Multiblock-robot

• US 5,241,875 A
• Filed: 09/16/1991
• Issued: 09/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Uwe Kochanneck
• Original Assignee: Uwe Kochanneck
• Inventors: Kochanneck, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Herrmann, Allan D.
• Application Number:
  US07/760,452
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 74/479, 74/479 BP, 74/479 BE, 901/1, 901/15, 901/23, 901/28, 901/29, 180/8.6, 446/90, 446/91, 310/112
• US Class Current: 74/490.03
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 17/0241 One-dimensional joints
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0029 arranged within the different robot elements
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/005 using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/08 characterised by modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 23/24 electric dynamo-electric machines H02K
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/0094 Structural association with other electrical or electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/20 for measuring, monitoring, testing, protecting or switching rectifiers H02K11/04; power electronics H02K11/33
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/22 Optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20317 including electric motor

Abstract

A robot system with robot specific effects. Reconstructable for other fields of activities with few manipulations by the users themselfs. This objective is achieved in accordance with the present invention by standard robot-block parts of nearly the similar design for the installation of multiblock-robots with self operating walk, drive and manipulation faculties, with horizontally and vertically fitting, rotation flange plug connections, with turntables and driving motors and with current and communication channels which are leading through the center of the rotation plug connections and which provide current and communication supply lines and current and communication control lines. These lines are leaded to inside and outside slip-ring and induction units and to equipment components, composed of accumulators, sensors and electronic boards inside the block chamber. The multiblock-robots achieve only by rotary power and in accordance with the individual plug connection installations, variable manipulations, locomotions and walk-movements, with multi-axis free-motion efficiency, for the most different user applications and objectives.

Claims

1. A robot system with robot-specific effects, said robot system comprising:

various standard robot-block-parts consisting of a block chamber with a plurality of rotation-flange plug connections,

said rotation-flange plug connections disposed in vertical direction and forming a vertical pivot axis,

said rotation-flange plug connections disposed in horizontal direction and forming a horizontal pivot axis,

said rotation-flange plug connections provided with dimension fitting flanges and engaging plugs and with spring-loaded clamp levers all intersecting between said rotation-flange plug connections input and output ends,

said rotation-flange plug connections having a turntable with driving motors and current and communication channels for current, supply, control and communcation conducters in the center axis of said robot-block parts,

said current and communication channels provided with inner and outer slip-rings and induction units and with plug units at each end of said current and communication channels consisting of plug connections and plug sleeves,

said robot-block parts having inside of said block chamber built-in equipment composed of accumulators, sensors, electronic boards,

said current, supply, control and communication conducters guiding from said plug units through said inner and outer slip ring and induction units to each of said rotation-flange plug connections, to said driving motors, and to said built-in equipment,

said rotation-flange plug connections with said current and communication channels being rotatable relative to said center axis by means of said driving motors whereas said block chamber being in rest position,

said rotation-flange plug connections with said current and communication channels being in rest position and said block chamber being rotatable relative to said center axis by means of said driving motors,

said rotation-flange plug connections with said current and communication channels together with said block chambers being rotatable by means of each of said rotation flange plug connections of said standard robot-block parts adjacently interconnected,

said rotation-flange plug connections with said current and communication channels of said standard robot-block parts being rotatable by means of said adjacently interconnected standard robot-block parts whereas said block chamber being in rest position,

said standard robot-block-parts flanged together by means of the centering effect of said engaging plugs, the clamping effect of said spring-loaded clamp levers, the contact closing between said plug connection units and said plug sleeve units of said rotation flange plug connections and forming a multi-block robot with a multitude of various heads, arms, hips, legs and feet,

said multi-block robot provided for various manipulations and locomotions with multi-axis free-motion efficiency, by means of said turntables and the rotary power of said driving motors,

said multi-block robot provided for self sufficient operations supplied and controlled by means of said current and communication channels and of said said built-in equipment in each of said chambers of said standard robot-block parts.

2. A robot system with robot-specific effects as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

sealings between the rotation flange plug connections of said adjacent standard robot-block parts by a rotation flexible pleated covering which is screwed at the block chamber and bridges from one of said standard robot-block part to the next adjacent standard robot-block part covering and sealing said rotation flange plug connections;

access openings with rotary flaps outside of said block chambers for maintanance purposes and for access to said built-in equipment, to said driving motors and to said current and communication channels inside of said block chambers.

3. A robot system with robot-specific effects as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

dimension fitting standard raster robot-block parts for extensive standard robot-block installations with precisly a multiple of the dimension of said standard robot block-parts, said standard raster robot-block parts mutually exchangable with said standard robot-block parts in one extensive assembly line and

said raster standard robot-block parts having said rotation flange plug connections precisely in equal position as a plurality of said standard robot-block parts flanged together for obtaining said dimension fitting raster of said standard raster robot-block parts.

4. A robot system as claimed in claim 3, comprising:

said standard robot-block parts with an angular design without a turntable in the direction changing angular position, but with said block chamber continuously shaped and said current and communication channels leading to said angular position as if the direction changing has been achieved by means of said rotation flange plug connections;

said dimension fitting raster of said rotation flange plug connections with said angular design from starting-position up to the end-position being always precisly identical with said dimension fitting raster of an installation with straight-lined standard robot-block parts.

5. A robot system as claimed in claim 3, comprising:

said block chamber of said standard robot-block parts with varied design as of a ploynomial, spherical, cylindrical, bended, tapered shape, with different diameter and most different contour;

said dimension fitting raster from said starting position up to said end position of said standard robot-block parts with said block chamber of varied design being always mutually precisely identical with said dimension fitting raster for rotation flange plug connections of said standard robot-block parts.

6. A robot system as claimed in claim 3, comprising:

said standard robot-block parts with a multitude of said rotation flange plug connections with different diameters and dimensions being rotation flange plug connections compatible to each other,

thereby a transition being attainable from each of said rotation flange plug connections to a multitude of said rotation flange plug connections with different diameters and dimensions of said standard robot-block parts.

7. A robot system as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

said standard robot-block parts for said multiblock robots having inside of said block chamber said built-in equipment composed of local control and remote control components,

said built-in equipment components for local control consisting of sensors for image recognition and position orientation, a monitor, a minicomputer with a retractable keyboard, discette and disc storage unit, a speech control and a speech reproduction mudule,

said built-in equipment components for remote control consisting of an antenna for receiving and transmitting of remote control impulses to said sensors for image recognition and position orientation and to said minicomputer,

thereby, local control, remote control and programming of said multi-block robots beining atainable by a combination of said standard robot-block parts with said built-in components for local control and remote control.

8. A robot system as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

said standard robot-block parts of nearly the same design, installed in long streched horizontal and vertical networks, over great distances, operating as self sufficient multiblock-robot automatic-lines and being compatible and exchangeable in varied combinations with said standard robot-block parts for said self operating multi block-robots with walk, drive and manipulating faculties;

equipment components for constant power supply provided in said block chambers for said standard robot-block parts in said multiblock robots and said networks.