JP3759068B2 - Covering structure and robot having the structure - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has an animal-type, plant-type, insect-type, tentacle-type, etc., regardless of whether it is real or imaginary, and has a skin-deposited structure for robots used in human-centered environments such as factories and homes, and the like The present invention relates to a robot having a structure.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the conventional robot, since the outer surface of the casing made of metal, resin, etc. is exposed, there is a possibility that surrounding objects and human beings may be damaged or broken when the robot falls over or collides with the surroundings. Moreover, since the housing and mechanical elements are exposed, the appearance is explicit, the touch is poor, and the human being is not familiar. Many women and senior citizens were not interested in robots with bare casings and mechanisms, even though they had a high degree of perfection and produced various effects to reduce the distance from humans.
[0003]
Some animal-type toys have a soft stuffed animal bonded to the toy surface, but even if such a stuffed animal is bonded to the robot, maintenance of the robot body becomes impossible. In addition, the stuffed toy bonded to the robot body becomes a load on the movable part of the robot body, and there is a problem that the driving force is reduced.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and provides a human skin closeness, does not damage the surrounding environment, is easy to maintain, and does not apply load to the movable part. Another object of the present invention is to provide a robot having the structure.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention corresponds to the movable part of the main body in a skin-attached structure in which a flexible outer skin is attached to the surface of the casing of the main body having a movable part and a non-movable part. portion of the outer skin is composed of a skin having a stretchability in the movable direction, the outer skin of the portion corresponding to the non-movable part is constituted by a non-elastic outer skin, a flexible fastener on the inner surface of the predetermined length of the outer skin When the outer cover is attached to the casing of the main body, the fastener is locked to a corresponding locking portion of the casing .
[0006]
As described above, since the outer skin is attached to the surface of the casing of the main body, the casing and the mechanical elements are covered, so that the human being is intimate and the surrounding environment is not damaged. Further, since the outer skin has flexibility, it does not apply a load to the movable part and does not cause a decrease in driving force.
[0007]
The flexible outer skin is preferably made of a material selected from the group consisting of cloth fabric, fur, artificial fur, sponge, and elastomer. These materials have moderate elasticity, are easy to touch, and give a close feeling to humans.
[0008]
Since skin of the portion corresponding to the movable portion of the main body is constituted by a skin having a stretchability in the movable direction, the outer skin of the portion corresponding to the non-movable part is constituted by a non-stretchable outer cover, the load of the movable portion It can be further reduced.
[0009]
Here, for example, in the case of an animal type robot, the movable part is a joint part, a neck, or a tail of four limbs. In addition, the non-movable part is a trunk in an animal type robot, for example.
[0011]
A fastener is attached to the inner surface of the outer skin with a flexible thread-like member having a predetermined length, and the fastener is attached to a corresponding locking portion of the housing when the outer skin is attached to the housing of the main body. than locked, to permit movement of the skin with respect to the casing of the robot body, it can be ensured flexibility of the movement of the outer skin.
[0012]
Further, by attaching a pad having elasticity on the surface of the front Kikatamitai, depositing the skin on top of the pad.
[0013]
By doing so, the outer skin can have swelling and elasticity. For example, in an animal type robot, the outer shape of the limbs can be made more realistic, and the feel when stroking or holding can be enhanced.
[0014]
It is preferable to apply the covering structure of each configuration described above to an animal type robot such as a cat or a fox.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 shows a cat-type robot provided with a skin covering structure according to the present invention. The outer skin covering structure according to the present invention is not limited to the form of a cat, but is a fox, a dog, a bird or other animal type, a plant type imitating a loofah, an apple, an insect type such as a caterpillar, an octopus, The present invention can also be applied to a tentacle type robot such as squid or a robot imitating a fictional character.
[0017]
The robot shown in FIG. 1 includes a robot body 1 and a skin 2. The robot body 1 includes a body part 3, a head part 4, both front leg parts 5, both rear leg parts 6, and a tail part 7. The torso 3 includes a driving device (not shown) that drives the head 4, both front legs 5, both rear legs 6, and tail 7, a control device that controls the driving device, and the driving device and the control device. Built-in battery to supply power. As shown in FIG. 2, the trunk 3 is covered with a casing 8 made of synthetic resin, and the casing 8 forms an outer surface of the cat. Locking holes 9 for locking fasteners 65 (described later) of the outer skin 2 are formed at the front, rear, left, and right of the housing 8.
