a motor with a reduction gear for driving wheels. The motor unit 1 with a built-in speed reduction mechanism includes an AC servomotor unit 7 and a speed reduction mechanism (for example, a harmonic drive type reduction mechanism) 8 interlocked and connected to the outside of one end of a cylindrical output rotation shaft 7 a of the AC servomotor unit 7. And an incremental encoder 9 which is provided in conjunction with the outside of the other end of the cylindrical output rotary shaft 7a and is used for controlling the AC servomotor unit 7; And a ring-shaped mounting plate 11 projecting outward at an end on the side of the speed reduction mechanism 8. The ring-shaped output rotating portion 8a is mounted on the transfer device frame 12 via the ring-shaped mounting plate 11 such that the lower side of the ring-shaped output rotating portion 8a and the hollow hollow portion 10 are oriented vertically.

The steering rotating body 4 has a vertical shaft portion 4a concentrically mounted on the ring-shaped output rotating portion 8a of the motor unit 1 with a built-in speed reduction mechanism, and a vertical shaft 4a connected to the lower end of the vertical shaft portion 4a. A motor 6 with a wheel drive reducer is mounted horizontally and horizontally on the outside of the mounting plate 4b, and the output rotating part of the motor 6 projects inside the mounting plate 4b. The wheel 5 is attached to the.

The encoder drive shaft 3 penetrates through the through hollow portion 10 of the motor unit 1 with a built-in speed reduction mechanism, and its lower end mounting seat 3a is coaxially linked to the output rotation unit 8a of the motor unit 1 with a built-in speed reduction mechanism. I have. Specifically, the lower end mounting seat 3a of the encoder drive shaft 3 is sandwiched between the vertical shaft portion 4a of the steering rotating body 4 and the output rotating portion 8a,
The vertical shaft 4a of the motor unit 1 with the built-in speed reduction mechanism is fixed together by a bolt 13 for mounting the vertical shaft 4a. One of the lower end mounting seat 3a of the encoder drive shaft 3 and the vertical shaft portion 4a of the steering rotating body 4 may be attached to the output rotating portion 8a of the motor unit 1 with the built-in reduction mechanism. The other may be attached to the one attached to the output rotating unit 8a. Further, the encoder driving shaft 3 and the vertical shaft portion 4 of the steering rotating body 4
It is also possible to form a concentrically with a.

The steering control encoder 2 is disposed at the upper end of the motor unit 1 with a built-in speed reduction mechanism (the upper end of the incremental encoder unit 9) and is linked to the upper end of the encoder drive shaft 3. As the steering control encoder 2, an absolute encoder can be used. 14
Is a cover that covers the steering control encoder 2.

When the transfer device provided with the above-described drive device is driven to travel by itself, the wheels 6 may be driven to rotate by the motor 6. When the traveling direction of the transfer device is changed, the AC servo motor unit 7 of the motor unit 1 with the built-in speed reduction mechanism is operated, and the rotation of the cylindrical output rotary shaft 7a is reduced by the speed reduction mechanism 8 to reduce the ring speed. The rotation of the steering rotating body 4 is performed by rotating the steering rotating body 4 with the rotational force of the output rotating section 8a, so that the direction of the wheel 5 supported by the steering rotating body 4 is changed in a predetermined direction. What is necessary is just to change only a predetermined angle. At this time, the wheels 5 are steered and rotated around the vertical rotation axis of the ring-shaped output rotation portion 8a of the speed reduction mechanism 8, but the extension of the rotation axis of the output rotation portion 8a, the floor surface, It is desirable that the wheel 5 be pivotally supported by the steering rotating body 4 so that the intersection of the wheel 5 and the ground point of the wheel 5.

When the wheels 5 are steered and rotated by the motor unit 1 with the built-in speed reduction mechanism as described above, the steering rotation is caused by the encoder concentrically penetrating through the hollow portion 10 of the motor unit 1 with the built-in speed reduction mechanism. It is transmitted directly to the steering control encoder 2 via the drive shaft 3. Accordingly, the steering direction and the steering angle of the wheel 5 (the steering rotating body 4) can be detected with high accuracy by the steering control encoder 3, and the transport device determines a predetermined value based on the detected value. The rotation direction and the rotation angle of the AC servo motor unit 7 of the motor unit 1 with the built-in speed reduction mechanism can be automatically controlled so as to travel along the route.

