Leg type mobile robot

• US 20060249314A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Takenaka, Toru, Hamaya, Kazushi, Gomi, Hiroshi, Matsumoto, Keizo
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/8.100
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0091 Shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/44 loaded mainly in compression
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 3/12 the steel spring being in contact with the rubber spring F16F1/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A leg type mobile robot (R) including an body (R2), legs (R1) each connected to the body (R2) via a first joint (12, 13), and foots (R17) each connected to an end part of the leg part (R1) via a second joint (15, 16), the foot (17) including a foot portion (61) having a lower end part having a ground area (64, 66) grounded on a floor surface, the foot portion (61) including a plate spring part (62) supporting empty weight while bending at the time of being grounded.

Claims

1. A leg type mobile robot comprising:

an body;

legs each connected to the body via a first joint; and

foots each connected to an end part of the leg part via a second joint,

the foot including a foot portion having a lower end part having a ground area grounded on a floor surface,

the foot portion including a plate spring part supporting empty weight while bending at the time of being grounded.

2. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the foot portion includes a plurality of ground areas.

3. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of ground areas are separately arranged backward and forward to the second joint.

4. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the ground areas is curved upward as the ground area separates from the second joint.

5. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the foot portion includes a first sole member generating frictional resistance between the floor surface and the first sole member at the time of being grounded as the ground area.

6. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 5, further comprising a first intermediate member for attenuating the vibration of the plate spring part when the first sole member is grounded between the plate spring part and the first sole member.

7. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 6, wherein the first intermediate member allows a displacement in the direction of the floor surface to the plate spring part of the first sole member when the first sole member is grounded.

8. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 5, wherein the foot portion includes a second sole member generating frictional resistance between the floor surface and the second sole member at the time of being grounded above the first sole member.

9. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 8, further comprising a second intermediate member for attenuating the vibration of the plate spring part when the second sole member is grounded between the plate spring part and the second sole member.

10. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 9, wherein the second intermediate member allows a displacement in the direction of the floor surface to the plate spring part of the second sole member when the second sole member is grounded.

11. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the foot portion includes a base part, and the plurality of plate spring parts extending downward from the base part and having the ground area formed at the side of the bottom surface.

12. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 11, wherein four plate spring parts are provided;

the two plate spring parts extend forward from the base part;

the two remaining plate spring parts extend backward from the base part; and

the four plate spring parts and the base part are formed into a nearly letter H-shape.

13. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the plate spring part is made of a composite member reinforced with fiber.

14. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the plate spring part includes a plurality of layers having a different modulus of elasticity.

15. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the plate spring part includes multilayered plate springs and a viscous member interposed between the plate springs.

16. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising an attenuation means for attenuating the vibration of the plate spring part.

17. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of plate spring parts are provided, and a connection part for connecting the two plate spring parts is provided.

18. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the foot includes a floor reaction force detecting means for detecting a floor reaction force acting from the floor surface via the foot portion.

19. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 18, wherein the floor reaction force detecting means is a unitized floor reaction force detector.

20. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 19, wherein the foot portion is fixed to the floor reaction force detector.

21. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 19, wherein the foot portion includes the plurality of ground areas;

the center of the second joint is offset to a position where a distance to the remotest point of the plurality of ground areas is minimum in a plane view; and

the center of the floor reaction force detector is provided so as to be closer to a position where a distance to the remotest point of the plurality of ground areas is minimum in a plane view than the center of the second joint.

22. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 19, wherein the foot portion includes the plurality of ground areas;

and the floor reaction force detector is provided at a position where a distance to the remotest point of the plurality of ground areas is minimum in a plane view.

23. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 18, wherein the floor reaction force detecting means is a distortion detecting means for detecting the distortion of the plate spring part.

24. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 8, further comprising an attenuation means for attenuating the vibration of the plate spring part.

25. The leg type mobile robot according to claim 8, wherein the foot includes a floor reaction force detecting means for detecting a floor reaction force acting from the floor surface via the foot portion.