[0018]
The head 4 is composed of a mask assembly 10 that forms the front and the face, and a base assembly 11 that forms the back. As shown in FIG. 3, the mask assembly 10 is detachably coupled to the base assembly 11 by screws 12. The mask assembly 11 is obtained by attaching a binaural ear 14, a binocular subassembly 15, and a lower jaw 16 to a housing 13 that forms the outer surface of the frontal region and the face.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 4, the both ears 14 are attached to the housing 13 so as to be rotatable about 90 ° about the connecting shaft 17. By rotating the connecting shaft 17, It can be changed to a standing state.
[0020]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the binocular subassembly 15 has a pair of rectangular frames 19 connected by a connecting shaft 18. A lever 20 is fixed to both ends of the connecting shaft 18. An eyeball 21 is fixedly attached to each frame 19 via a base 22, and upper and lower eyelids 23 a and 23 b for opening and closing the eyeball 21 are attached to both sides of the base 22 so as to be rotatable by a shaft 24. . A pair of protrusions 25 are provided on the upper and lower eyelids 23a and 23b. A slide shaft 26 extending in the front-rear direction is installed between the base 22 of the binocular 21 and the frame 19, and a T-shaped slide member 27 is slidably supported on the slide shaft 26. The slide member 27 has a protrusion 28, and the protrusion 28 is rotatably connected to the lever 20 of the connecting shaft 18. Further, long holes 29 are formed at both wing ends of the slide member 27, and the long holes 29 are connected to the protrusions 25 of the upper and lower eyelids 23a and 23b through pins (not shown).
[0021]
The binocular subassembly 15 is attached to the inside of the housing 13 so that the binocular 21 and the upper and lower eyelids 23 a and 23 b are accommodated in the eye hole 30 provided in the housing 13. When the connecting shaft 18 rotates, the lever 20 rotates together with the connecting shaft 18, and the slide member 27 slides on the slide shaft 26 in the front-rear direction, so that the upper and lower eyelids 23a and 23b open and close. It has become.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 4, the lower jaw 16 is rotatably attached to the housing 13 by a shaft 31, and is rotated between a state away from an upper jaw 32 formed integrally with the housing 13 and a state close to the upper jaw 32. It moves to open and close the mouth. An engagement groove 33 is formed on the lower surface of the lower jaw 16.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 3, the base assembly 11 of the head 4 engages with the connecting shafts 17 (see FIG. 4) of both ears 14 of the mask assembly 10 when the mask assembly 10 is coupled. A binocular drive unit 34 that rotates the shaft 17 in conjunction with it, and a binocular drive unit that engages with the connection shaft 18 (see FIG. 5) of the binocular subassembly 15 and rotates the connection shaft 18 in conjunction with it. 35, and a lower jaw drive unit 36 that engages with an engagement groove 33 (see FIG. 4) of the lower jaw 16 to swing the lower jaw 16 in conjunction with the lower jaw drive unit 36. The base assembly 11 can be turned up and down and left and right with respect to the body 3 by a drive unit (not shown).
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 2, each of the front legs 5 includes an upper arm 37 whose base end is rotatably connected to the body 3, a forearm 38 rotatably connected to the distal end of the upper arm 37, and It consists of a foot 39 rotatably connected to the tip of the forearm 38, and can be changed between an upright state and a sitting state. Similarly, the rear legs 6 include an upper leg 40 whose base end is pivotally connected to the body 3, a lower leg 41 pivotally connected to the tip of the upper leg 40, The leg part 42 is rotatably connected to the tip of the lower leg 41 and can be changed between an upright state and a sitting state.
