JPS6212482A - Mobile device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To freely change a direction of a vehicle body, by providing a direction changing mechanism having a rotatable direction changing magnet at a lower portion of a vehicle body frame in such a manner as to be protrudable downwardly of the vehicle body frame. CONSTITUTION:A vehicle body frame 1 is provided with a traveling mechanism 2 for driving magnet wheels 8a, 8b, 9a and 9b as wheels of the vehicle, a direction changing mechanism 3 having direction changing magnets 16a-16d mounted on a rotary base 15, and a lifting mechanism 4 for protruding the direction changing mechanism 3 downwardly of the vehicle body frame 1. A lifting base 18 is permitted to separate from the vehicle body frame 1 by the lifting mechanism 4, and the rotary base 15 is permitted to rotated forwardly and reversely relative to the lifting base 18 by the direction changing mechanism 3. Accordingly, the vehicle body frame 1 may be changed in direction on a surface of a magnetic body, and may be traveled in a free direction.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a moving device, and particularly to a moving device suitable for a mobile robot that performs inspection and inspection work while moving on a steel surface such as a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. .

[Technical background of invention and its problems]

At nuclear power plants, inspection and inspection work is carried out while moving around steel surfaces such as reactor pressure vessels, walls and ceilings made of magnetic materials, the inside and outside surfaces of large-diameter piping, the inside and outside surfaces of tanks, slopes, floors, etc. There is a mobile robot that has wheels using permanent magnets. In such a permanent magnet wheel type moving device, the direction of the traveling force of the moving device is changed by a steering mechanism provided on the wheels or by a speed difference between the left and right wheels. However, in either method, the running direction is changed using wheels that are magnetically attracted to the running surface, making it impossible to make small turns and making it difficult to change the vehicle body in any direction.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a moving device that uses a permanent magnet wheel system but can freely change directions on a magnetic surface that is a running surface.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention includes a vehicle body frame, a traveling mechanism that drives and rotates a plurality of magnetic wheels pivotally supported by the vehicle body frame so as to roll on a magnetic surface; A direction change mechanism in which a direction change magnet that can be attracted to a magnetic material surface is rotatably supported in a horizontal direction at the bottom of the vehicle body frame, and an elevating mechanism that makes this direction change mechanism appear and retract from the bottom of the vehicle body frame are installed. This feature allows the vehicle to change direction freely on the magnetic surface, which is the running surface.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Reference numeral 1 shown in the figure is a vehicle body frame of the moving device, and the vehicle body frame 1 includes, for example, steel surfaces such as those of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel, walls and ceilings made of magnetic materials, etc.
Predetermined inspection equipment (not shown) is installed to inspect and inspect the inside and outside surfaces, slopes, floors, etc. of large-diameter piping. The vehicle body frame 1 incorporates a traveling mechanism 2 for driving the vehicle body frame 1, a direction changing mechanism 3 for changing the direction of the moving device, and an elevating mechanism 4 for moving the direction changing mechanism 3 into and out of the vehicle body frame 1. There is.

Of these, the traveling mechanism 2 includes a drive motor 5 attached to the front and rear of the vehicle body frame 1, a reducer 6 that decelerates the rotational driving force of the motor 5, and a power transmission 1aM47 that transmits the reduced driving force. It has magnetic wheels 8a, 8b: 9a, 9b as traveling wheels which are rotationally driven by the rotational driving force from the drive motor 5, and each Macune! - Wheels 8a, 8b: 9a, 9b are mounted on both sides of shafts 10a, 10b rotatably supported at the front and rear of the vehicle body frame 1, respectively.

For example, a driven gear 11 of the power transmission mechanism 7 is mounted on the shafts 10a and 10b, and a drive gear 12 attached to an output shaft from a reduction gear 116 meshes with the driven gear 11 to transmit power. It has become.

Due to the driving mechanism 2, the magnet wheel 8a,
8b: 9a and 9b are rotationally driven, and the vehicle body frame 1 rolls and runs on a magnetic surface 14 serving as a running floor.

Further, the direction change mechanism 3 is supported at the lower part of the vehicle body frame 1 via a lifting mechanism 4, and this direction change mechanism 3 is supported by a direction change magnet l-1 mounted on a rotation base 15.
6a, 16b, 16c, and 16d. The rotating base 15 is supported via a support shaft 19 that is rotatably supported by a lifting base 18 of the lifting mechanism 4. A worm wheel 21 serving as a driven gear of a power transmission mechanism 20 is mounted on the support shaft 19 . This worm wheel 21 meshes with a worm 23 that is rotationally driven by a drive motor 22. The support shaft 19 rotates via the power transmission mechanism 20 due to the motor drive of the drive motor 22, and the rotation base 15 rotates around the shaft axis. It is designed to rotate.

The drive motor 2 is attached to the lower side of the lifting base 18 of the lifting mechanism 4.

The elevator fM4 includes a rectangular lifting base 18, which is supported by a fixed base 25 fixed to the center of the vehicle body frame 1 via a plurality of four descending screws 26 so as to be able to move up and down. The lifting screw 26 is the lifting base 1
The screw head is a sprocket (which may be a pulley, sheave or gear).