FIGS. 2 to 4 show examples of use of the driving device 15 of the present invention configured as described above. That is, the self-propelled transfer device 16 shown in FIG.
15C is disposed at a position corresponding to each vertex of an equilateral triangle. The self-propelled transfer device 17 shown in FIG. The fixed idle wheels 18a and 18b are provided. In addition, the self-propelled transfer device 19 shown in FIG. 4 includes two driving units 15A, 15
B is provided, and caster wheels 20a and 20b are provided at two locations on the other diagonal line.

As described above, the driving device 15 of the present invention can be used alone or in combination with other wheels to constitute the foot circumference of the self-propelled transport device. In particular, a plurality of driving devices 15 of the present invention are used. Self-propelled transport device 1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4
In 6, 19, the steering can be smoothly performed in all directions by the highly accurate steering control of the wheels 5 of each drive device 15 of the present invention.

The incremental encoder 9 provided in the motor unit 1 with the built-in speed reduction mechanism is not essential to the present invention.

[0015]

As described above, according to the driving apparatus of the present invention, the steering rotating body steered by the motor unit having the built-in speed reduction mechanism is directly connected to the output rotation unit of the speed reduction mechanism of the motor unit. The steering control encoder for detecting the steering direction and the steering angle of the steering rotating body,
The motor unit is interlocked to an output rotation unit of a reduction mechanism of the motor unit via an encoder drive shaft, and is provided between the steering rotating body and the motor unit that drives the steering rotating body and between the steering rotating body and the steering rotating body. Since there is no transmission means such as gears or chains that may cause backlash between the control encoder and the control encoder, the steering direction and the steering angle of the steering rotating body are controlled. The steering rotary body can be accurately detected by the direction control encoder, and the steering rotating body can be accurately steered by the motor unit with the built-in deceleration mechanism that is controlled based on the detection result.

In other words, the result of the highly accurate detection of the steering control encoder is reflected in the steering drive of the steering rotating body,
The steering control of the wheels supported by the steering rotating body can be performed with high precision, and the self-propelled conveyance device can be steered accurately and smoothly. Therefore, in particular, even when two or more driving devices each having one wheel serving both steering and traveling drive are provided to constitute a self-propelled transport device capable of traveling in all directions, the device of the present invention is used as the driving device. By using this, the thrust directions can be completely matched between the respective driving devices, and the steering can be smoothly performed. In addition, since there is no need for transmission means such as gears and chains, the number of parts is reduced,
The structure of the entire apparatus is simplified and the apparatus can be made compact.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view showing an embodiment of the driving device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a self-propelled transport device configured using the driving device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing another example of a self-propelled transport device configured using the driving device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing still another example of the self-propelled transport device configured by using the driving device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 Motor unit with built-in reduction mechanism 2 Steering control encoder 3 Encoder drive shaft 4 Steering rotating body 5 Wheel 6 Wheel drive motor 7 AC servo motor unit 7a Cylindrical output rotation shaft 8 Reduction mechanism 8a Ring-shaped output rotation unit 9 Incremental encoder for servo motor control 10 Hollow section

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-54-95891 (JP, A) JP-A-59-184918 (JP, A) JP-A-63-226706 (JP, A) JP-A-2- 225177 (JP, A) JP-A-Heisei 7-69222 (JP, A) JP-A-56-137408 (JP, A) JP-A-57-5118 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 55-174076 (JP, U) Actually open Hei 1-125706 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G05D 1/02 B60B 33/00 B62D 1/00-1/28

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A motor unit (1) with a built-in deceleration mechanism installed vertically on a transfer device frame (12), a steering control encoder (2), an encoder drive shaft (3), and wheels (5). A motor unit (1) having a built-in speed reduction mechanism, comprising a built-in speed reduction mechanism (8) at the lower end side. A vertical through-hole (10) having a ring-shaped output rotating part (8a) and being concentric with the output rotating part (8a).
The steering rotating body (4) is a motor unit (1) with a built-in speed reduction mechanism.
The encoder drive shaft (3) is attached to the output rotating part (8a) of the
The lower end is penetrated through the through hollow part (10) of (1), and the lower end is concentrically linked to the output rotating part (8a) .The steering control encoder (2) is a motor unit (1) with a built-in speed reduction mechanism. The wheel drive motor (6) is attached to the upper end of the encoder drive shaft (3), and is connected to the upper end of the encoder drive shaft (3). ) Wheels supported on (5)
The driving device of the self-propelled transfer device linked to the.