Transport assist equipment and bed
AssigneeKoyo Machine Industries Co., Ltd.
InventorsHiroyuki Niwa, Keisuke Nishino
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transport assist equipment assists transport of an object. The transport assist equipment includes a plurality of mecanum wheels, a plurality of motors, a first sensor, and a controller. The plurality of mecanum wheels are attached to the object. The plurality of motors are respectively attached to the plurality of mecanum wheels, and configured to respectively drive the plurality of mecanum wheels. The first sensor detects a force applied to the object. The controller is electrically connected to the first sensor and controls the plurality of motors. The controller drives the plurality of mecanum wheels via the motors so as to propel the object along a direction in which the object receives the force, based on a detection signal of the first sensor.
Claims8
A transport assist equipment comprising:
- a body comprising:
- an attachment plate body configured to be attached to a frame of an object for which movement of the object is to be assisted by the transport assist equipment;
- a first plate attached to a lower surface of the attachment plate body;
- a first plurality of linear guides configured to be slidable in only an x-axis direction of an x-axis in an x-y plane parallel to a surface of a floor, the first plurality of linear guides attached to a lower surface of the first plate;
- a second plate attached to a lower surface of the first plurality of linear guides;
- a second plurality of linear guides configured to be slidable in only a y-axis direction of a y-axis in the x-y plane parallel to the surface of the floor, the second plurality of linear guides attached to a lower surface of the second plate;
- a third plate attached to a lower surface of the second plurality of linear guides;
- an x-axis force sensor attached to a first side of the first plate in the x-axis direction and a first side of the second plate in the x-axis direction;
- and
- a y-axis force sensor attached to a second side of the second plate in the y-axis direction and a second side of the third plate in the y-axis direction;
- a plurality of mecanum wheels attached to the body;
- and
- a processor configured to obtain a first signal from the x-axis force sensor indicating a first strain in the x-axis direction between the frame and the plurality of mecanum wheels and a second signal from the y-axis force sensor indicating a second strain in the y-axis direction between the frame and the plurality of mecanum wheels, and control the plurality of mecanum wheels to rotate based on the first signal and the second signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.