) 28, and a drive chain (or lobe or belt) 29 is wound around each sprocket 28. One of each sprocket 28 is provided integrally with a worm wheel 31 as a driven gear of the power transmission mechanism 30, and this worm wheel 31 is connected to a worm 33 driven by a reversibly rotatable lifting motor 32. It meshes with. Driven by the lifting motor 32, each screw head 28 transmits power to the INNSO2.
The elevating base 1B is moved forward and backward relative to the fixed base 25, and is raised and lowered. in this case,
The lifting motor 32 and the power transmission mechanism 30 may be attached to the fixed base 25.

Therefore, by the operation of the lifting mechanism 4, the fixed base 25
As a result, the vehicle body frame 1 and the elevating base 18 relatively approach or move away from each other. Further, by the operation of the direction changing mechanism 3, the elevating base 18 and the rotating base 15 are relatively rotated in forward and reverse directions. As a result, the vehicle body frame 1 can change direction on the magnetic surface 14, and can run on the magnetic surface 14 in any direction by operating the traveling i structure 2.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the moving device is traveling, the magnetic wheels 8a, 8b in the traveling mechanism 2:
9a and 9b are magnetically attached (adsorbed) to the magnetic surface 14 and roll. At this time, the direction change magnet wheels 8a, 8b: 9a, 9b in the direction change mechanism 3 are
4, it is possible to run using the magnet wheels 8a, 8b: 9a, 9b in this state.

Next, when the lifting motor 32 is rotated in a predetermined direction,
The elevating base 18 descends, and along with this, the rotating base 15
The direction change magnets 16a to 16d are also lowered, and the magnets 16a to 16d are installed on the magnetic surface 14 and attracted thereto. Further, when the R lowering motor 32 continues to rotate, the vehicle body frame 1 and the magnet wheels 8a, 8
b: 9a and 9b float away from the magnetic surface 14, and the third
as shown in the figure.

In this state, when the conversion drive motor 22 is rotated, the fourth
As shown in the figure, when the vehicle body frame 1 is running in the front direction, a direction change magnet 16a is attached to the magnetic surface 14.
Since the rotating base 15 does not rotate due to the magnetic attachment of the rotating base 15, the lifting base 18, the fixed base 25, and the vehicle body frame 1 rotate around the support shaft 19, as shown in FIG. 5, for example. The direction of travel can be changed by rotating clockwise.

In this way, when the traveling direction is changed, the differential lowering motor 32 is reversed to move the direction changer v43 to the vehicle body frame 1.
(see Figure 2), and the magnetic surface 1
4, the vehicle body frame 1 is lowered and the magnet wheel 8a
, 8b; 9a, 9b are magnetically attached to the magnetic surface 14 and then rolled again, thereby allowing the vehicle body frame 1 to travel.

Note that the rotational control of the drive motor 5 in the traveling mechanism 2, the lifting motor 32 in the lifting mechanism 4, and the conversion drive motor 22 in the direction changing m structure 3 can be performed by remote control.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention is equipped with a vehicle body frame, a traveling mechanism, a direction change mechanism, and a lifting mechanism. By operating the direction changing mechanism, the traveling direction of the vehicle body frame can be changed, and after the change, the vehicle body frame can be driven again by the traveling mechanism, so that it can travel in any direction on the magnetic surface.

Therefore, for example, when applied to the side of a robot that performs inspection and inspection work at a nuclear power plant, it can move and run in any direction on the steel surface of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel, etc., and perform inspection and inspection work smoothly and smoothly. It has excellent effects such as being able to perform

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the moving device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of the moving device in a state where it is adsorbed on a magnetic material surface and running, and Fig. 3 is a front view when changing direction. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the moving device corresponding to FIG. 2, and FIG. 015 is a plan view at the time of direction change. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vehicle body frame, 2... Traveling mechanism, 3... Direction change mechanism, 4... Lifting mechanism, 5... Drive motor,
6... Reduction gear, 7.20.30... Power transmission mechanism,
Ba. 8b; 9a, 9b... Magnet wheel, 15...
- Rotating base, 16a-16d... Magnet for direction change, 18... Elevating base, 22... Rotation 1! J! Drive motor, 25... Fixed base, 26... Lifting screw, 32... Lifting motor. Applicant's agent Hisashi Hatano Figure $3 Figure $4 Figure h Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle body frame, a traveling mechanism that drives and rotates a plurality of magnetic wheels pivotally supported by the vehicle body frame so as to roll on a magnetic surface, and a direction changer that can be attracted to the magnetic surface. A moving device comprising: a direction changing mechanism in which a magnet is rotatably supported in a horizontal direction at the bottom of a vehicle body frame; and an elevating mechanism that causes the direction changing mechanism to appear and disappear below the vehicle body frame. 2. The traveling mechanism includes a shaft rotatably supported at the front and rear of the vehicle body frame, magnet wheels provided on both sides of this shaft, a drive motor attached to the vehicle body frame, and a rotation drive by this motor. The moving device according to claim 1, further comprising a power transmission mechanism that transmits force to the magnet wheel via the shaft. 3. The moving device according to claim 1, wherein the elevating mechanism includes an elevating base facing below a fixed base provided on the vehicle body frame, and a mechanism for elevating and lowering the elevating base. 4. The direction changing device includes a rotating base rotatably supported by the elevating base of the elevating mechanism, a mechanism for rotating the rotating base, and a direction changing magnet attached to the lower surface of the rotating base. A moving device according to claim 1 or 3.