JPH0257644B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sensor that is installed on a moving vehicle or the like and measures the contact distance when it comes into contact with a guide or equipment on a running surface.

Conventionally, as a contact distance sensor for a moving vehicle, as shown in FIG. A device in which the contact distance is measured by detecting the rotation of the sensor with a potentiometer 5 is known. This type of contact distance sensor is superior to systems that use ultrasonic waves in that the structure of the sensor is extremely simple, but as can be seen from Figure 1, due to contact with the guide 4, When the arm 2 rotates and the contact 3 sinks toward the fuselage 1 by an amount y, the contact position of the contact 3 with respect to the guide 4 shifts by an amount x, and especially if the guide surface is uneven, the movement relative to the guide will occur. It is not possible to accurately position the car.

The present invention aims to provide a contact distance sensor that eliminates the positional shift in the x direction caused by the displacement of the contactor in the y direction.

Accordingly, the first contact distance sensor of the present invention has a link having a contactor attached to the tip thereof, and a link mechanism in which the contactor moves approximately linearly by a pressing action on the contactor. This link mechanism is constructed by rotatably attaching two base links to the board, and rotatably attaching a link with the contactor attached to the tip of each of the base links. The present invention is characterized in that a rotation detector for detecting rotation of the base link due to pressing is provided on the substrate.

Further, in the second contact distance sensor of the present invention, the link mechanism is configured such that the first base link is rotatably attached to the substrate, and the second base link is slidable in a sliding groove provided on the substrate. The proximal end of the second base link and the vicinity of the proximal end of the first base link are respectively connected by rotatable connecting links, and the tips of the first and second base links are rotatably attached to the slider of the base link. A third contact distance sensor of the present invention is characterized in that the links to which the above-mentioned contacts are attached are each rotatably attached, and furthermore, a third contact distance sensor of the present invention comprises:
In the above link mechanism, two base links are rotatably attached to the same position on the board, and the middle part is rotatably connected to each tip of these base links, and the middle part is slid into the sliding groove of the board. The movably fitted second base links are each rotatably connected, and the tips of the links rotatably attached to the tips of these second base links are interconnected, and the contactor is connected thereto. This feature is characterized in that it is configured by attaching it.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, in which the base links 12 and 13 of the link mechanism 11 are rotatably attached to a base plate 10 that is attached to a mobile vehicle, etc., and the tips of these base links 12 and 13 are A third link 14 is rotatably attached to the third link 14, and a contact 15 formed by a small rotatable roller is attached to the tip of the link 14. The board 10 also includes a rotation detector 16 such as a potentiometer or an encoder for detecting the rotation of the base link 13.
Further, a return spring 17 is stretched between the substrate 10 and the base link 13. In addition, in the figure, 18 is a stopper.

The link mechanism 11 configured in this way, when a pressing force in the direction of the arrow is applied to the contactor 15,
The contactor 15 is configured to have a link structure that moves linearly. Specifically, in FIG. 3 which schematically shows the link mechanism 11, AB/CD/-=CP/BP/- Constructed to maintain relationships. In this case, the contact 15 (point P) draws a trajectory as shown by the dotted line,
Therefore, approximately linear movement can be performed within the operating range of the contact distance sensor.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the link mechanism does not have a linear sliding part, as compared to other embodiments described below, and therefore, its operation can be performed extremely smoothly.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a link mechanism 2 is attached to a board 20 to be attached to a mobile vehicle or the like.
The base end of the base link 22 in the second base link 2 is rotatably attached by a pin 22a, and the base end of the base link 22 in the second base link 2
3 is rotatably attached to a slider 24a that is slidable within a sliding groove 24 provided in the substrate 20, and the base end of the base link 23 and the vicinity of the base end of the base link 22 are respectively attached to the slider 24a. A fourth link 2 is connected to the base links 22 and 23 by a connecting link 25 rotatably attached to the base links 22 and 23.
6 are rotatably attached to each other, and these links constitute a parallelogram-shaped link mechanism,
A contact 27 is attached to the tip of the fourth link 26. Further, the substrate 20 is provided with a rotation detector 28 for detecting the rotation of the base link 22, and the slider 24a at the base end of the base link 23 is inserted into the sliding groove 24.
The return spring 29 that is held on the distal end side of the base link 2
2 and the substrate 20.

