ROBOTIC VEHICLE

• US 20130105233A1
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Couture, Adam P., Page, Richard, O'Brien, John P., Filippov, Mikhail, Shein, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,800,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0025 handling explosives, bombs or hazardous objects
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A robotic vehicle (10,100,150A,150B150C,160,1000,1000A,1000B,1000C) includes a chassis (20,106,152,162) having front and rear ends (20A,152A,20B,152B) and supported on right and left driven tracks (34,44,108,165). Right and left elongated flippers (50,60,102,154,164) are disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot. A linkage (70,156,166) connects a payload deck assembly (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806), configured to support a removable functional payload, to the chassis. The linkage has a first end (70A) rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot (71), and a second end (70B) rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot (73). Both of the first and second pivots include independently controllable pivot drivers (72,74) operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots (71,73) to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806) with respect to the chassis (20,106,152,162).

Claims

1. A robotic vehicle (10,100,150A,150B150C,160,1000,1000A,1000B,1000C) comprising:

a chassis (20,106,152,162) having front and rear ends (20A,152A,20B,152B) and supported on right and left driven tracks (34,44,108,165), each track trained about a corresponding front wheel (32,42,114) rotatable about a front wheel axis (15,101);

right and left elongated flippers (50,60,102,154,164) disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis (20,106,152,162) and operable to pivot about the front wheel axis (15,101) of the chassis (20,106,152,162), each flipper (50,60,102,154,164) having a driven track (54,64,110) about its perimeter;

a payload deck assembly (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806) configured to support a removable payload (500,510,600); and

a linkage (70,156,166) connecting the payload deck (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806) to the chassis (20,106,152,162), the linkage (70,156,166) having a first end (70A) rotatably connected to the chassis (20,106,152,162) at a first pivot (71), and a second end (70B) rotatably connected to the deck (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806) at a second pivot (73), both of the first and second pivots (71,73) including independently controllable pivot drivers (72,74) operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots (71,73) to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806) with respect to the chassis (20,106,152,162).