Integrated bumper

• US 10,183,701 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2018
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ai Incorprated
• Original Assignee: Ai Incorprated
• Inventors: Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Ali, Powers, Alex Douglas, Fathi Djalali, Shahin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyjak, Lori L
• Application Number:
  US15/924,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20180265137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 24/04 Vehicle body mounted on resilient suspension for movement relative to the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 27/04 resilient
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles

Abstract

Integrated bumpers are presented including: a suspension assembly including, a suspension plate coupled with a robotic device chassis along a top surface of the robotic device chassis, a number of radially disposed springs positioned along a portion of a perimeter of the suspension plate and coupled with the suspension plate, and a number of cutouts positioned along the perimeter of the suspension plate; and a cover coupled with the suspension assembly, the cover including, a number of spring anchors coupled with the number of springs, which in some embodiments may be radially disposed, and a number of tabs aligned with the number of cutouts to limit movement of the suspension plate. In some embodiments, integrated bumpers further include: two impact sensors positioned along a second portion of the perimeter, the two impact sensors detecting movement between the suspension assembly and the cover.

Claims

1. An integrated bumper comprising:

a suspension assembly comprising,

a suspension plate coupled with a robotic device chassis along a top surface of the robotic device chassis,

a plurality of radially disposed springs positioned along a portion of a circumference of the suspension plate and coupled with the suspension plate, and

a plurality of cutouts positioned along the circumference of the suspension plate; and

a cover coupled with the suspension assembly, the cover comprising,

a plurality of spring anchors coupled with the plurality of radially disposed springs, and

a plurality of tabs aligned with the plurality of cutouts to limit movement of the suspension plate.

2. The integrated bumper of claim 1, further comprising:

two impact sensors positioned along a second portion of the circumference, the two impact sensors detecting movement between the suspension assembly and the cover.

3. The integrated bumper of claim 2, wherein the two impact sensors detect one of three conditions upon impact of the robotic device with an object.

4. The integrated bumper system of claim 3, wherein the three conditions comprise:

an on₁-on₂ condition;

an on₁-off₂ condition; and

an off₁-on₂ condition.

5. The integrated bumper of claim 4, wherein

the on₁-on₂ condition indicates a front impact, wherein

the on₁-off₂ condition indicates a first side impact local to a first of the two impact sensors, and wherein

the off₁-on₂ condition indicates a second side impact local to a second of the two impact sensors.

6. The integrated bumper of claim 1, wherein the cover at least partially encloses the robotic device chassis and fully encloses the suspension assembly.

7. The integrated bumper of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises a user interface opening disposed along a top surface of the cover.

8. The integrated bumper of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises a plurality of side ports corresponding with a plurality of sensors.

9. The integrated bumper of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radially disposed springs each comprise a spring tension.

10. The integrated bumper of claim 1, wherein the cover moves when impacted.

11. A robotic device comprising:

a robotic device chassis;

an integrated bumper comprising,

a suspension assembly comprising,

a suspension plate coupled with a robotic device chassis along a top surface of the robotic device chassis,

a plurality of radially disposed springs positioned along a portion of a circumference of the suspension plate and coupled with the suspension plate, and

a plurality of cutouts positioned along the circumference of the suspension plate; and

a cover coupled with the suspension assembly, the cover comprising,

a plurality of spring anchors coupled with the plurality of radially disposed springs, and

a plurality of tabs aligned with the plurality of cutouts to limit movement of the suspension plate.

12. The robotic device of claim 11, wherein the cover further comprises a user interface opening disposed along a top surface of the cover.

13. The robotic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface positioned along the user interface opening; and

a bridging element positioned around the user interface to close a gap between the user interface and the cover.

14. The robotic device of claim 13, wherein the cover moves separately from the user interface upon an impact.

15. The robotic device of claim 13, wherein the bridging element and cover are a unitary element such that the bridging element is raised above the top surface of the cover, and wherein the unitary element moves separately from the user interface upon an impact.

16. The robotic device of claim 13, wherein the bridging element and cover are a unitary element such that the bridging element is level with the top surface of the cover, and wherein the unitary element moves separately from the user interface upon an impact.

17. The robotic device of claim 13, wherein the bridging element and the user interface are mechanically coupled such that the bridging element is level with the user interface, and wherein the cover moves separately from the bridging element and the user interface upon an impact.

18. The robotic device of claim 13, wherein the bridging element and the user interface are a unitary element such that the bridging element is level with the user interface, and wherein the cover moves separately from the unitary element upon an impact.

19. The robotic device of claim 11, further comprising:

two impact sensors positioned along a second portion of the circumference, the two impact sensors detecting movement between the suspension assembly and the cover.

20. The robotic device of claim 19, wherein the two impact sensors detect one of three conditions upon impact of the robotic device with an object, wherein the three conditions comprise:

an on₁-on₂ condition;

an on₁-off₂ condition; and

an off₁-on₂ condition.

21. The robotic device of claim 20, wherein

the on₁-on₂ condition indicates a front impact, wherein

the on₁-off₂ condition indicates a first side impact local to a first of the two impact sensors, and wherein

the off₁-on₂ condition indicates a second side impact local to a second of the two impact sensors.

22. The robotic device of claim 11, wherein the cover at least partially encloses the robotic device chassis and fully encloses the suspension assembly.

23. The robotic device of claim 11, wherein the cover further comprises a plurality of side ports corresponding with a plurality of sensors.