Of course, the link mechanism 21 moves the contact 27 linearly when the contact 27 is pressed in the direction of the arrow.

In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the links in the second embodiment are arranged symmetrically, that is, the base links 32 and 33 of the link mechanism 31 are rotatably placed at the same position on the board 30. installed on,
In addition, the base ends of the base links 34 and 35 are rotatably attached to a slider 36a that is slidable within the sliding groove 36, and the base ends of the links 34 and 35 and the base ends of the base links 32 and 33 are connected to each other. The adjacent parts are rotatably connected by connection links 37 and 38, and the base links 32, 34, and 3
Links 39 and 40 are rotatably attached to the tips of each of the links 3 and 35, and the tips of these links 39 and 40 are rotatably connected, and a contactor 41 is attached thereto. In addition, in the figure, 42 is a rotation detector that detects the rotation of the link 32 or 33 with respect to the substrate 30, and 43 is a return spring.

In the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the slider is moved linearly by a link mechanism 51 constituting a pantograph mechanism, and base links 52 and 53 are rotatably moved to the same position on a base plate 50. The second base links 54, 55 are rotatably connected to the tips of the base links 52, 53, and the base links 54, 55 are rotatably connected at the intermediate portion 56. part 56
is slidably fitted into the sliding groove 57 of the substrate 50,
Also, links 58 and 59 are rotatably attached to the tips of the base links 54 and 55, respectively, and the tips of these links 58 and 59 are connected, and a contactor 60 is attached thereto. In the figure, 61 is a rotation detector that detects the rotation of the base link 52 or 53, and 62 is a return spring.

In the fourth embodiment, it is clear that when the contact 60 is pressed in the direction of the arrow, the link mechanism 51 constituting the pantograph mechanism causes the contact 60 to move linearly.

This embodiment has the advantage of a simpler structure than the second and third embodiments, but the movable range of the contact is small relative to the amount of protrusion of the board.
On the contrary, the second and third embodiments have the advantage that the movable range of the contactor can be relatively wide.

As is clear from the detailed explanation above, according to the present invention, since the contact always moves linearly, there is no possibility of lateral deviation depending on the amount of displacement of the contact. Accurate contact distance detection can be performed at all times.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 shows the principle of a conventional contact distance sensor, Figure 2 shows the principle of a conventional contact distance sensor.
The figure is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the link mechanism of the first embodiment, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are perspective views of other different embodiments of the present invention. It is. 10, 20, 30, 50...Substrate, 11, 2
1, 31, 51... link mechanism, 12, 13, 2
2, 23, 32-35, 52-55... Base link, 14, 26, 39, 40, 58, 59... Link, 15, 27, 41, 60... Contact, 1
6, 28, 42, 61... Rotation detector.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A link mechanism having a link with a contact attached to its tip, and in which the contact moves approximately linearly by a pressing action on the contact, and this link mechanism includes: Two base links are each rotatably attached to the board, and a link to which the contactor is attached is rotatably attached to the tip of each of the base links, so that the rotation of the base link due to the pressing of the contactor is A contact distance sensor characterized in that a rotation detector for detection is provided on the substrate. 2. A link mechanism having a link with a contact attached to the tip, and in which the contact moves approximately linearly by a pressing action on the contact, and this link mechanism has a first base attached to the substrate. The link is rotatably attached, and the second base link is rotatably attached to a slider that is slidable in a sliding groove provided on the board, and the base end of the second base link and the first base link are rotatably attached. The vicinity of the base end of the contactor is connected to each other by a rotatable connection link, and the link with the contactor attached is rotatably attached to the tip of the first and second base links, A contact distance sensor, characterized in that a rotation detector for detecting rotation of the base link due to pressure is provided on the substrate. 3. A link mechanism is provided which has a link with a contact attached to its tip, and in which the contact moves approximately linearly by a pressing action on the contact, and this link mechanism is arranged at the same position on the board. Two base links are rotatably attached, and a second base link is rotatably connected to each tip of these base links at an intermediate portion, and the intermediate portion is slidably fitted in a sliding groove of a substrate. are rotatably connected to each other, the tips of the links rotatably attached to the tips of these second base links are interconnected, and the contactor is attached thereto, and the press of the contactor is A contact distance sensor, characterized in that the substrate is provided with a rotation detector that detects the rotation of the base link due to the rotation of the base link.