Compliant Solid-State Bumper for Robot
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A robot bumper including a bumper body having a forward surface and a top surface angling away from the forward surface. The bumper body conforms to a shape of a received robot chassis. The robot bumper also includes a force absorbing layer disposed on the bumper body, a membrane switch layer comprising a plurality of electrical contacts arranged along the top surface of the bumper body, and a force transmission layer disposed between the force absorbing layer and the membrane switch layer. The force transmission layer includes a plurality of force transmitting elements configured to transmit force to the membrane switch layer.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1-9. -9. (canceled)
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10. A robot comprising:
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a robot chassis; a bumper body disposed on the robot chassis; and a membrane switch layer disposed on the bumper body and comprising; a first conductive layer extending along the bumper body in a first direction, the first conductive layer including a plurality of first conductive zones; a second conductive layer extending along the bumper body in a second direction different from the first direction, the second conductive layer including a plurality of second conductive zones, the plurality of second conductive zones arranged to overlap the plurality of first conductive zones to form a two-directional matrix of overlapping first and second conductive zones configured to allow identification of a location and/or region on the bumper body of a received pressure against the membrane switch layer based on an electrical connection formed between at least one first conductive zone and at least one second conductive zone; and a separation layer disposed between the first and second conductive layers. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method comprising:
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delivering an electric current to one or more conductive zones of a membrane switch layer, the membrane switch layer disposed on a bumper body and comprising; a first conductive layer extending along the bumper body in a first direction, the first conductive layer including a plurality of first conductive zones; a second conductive layer extending along the bumper body in a second direction different from the first direction, the second conductive layer including a plurality of second conductive zones, the plurality of second conductive zones arranged to overlap the plurality of first conductive zones to form a two-directional matrix of overlapping first and second conductive zones; and a separation layer disposed between the first and second conductive layers; and detecting an electrical connection between at least one first conductive zone and at least one second conductive zone in response to a received pressure against the membrane switch layer. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification