Conformable track assembly for a robotic crawler

• US 20080217993A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SARCOS LC (Sarcos Technology & Robotics Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Stephen C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,002,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 305/129
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/0655 Articulated endless track vehicles steering specially adapted for trailers B62D13/00; articulated buses B62D47/025; tractor-trailer combinations or road trains comprising a uni-axle unit and a uni-axle trailer B62D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/14 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/26 Ground engaging parts or elements tracks specially adapted for amphibious vehicles B60F3/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/305 acting on pivotably mounted idlers

Abstract

A suspension system for a lightweight robotic crawler is disclosed. The suspension system provides for mounting of a flexible endless track thereon. The suspension system includes a forward guide and a rearward guide around which the endless track can be looped. A deflector positioned between the forward guide and the rearward guide downwardly deflects a ground-engaging portion of the endless track to form a peaked area. The peaked area can support the lightweight robotic vehicle allowing alteration of a distribution of load over the ground-engaging portion of the endless track with respect to a supporting surface.

Claims

1. A suspension system for mounting a flexible endless track thereon to support a lightweight robotic vehicle, the suspension system comprising:

a frame;

a forward guide coupled to the frame and configured to receive a looped portion of the endless track around the forward guide;

a rearward guide coupled to the frame and configured to receive a looped portion of the endless track around the rearward guide; and

at least one deflector coupled to the frame between the forward guide and the rearward guide, the at least one deflector being configured to downwardly deflect a ground-engaging portion of the endless track between the forward guide and the rearward guide to form a peaked area, the deflector being configured as a full load-bearing component capable of altering a distribution of load over the ground-engaging portion of the endless track with respect to a supporting surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one deflector is in a fixed position relative to at least one of the forward guide and the rearward guide.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the forward guide and the rearward guide are coupled to the frame in a fixed relative position.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the forward guide and the rearward guide are each rollers.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one deflector is a roller.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of deflectors coupled to the frame in positions between the forward guide and the rearward guide and configured to downwardly deflect the ground-engaging portion of the endless track to form the peaked area into a curved shape.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the deflector is configured to support the lightweight robotic vehicle when the weight of the lightweight robotic vehicle is less than 20 pounds.

8. A method for supporting a lightweight robotic vehicle on an endless track, comprising:

providing an endless track looped around a forward guide and a rearward guide of the lightweight robotic vehicle;

deflecting a ground-engaging portion of the endless track in between the forward guide and the rearward guide in a downward direction to form a peaked area of the endless track; and

supporting the lightweight robotic vehicle at least partially by the peaked area so as to enable changing distribution of load over the ground-engaging portion of the endless track with respect to a supporting surface.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising operating the lightweight robotic vehicle on a firm surface such that the peaked area of the endless track supports substantially all the weight of the lightweight robotic vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising operating the lightweight robotic vehicle on a soft surface such that the weight of the lightweight robotic vehicle is distributed substantially over the ground-engaging portion of the endless track.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

coupling the lightweight robotic vehicle to a second lightweight robotic vehicle; and

coordinating operation of the lightweight robotic vehicle with the second lightweight robotic vehicle to maintain the lightweight robotic vehicle balanced on the peaked area.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising moving the deflector in a downward direction to create a strongly peaked area of the endless track.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising moving the deflector in an upward direction to create a flat ground-engaging portion of the endless track.