[0025]
The legs 39 and 42 of both the front legs 5 and both rear legs 6 have a base portion 43, a claw portion 44, and a meat ball 45. The base portion 43 has a fitting portion 46 having a U-shaped cross section at the tip, and a rectangular engagement hole 47 is formed on the bottom surface. The claw portion 44 is made of a flexible material such as rubber, and has a rectangular fitting hole 48 into which the fitting portion 46 of the base portion 43 is fitted, as shown in FIG. . Further, on the bottom surface of the claw portion 44, a rectangular hole portion 49 that matches the engagement hole 47 of the base portion 43 when the fitting portion 46 of the base portion 43 is fitted into the fitting hole 48 of the claw portion 44. Is formed. The meat ball 45 is inserted into the hole 49 of the claw 44 and the engagement hole 47 of the base 43 with the fitting 46 of the base 43 fitted in the fitting hole 48 of the claw 44. The mounting shaft portion 50 has a substantially rectangular cross section. The mounting shaft portion 50 is given elasticity in a lateral direction perpendicular to the shaft by a slit 51 formed at the tip. A claw 52 is formed at the distal end of the mounting shaft portion 50 to be engaged with the edge of the engagement hole 47 of the base portion.
[0026]
The tail part 7 has a flexible structure, a base end is attached to the rear part of the trunk part 3, and can be swung up and down and left and right by appropriately pulling and operating three wires (not shown) inserted therein. It can be done.
[0027]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the outer skin 2 is preliminarily sewn so as to cover the body 3, both front legs 5, both rear legs 6 and the tail 7 of the robot body 1, The head skin 62 is sewn so as to cover the head 4. Although the outer skin 2 is made of artificial fur in this embodiment, the outer skin 2 is not limited to this, and can be made of cloth fabric, natural fur, sponge, elastomer, or other flexible material.
[0028]
The body outer skin 61 has an opening 63 in the neck and an opening 64 that can be opened and closed by a Velcro fastener or the like at a portion corresponding to the belly of the body 3, and the body 64 of the robot body 1 is utilized using the opening 64. It can be attached to and detached from the part 3, both front leg parts 5, both rear leg parts 6 and the tail part 7. Moreover, the opening part 64 is opened and closed when the battery accommodated in the trunk part is replaced.
[0029]
Of the main body outer skin 61, the portion corresponding to the movable part of the robot main body 1, that is, the neck part, the joint parts of both front leg parts 5 and both rear leg parts 6, and the outer skin of the tail part 7 have elasticity in the movable direction. On the other hand, the part corresponding to the non-movable part, that is, the part other than each of the movable parts is constituted by a non-stretchable skin. The stretchability of the outer skin 2 can be retained by adopting an elastic material for at least one of the longitudinal and lateral fiber materials constituting the outer skin 2.
[0030]
Of the inner surface of the main body outer skin 61, the claw portions 44 are fixed in advance to the portions corresponding to the claw portions 44 of both the front leg portions 5 and the both rear leg portions 6 by adhesion, sewing, or the like.
[0031]
Specifically, a fastener 65 is attached to the inner surface of the main body outer skin 61 at positions corresponding to the left and right, front and rear, and the locking holes 9 provided in the abdomen of the body 3 of the robot body 1. Yes. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the fastener 65 is composed of a head 66 and both legs 67 having elasticity. A hole 69 through which a thread 68 having a predetermined length is inserted is formed in the head 66. Both leg portions 67 are formed with claws 70 that engage with the inner edge of the locking hole 9. The fastener 65 is attached so as to be separated from the inner surface of the main body outer skin 61 by a predetermined distance via a thread 68 inserted through the hole 69 of the head 66.
[0032]
As shown in FIG. 9, the head skin 62 has an opening 71 in the neck and a cut 72 formed from the opening 71 to the back of the head. The head assembly 4 covers both ears 14, forehead, face and lower jaw 16 of the mask assembly 10, and covers the back of the base assembly 11. A hole 73 is formed at a position corresponding to the binocular 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a nasal head 74 is attached to a position corresponding to the nose, ridges 75 are attached to both sides of the nasal head 74 obliquely below, and between the upper jaw 32 and the lower jaw 16 there are teeth, tongues. A mouthpiece 76 imitating the oral surface is attached. The face is shaped like a real cat's face and is properly haircut.
[0033]
Of the head skin 62, the part corresponding to the movable part of the mask assembly 10, that is, the roots of both ears 14, the upper and lower eyelids 32 a and 32 b, and the base of the lower jaw 16 are constituted by stretchable outer skins. The non-movable part is composed of a non-stretchable outer skin. The stretchability of the outer skin can be maintained by employing an elastic material for at least one of the vertical and horizontal fiber materials constituting the outer skin.
