Robot with changeable position of body with respect to a vehicle portion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12427648-B2
Application number	US-202318855651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2023
Priority date	Apr 27, 2022
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

Robot includes two arms, a body, a vehicle portion, and a body position changing mechanism. Body position changing mechanism includes an elevation angle changing mechanism that supports body such that an elevation angle with respect to a vehicle portion reference plane is changeable, and an azimuth angle changing mechanism that supports elevation angle changing mechanism. Elevation angle changing mechanism includes a moving portion that is moved along a straight line parallel to the vehicle portion reference plane, a first link that includes a lower end connected to moving portion rotatably, extends in a direction forming an elevation angle with the vehicle portion reference plane, and supports body, a second link that includes an upper end connected to first link rotatably, and a link lower end support portion to which a lower end of second link is connected rotatably.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
two arms;
a body to which the two arms are connected;
a vehicle portion to move by rotation of wheels; and
a body position changing mechanism to support the body such that a position of the body with respect to the vehicle portion is changeable, wherein
the body position changing mechanism includes
an elevation angle changing mechanism to support the body such that an elevation angle, which is an angle formed by a vehicle portion reference plane, which is a plane perpendicular to an azimuth axis intersecting the vehicle portion, and a direction in which the body extends, is changeable, and
a vehicle connector to support the elevation angle changing mechanism rotatably around the azimuth axis, the vehicle connector being provided in the vehicle portion, and the elevation angle changing mechanism includes
a base supported by the vehicle connector,
a moving slide to be moved along a straight line parallel to the vehicle portion reference plane on an upper side of the base,
a first link to support the body, the first link having a lower end connected to the moving slide rotatably and extending in a direction which forms the elevation angle with respect to the vehicle portion reference plane,
a second link having an upper end connected to the first link rotatably, and
a link lower end support base to which a lower end of the second link is connected rotatably, the link lower end support base being provided in the base.

2. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the link lower end support base is provided below a straight line along which the moving slide is moved.

3. The robot according to claim 2 , wherein
a minimum elevation angle, which is a minimum value of the elevation angle in each state in which the moving slide is moved in a movable range which is a range in which the moving slide can be moved, is less than or equal to a predetermined minimum allowable limit value of elevation angle,
a maximum elevation angle, which is a maximum value of the elevation angle in each state in which the moving slide is moved in the movable range, is greater than or equal to a predetermined maximum allowable limit value of elevation angle, and
a minimum robot height, which is a minimum value of a robot height which is a distance between the vehicle portion reference plane and a predetermined point of the body in each state in which the moving slide is moved in the movable range, is less than or equal to a predetermined allowable limit value of robot height.

4. The robot according to claim 3 , wherein a distance between a connection point with the moving slide in the first link and a connection point with the second link in the first link, a distance between a connection point with the first link in the second link and the link lower end support base, a difference in height between the straight line along which the moving slide is moved and the link lower end support base, and a distance between the link lower end support base and the azimuth axis are predetermined so that the minimum robot height is minimized in the movable range which is predetermined.

5. The robot according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a body support portion having a shape of a square cylinder and configured to support the body, the body support portion being supported by the first link; and
an expansion mechanism including an expansion motor to enable the body support portion to be moved along the first link.

6. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein
a minimum elevation angle, which is a minimum value of the elevation angle in each state in which the moving slide is moved in a movable range which is a range in which the moving slide can be moved, is less than or equal to a predetermined minimum allowable limit value of elevation angle,
a maximum elevation angle, which is a maximum value of the elevation angle in each state in which the moving slide is moved in the movable range, is greater than or equal to a predetermined maximum allowable limit value of elevation angle, and
a minimum robot height, which is a minimum value of a robot height which is a distance between the vehicle portion reference plane and a predetermined point of the body in each state in which the moving slide is moved in the movable range, is less than or equal to a predetermined allowable limit value of robot height.

7. The robot according to claim 6 , wherein a distance between a connection point with the moving slide in the first link and a connection point with the second link in the first link, a distance between a connection point with the first link in the second link and the link lower end support base, a difference in height between a straight line along which the moving slide is moved and the link lower end support base, and a distance between the link lower end support base and the azimuth axis are predetermined so that the minimum robot height is minimized in the movable range which is predetermined.

8. The robot according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a body support portion having a shape of a square cylinder and configured to support the body, the body support portion being supported by the first link; and
an expansion mechanism including an expansion motor to enable the body support portion to be moved along the first link.

9. The robot according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a camera that is provided on an upper side of the body;
a neck to support the camera such that a visual line elevation angle, which is an angle formed by a body reference plane perpendicular to a head rotation axis and an optical axis of the camera, is changeable, the neck being supported by the body rotatably around the head rotation axis intersecting with the body;
a head rotation portion including a head rotation motor and configured to connect the neck to the body rotatably around the head rotation axis; and
a visual line elevation angle changer including a visual line motor and configured to connect the camera to the neck such that the visual line elevation angle is changeable.

10. The robot according to claim 9 , further comprising a visual line linked controller to control the visual line elevation angle changer so as to change the visual line elevation angle by a second angle having a same absolute value as a first angle and a different sign from the first angle when the elevation angle changing mechanism changes the elevation angle by the first angle.

11. The robot according to claim 10 , further comprising:
two arm base joints to connect the two arms respectively to the body rotatably around an arm base rotation axis parallel to the body reference plane; and
an arm linked controller to control the arm base joint so as to change an arm base rotation angle, which is an angle formed by a direction in which the arm extends and the body reference plane, by the second angle when the elevation angle changing mechanism changes the elevation angle by the first angle.

12. The robot according to claim 9 , further comprising:
two arm base joints to connect the two arms respectively to the body rotatably around an arm base rotation axis parallel to the body reference plane; and
an arm linked controller to control the arm base joint so as to change an arm base rotation angle, which is an angle formed by a direction in which the arm extends and the body reference plane, by a second angle having a same absolute value as a first angle and a different sign from the first angle when the elevation angle changing mechanism changes the elevation angle by the first angle.

13. The robot according to claim 8 , further comprising:
two arm base joints to connect th

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Narasaki Shota
• Kawaguchi Noboru
• Hoshino Hayato
• Tomida Yosuke
• Kimura Shingo

Classifications

• B25J9/106

  with articulated links · CPC title

• B25J9/0009

  Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases · CPC title

• B25J9/0087

  Dual arms (double SCARA arms B25J9/043) · CPC title

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• B25J3/00

  Manipulators of leader-follower type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements · CPC title