Bipedal robot with storage battery

• US 7,073,614 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2001
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Kenichi, Miyazaki, Susumu, Koyanagi, Takuro, Demachi, Atsushi, Higashi, Toshiyuki, Saito, Yasuhisa, Kuwahara, Toratsugu, Oka, Teruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUM VANNUCCI, LEE SIN YEE
• Application Number:
  US10/399,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20040050595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 180 81- 86, 180/65.1, 901/1, 700245-247, 701/23, 320/116, 320/120, 446376-384
• US Class Current: 180/8.6
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/005 using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/289 characterised by spacing elements or positioning means within frames, racks or packs spacing elements inside cells other than separators, membranes or diaphragms H01M50/471
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A bipedal robot of the present invention has a trunk consisting of an upper trunk and a lower trunk which are rotatable around a rotation axis relative to one another. The upper trunk has shoulders on the right and left sides. An arm is provided at each shoulder. A pair of right and left legs is attached to lower ends of the lower trunk. A storage battery is mounted to the back of the upper trunk, positioned within a shoulder width. The storage battery is positioned below the top of a head mounted on the upper trunk. When the robot walks a narrow passage or corridor having a width slightly larger than the width thereof, for example, this arrangement prevents the storage battery from interfering with the passage or the like.

Claims

1. A bipedal robot with a storage battery comprising:

a trunk comprising an upper trunk having shoulders at right and left sides thereof and a lower trunk positioned below the upper trunk, said upper trunk and said lower trunk being mounted rotatably relative to one another about a vertical rotation axis;

two legs extending downward from a lower end of said lower trunk;

two arms extending from said shoulders of said upper trunk;

a head provided on an upper end of said upper trunk; and

a storage battery mounted on a back surface of said upper trunk, said storage battery residing outside the trunk and positioned below a top of said head and above a reference center of gravity point of said robot in a region within a shoulder width of said trunk, said storage battery comprising a plurality of battery modules having different storage capacities, said plurality of battery modules being united and housed in a case, including small capacity and large capacity battery modules, said small capacity battery modules being arranged in a middle part of the storage battery, said large capacity battery modules being arranged on each side of said small capacity battery modules in portions of said case that protrude forward toward said trunk so as to surround said rotation axis.

2. A robot as set forth in claim 1, wherein a front part of said protruding portions of said case protrudes forward in a tapered shape that prevents said front part of said case from interfering with said rotation axis.