[0034]
The head skin 62 is previously attached to the mask assembly 10 of the head 4 of the robot body 1. Of the inner surface of the head skin 62, the edge of the hole 73 corresponding to both eyes is fixed to the upper and lower eyelids 23a and 23b, and the portion corresponding to the lower jaw 16 is fixed to the lower jaw 16 in advance by bonding, sewing, or the like. Yes.
[0035]
Next, a method for attaching the outer skin 2 having the above structure to the robot body 1 will be described.
[0036]
First, in the state where both the front legs 5 and both rear legs 6 of the robot body 1 are bent and the tail 7 is bent at the base and along the trunk 3, the opening 64 of the body outer skin 61 is opened, The robot main body 1 is accommodated in the opening 64, the base assembly 11 of the head 4 is exposed from the opening 63, and the front legs 5, the rear legs 6 and the tail 7 are aligned in place. Then, the front leg portion 5 and the rear leg portions 6 of the robot body 1 are extended and inserted into the respective portions, and the fitting portion 46 of the claw portion 44 at the tip is bonded to the inner surface of the body skin 61 in advance. Are fitted into the fitting holes 47. Further, the robot body 1 is inserted into the corresponding part while extending the tail part 7. Next, the respective fasteners 65 on the inner surface of the main body outer skin 61 are inserted into the locking holes 9 of the body 3 as shown in FIG. Further, from the outside of the main body outer skin 61, the mounting shaft portion 50 of the meat ball 45 is inserted into the engaging hole 47 of the claw portion 44 and the base portion 43 fitted to each other, and is engaged with the engaging hole 47 of the base portion 43. . Thereby, the claw part 44 is prevented from being detached from the base part 43.
[0037]
Subsequently, the opening 71 and the cut 72 of the head skin 62 in which the mask assembly 10 is fixed to the inner surface in advance are opened and covered with the base assembly 11 of the head 4. At this time, the lower jaw 16 of the mask assembly 10 is closed, the mask assembly 10 is pressed against the base assembly 11 to be coupled, and is fixed by the screws 12. Thereby, the connecting shaft 17 of the both ears 14 of the mask assembly 10, the connecting shaft 18 of the binocular subassembly 15, and the engaging groove 33 of the lower jaw 16 are respectively connected to the ear driving unit 34 and the binocular driving unit 35 of the base assembly 11. It is connected to the lower jaw drive part 36 and can be driven.
[0038]
Next, the cut 72 at the neck of the head skin 62 is stitched, and the opening 71 at the neck of the head skin 62 and the opening 63 at the neck of the main body skin 61 are stitched. Thus, the head skin 62 and the body skin 61 are completely attached to the robot body 1.
[0039]
Thus, in the cat-type robot of the present invention, since the outer skin 2 is attached to the surfaces of the casings 8 and 13 of the robot body 1, compared to the conventional robot in which the casing and mechanical elements are exposed. , It gives the user a sense of familiarity and does not damage the surrounding environment even if it falls or collides. Furthermore, since the outer skin 2 has flexibility, it does not apply a load to the movable part of the robot body 1 and does not reduce the driving force. In particular, since the outer skin 2 of the movable part has elasticity, the load on the movable part can be further reduced. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the main body outer skin 61 is allowed to move a predetermined amount with respect to the housing 8 of the robot main body 1 by the thread 68 of the fastener 65. You can just pinch or grab the neck.
[0040]
In the cat-type robot of the present invention, the claw portion 44 is fixed to the inner surface of the main body skin 61 in advance, and the mask assembly 10 is fixed to the inner surface of the head skin 62 in advance. Can be prevented.
[0041]
Further, the movable parts of the mask assembly 10, that is, the both ears 14, the upper and lower eyelids 23 a and 23 b, and the lower jaw 16 are attached close to the head skin 62, and these are attached to the drive parts 34 and 35 of the base assembly 11. , 36, the power of the drive units 34, 35, 36 can be reliably transmitted to the movable unit, and the outer skin 62 can be moved as it is.
[0042]
In order to remove the outer skin 2 from the robot body 1, first, the paws 45 are removed, the base 43 is separated from the claw portion 44, the front legs 5, the rear legs 6 and the tail 7 are pulled out, and the fastener 65 is removed. The body 3 is exposed while being removed. In this state, the skin 2 can be removed from the robot body 1 by removing the neck screw 12 and separating the mask assembly 10 from the base assembly 11. Further, in order to attach the outer skin 2 to the robot body 1, an operation reverse to the removal of the outer skin 2 described above is performed. As described above, since the outer skin 2 can be easily detached, battery replacement and maintenance can be easily performed as needed.
