Throwable robot with clamshell body

• US 10,683,045 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2018
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ReconRobotics Inc.
• Original Assignee: ReconRobotics Inc.
• Inventors: Sellner, Matthew M., Kossett, Alex J., Moreau, Jade, Drenner, Andrew, Gigl, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Maurice L
• Application Number:
  US16/103,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20190002045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/043 Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0046 the motor moving together with the vehicle body, i.e. moving independently from the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0061 the motor axle being parallel to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/02 with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/022 consisting of members having both rotational and walking movements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern

Abstract

A two wheeled throwable robot comprises an elongate chassis with two ends, a motor at each end, drive wheels connected to the motors, and a tail extending from the elongate chassis. A rear portion having a deep recess securing the pair of motors with brackets, and batteries with brackets. The forward part having a shallow recess with a printed circuit board secured therein having control circuitry. The wheels are less than six inches in diameter and the robot weighs less than five pounds.

Claims

1. A two wheeled throwable robot comprising:

an elongate two-piece chassis having an outwardly exposed surface extending around the chassis and one of the two piece chassis comprising a unitary deep recess portion, a unitary second portion, and a gasket or sealing material disposed therebetween, the deep recess portion having a pair of opposite ends each with an opening for a wheel shaft, the respective wheel shaft openings entirely contained within each respective end, the unitary deep recess portion having a C-shaped cross-section inwardly from the pair of ends, the unitary second portion having a pair of ends and being configured for sealing attachment onto the deep recess portion defining a chassis interior, a pair of drive motors positioned and secured in place in the deep recess portion, a battery secured in the deep recess portion;

a printed circuit board secured in the chassis;

a pair of wheels attached to each end of the deep recess portion of the chassis, each of the pair of wheels being driven by one of the pair of drive motors; and

a tail extending from a rearward face of the elongate chassis,

wherein the pair of ends of the deep recess portion are each configured as an annular bushing.

2. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 1 wherein the circuit board is secured to the forwardly positioned unitary second portion of the chassis and has a camera attached thereto, the camera positioned at an opening in the forwardly positioned portion of the chassis.

3. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 2 wherein the chassis has a camera lens secured to the chassis at the opening.

4. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board has a microphone, a camera, and illumination LED'"'"'s attached thereto, and positioned at a forward face of the chassis.

5. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 1 wherein each of the wheels is less than 6 inches in diameter and the robot weighs less than 5 pounds.

6. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 5 wherein each wheel has a shaft extending through the respective wheel shaft openings in the deep recess portion, each shaft sealed with a shaft seal.

7. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 6 wherein the camera is integrated into the circuit board, the unitary second portion is positioned forwardly of the deep recess portion, and the circuit board spans a recess portion of the unitary second portion.

8. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 7 wherein a light sensor, and a plurality of illumination LED'"'"'s are attached to the printed circuit board.

9. A two wheeled throwable robot comprising:

an elongate body supporting a pair of drive wheels, one drive wheel on each of two ends of the body, a tail centrally positioned on the elongate body intermediate the pair of drive wheels and extending rearwardly from the body;

the elongate body comprising an elongate chassis generally cylindrical and is split, in an end view, in a vertical chord forward of an axis of the chassis, the chassis comprising a unitary elongate deep recess chassis portion and an unitary elongate shallow recess chassis portion, the deep recess chassis portion and shallow recess chassis portion assembled together defining a chassis interior and providing an exteriorly exposed chassis surface, the deep recess chassis portion having a pair of ends and having a C-shape cross section inwardly of the ends, a motor positioned and secured in the deep recess chassis portion;

a battery positioned and secured in the deep recess chassis portion;

a printed circuit board with control circuitry secured within the chassis in the interior;

the pair of drive wheels attached at each end of the deep recess chassis portion, each of the pair of wheels being motor driven.

10. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 9 wherein the printed circuit board has a camera attached thereto and positioned at an opening in a forward portion of the chassis, the opening having a lens secured thereto.

11. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 9 wherein the forward portion of the chassis is the shallow recess chassis portion.

12. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 11 wherein the printed circuit board has a microphone and a photovoltaic sensor attached thereto end and each positioned at openings in the forward portion of the chassis.

13. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 11 wherein each of the pair of wheels is less than 6 inches in diameter.

14. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 9 wherein the robot weighs less than 5 pounds.

15. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 9 wherein the robot has two motors and each motor is connected to one of the pair of drive wheels.

16. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 9 wherein the chassis has flattened portions on a top side and bottom side of the chassis.

17. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 9 wherein an actuation member for actuating the robot is positioned at a forward face of the chassis.

18. The two wheeled throwable robot of claim 9 wherein the pair of ends of the deep recess chassis portion each have an opening for a wheel shaft, the respective wheel shaft openings entirely contained within each respective end.

19. A two wheeled throwable robot comprising:

an elongate body supporting a pair of drive wheels, one drive wheel on each of two ends of the body, a tail centrally positioned on the elongate body intermediate the pair of drive wheels and extending rearwardly from the body;

the elongate body comprising an elongate chassis comprising a clam shell shape with an elongate deep recess chassis portion and an elongate shallow recess chassis portion, the deep recess chassis portion and shallow recess chassis portion assembled together defining a chassis interior and providing an exteriorly exposed chassis surface, the deep recess chassis portion having a pair of ends and having a C-shape cross section inwardly of the ends, a motor positioned and secured in the deep recess chassis portion;

a battery positioned and secured in the deep recess chassis portion;

a printed circuit board with control circuitry secured within the chassis in the interior;

the pair of drive wheels attached at each end of the deep recess chassis portion, each of the pair of wheels being motor driven, wherein the shallow recess chassis portion is forwardly positioned and has a central region projecting forwardly and further having flattened forward facing end portions on each lateral side of the central region.