Remotely controlled packable robot

• US 10,471,589 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Meeker, David C., Mason, Timothy J., Kirouac, Andrew, Wasserman, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Knutson, Jacob D
• Application Number:
  US15/704,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20180079073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 180 9
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/002 Manipulators for defensive or military tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 18/02 extensible
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0009 Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/102 Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears gearings in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/065 Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/084 Endless-track units or carriages mounted separably, adjustably or extensibly on vehicles, e.g. portable track units B62D55/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/125 Final drives
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/024 specially adapted for moving on inclined or vertical surfaces endless-track vehicles for ascending or descending stairs B62D55/075; hand-carts with provision for travelling up or down stairs B62B5/02

Abstract

A remotely controlled packable robot features a chassis, right and left main tracks for maneuvering the chassis, and right and left tracked rotatable flipper arms for maneuvering the chassis. An integrated drive assembly is provided for each main track and flipper pair and includes a motor in a housing attached to the chassis for rotating the flipper and a stator and rotor disposed about the motor housing for driving the main track and the flipper track.

Claims

1. A remotely controlled robot comprising:

a chassis;

right and left main tracks for maneuvering the chassis;

right and left tracked rotatable flipper arms for maneuvering the chassis; and

an integrated drive assembly for each main track and flipper pair including;

a motor in a housing attached to the chassis for rotating the flipper,

a stator and rotor disposed about the motor housing for driving the main track and the flipper track, and

each rotor including exterior teeth driving a respective main track.

2. The robot of claim 1 in which each integrated drive assembly further includes a slip clutch attached to a respective flipper arm and driven by a respective motor via a gear train.

3. The robot of claim 1 in which each stator is affixed about a respective housing and includes teeth with windings thereabout.

4. The robot of claim 1 in which each rotor rotates about a respective housing and includes magnets therein.

5. The robot of claim 1 further including a sprocket attached to each rotor driving a flipper track.

6. The robot of claim 1 in which the chassis has a top surface and a bottom surface and there is an open channel under the robot defined by the bottom surface of the chassis and the main tracks.

7. The robot of claim 6 further including a robot arm foldable from a stored position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

8. The robot of claim 7 including a foldable base member for the robot arm located on one end of the chassis.

9. The robot of claim 8 in which the foldable base member for the robot arm includes a member hinged to the chassis.

10. The robot of claim 9 further including a latch mechanism for releasably retaining the foldable base member in the deployed position.

11. The robot of claim 8 in which the chassis includes a U-shaped cut-out therein and the foldable base member resides in the cut-out.

12. The robot of claim 6 further including a camera head foldable from a stowed position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

13. The robot of claim 12 including a foldable base member for the camera head located on one end of the chassis.

14. The robot of claim 12 further including a latch mechanism for releasably retaining the camera head in the deployed position.

15. A remotely controlled robot comprising:

a chassis;

right and left main tracks for maneuvering the chassis;

right and left rotatable flipper arms for maneuvering the chassis; and

an integrated drive assembly for each main track and flipper arm pair including;

a motor in a housing attached to the chassis for rotating the flipper arm,

a stator and rotor disposed about the motor housing for driving the main track, and

each rotor including exterior teeth driving a respective main track.

16. The robot of claim 15 in which each integrated drive assembly further includes a slip clutch attached to a respective flipper arm and driven by a respective motor via a gear train.

17. The robot of claim 15 in which each stator is affixed about a respective housing and includes teeth with windings thereabout.

18. The robot of claim 15 in which each rotor rotates about a respective housing and includes magnets therein.

19. The robot of claim 15 in which each flipper arm includes a track and the robot further including a sprocket attached to each respective rotor driving a respective flipper track.

20. The robot of claim 15 in which the chassis has a top surface and a bottom surface and there is an open channel under the robot defined by the bottom surface of the chassis and the main tracks.

21. The robot of claim 20 further including a robot arm foldable from a stored position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

22. The robot of claim 20 further including a camera head foldable from a stowed position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

23. A remotely controlled robot comprising:

a chassis;

at least one main track for maneuvering the chassis;

at least one rotatable flipper arm for maneuvering the chassis; and

an integrated drive assembly for the main track and the flipper arm and including;

a motor in a housing attached to the chassis for rotating the flipper arm,

a stator and rotor disposed about the motor housing for driving a main track, and

each rotor including exterior teeth for driving a respective main track.

24. The robot of claim 23 in which the integrated drive assembly further includes a slip clutch attached to the flipper arm and driven by the motor via a gear train.

25. The robot of claim 23 in which the stator is affixed about the housing and includes teeth with windings thereabout.

26. The robot of claim 23 in which the rotor rotates about the housing and includes magnets therein.

27. The robot of claim 23 in which the flipper arm includes a track and the robot further including a sprocket attached to the rotor driving the flipper track.

28. A remotely controlled robot comprising:

a chassis with a top surface and a bottom surface and an open channel under the robot defined by the bottom surface of the chassis and the main tracks;

right and left main chassis tracks;

right and left tracked rotatable flipper arms for maneuvering the chassis;

an integrated drive assembly for each main track and flipper pair including;

a motor in a housing attached to the chassis for rotating the flipper,

a stator and rotor disposed about the motor housing for driving the main chassis track and the flipper track;

a robot arm foldable from a stored position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upward from the top surface of the chasses; and

a foldable base member for the robot arm located on one end of the chassis.

29. The robot of claim 28 in which each integrated drive assembly further includes a slip clutch attached to a respective flipper arm and driven by a respective motor via a gear train.

30. The robot of claim 28 in which each stator is affixed about a respective housing and includes teeth with windings thereabout.

31. The robot of claim 28 in which each rotor rotates about a respective housing and includes magnets therein.

32. The robot of claim 28 in which each rotor includes exterior teeth driving a respective main track.

33. The robot of claim 28 further including a sprocket attached to each rotor driving a flipper track.

34. The robot of claim 28 further including a camera head foldable from a stowed position in said open channel underneath the robot chassis to a deployed position extending upwards from the top surface of the chassis.

35. The robot of claim 34 including a foldable base member for the camera head located on one end of the chassis.

36. The robot of claim 35 further including a latch mechanism for releasably retaining the camera head in the deployed position.

37. The robot of claim 28 in which the foldable base member for the robot arm includes a member hinged to the chassis.

38. The robot of claim 28 further including a latch mechanism for releasably retaining the foldable base member in the deployed position.

39. The robot of claim 28 in which the chassis includes a U-shaped cut-out therein and the foldable base member resides in the cut-out.