[0043]
In FIG. 12, an elastic pad 77 is attached to the surface of the back portion of the housing 8 of the robot body 1 with a double-sided tape 78, and the outer skin 2 is attached on the pad 77. Thereby, swelling and elasticity are retained in the outer skin 2, the outer shape of the cat's limb becomes more realistic, and the feel when stroking or holding is enhanced. The same pad is also attached to a part that is easily touched by the user, for example, both ears 14 of the mask assembly 10, frontal head, face and lower jaw 16, abdomen of the trunk 3, both front legs 5 and both rear legs 6. Can be worn. Also, by changing the size of these pads for each robot, the type of cat and the health condition can be easily changed.
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention , the casing of the main body having the movable part and the non-movable part is covered with a flexible outer skin, so that the casing and mechanical elements are covered. As a result, human beings, especially women and elderly people, are familiar and do not damage the surrounding environment. Further, since the outer skin is flexible, it has effects such as not giving a load to the movable part and not causing a decrease in driving force. Further, the outer skin of the portion corresponding to the movable portion of the main body is constituted by a skin having stretchability in the movable direction, the outer skin of the portion corresponding to the non-movable part is constituted by a non-stretchable outer cover, the load of the movable portion Can be reduced.
[0045]
Further, engaged by thread-like member having flexibility predetermined length of fastener on the inner surface of the outer cover mounting, the fastener when depositing skin on the housing of the body in the corresponding engaging portion of the housing Therefore, the movement of the outer skin with respect to the housing of the main body is allowed, and the flexibility of the movement of the outer skin can be ensured.
[0046]
In addition, a resilient pad is attached to the surface of the housing, and the outer skin is attached to the pad. Therefore, for example, in an animal robot, the outer shape of the limb is retained by retaining the swelling and elasticity of the outer skin. This makes it more realistic and enhances the feel when stroking and holding.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robot body according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen through.
2 is an exploded perspective view of the robot body in FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the head of FIG. 2. FIG.
4 is a side view of the head mask assembly of FIG. 3. FIG.
5A and 5B are perspective views of a binocular subassembly attached to the mask assembly of FIG. 3, as viewed from diagonally forward, and as viewed from diagonally rear.
6 is an exploded perspective view of the binocular subassembly of FIG. 3. FIG.
7 is an exploded perspective view of the foot of FIG. 2. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view showing the assembled state of the foot of FIG. 2, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8B-8B of FIG.
9 is an exploded perspective view of the outer skin of FIG. 1. FIG.
10 is a perspective view of a fastener attached to the epidermis of FIG. 9. FIG.
11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the fastener of FIG. 10 is attached to the casing of the trunk.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view seen through the robot body, showing a state where the outer skin of the back is broken and the pad is removed in another embodiment of the cat type robot of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Robot main body, 2 ... Outer skin, 3 ... Torso part (non-movable part), 4 ... Head (movable part), 5 ... Both front leg parts (movable part), 6 ... Both rear leg parts (movable part), 7 ... Tail part (movable part), 8 ... Case, 9 ... Locking hole, 13 ... Case, 14 ... Binaural (movable part), 16 ... Lower jaw (movable part), 23a, 23b ... Upper and lower eyelids (movable) Part), 65 ... Fastener, 68 ... Thread, 77 ... Pat .

Claims (3)

In skin deposition structure to deposit the skin with flexibility on the surface of the housing body having a movable and unmovable portions, skin skin of the portion corresponding to the movable portion of said body having a stretchability in the movable direction in constructed, outer skin of the portion corresponding to the non-movable part is constituted by a non-elastic outer skin, attached by thread members having a predetermined length of flexibility fastener on the inner surface of said outer skin, said body of said outer skin When attaching to the housing | casing of this, the said fastener was latched by the latching | locking part to which the said housing | casing respond | corresponds, The outer skin deposition structure characterized by the above-mentioned . And attaching a pad having elasticity on the surface of the front Kikatamitai, skin deposition structure according to claim 1, characterized in that deposited the skin on top of the pad. A robot provided with the outer skin covering structure according to claim 1 or 2 .

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