Moving robot with arm mechanism

• US 7,645,110 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tama Art University, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Hideki, Nakamura, Teppei, Matsuhira, Nobuto, Bekku, Rikako, Koga, Toshiyuki, Inazumi, Takaki, Hirokawa, Junko, Nishiyama, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Saúl J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snelting; Jonathan D
• Application Number:
  US11/389,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20070048118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 901/15, 901/18, 901/1, 180/8.1, 180/8.3, 180/8.4, 180/8.2, 414/547, 414/679, 414/729
• US Class Current: 414/547
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels

Abstract

A moving robot includes a first arm portion is coupled to a first joint on a side portion of a main robot body. The first arm portion has concave portion with an opening. A folding mechanism is accommodated in the concave portion. In the folding mechanism, a second arm portion is connected to the first arm via a second joint portion. A third arm portion is also connected to the second arm portion via a third joint portion. The first arm portion is rotated around the first joint to orient the opening in an upper direction. The second joint portion can be slid along the concave portion to take out the folding mechanism through the opening. The third arm portion can be rotated around the third joint portion to extend the third arm portion.

Claims

1. A moving robot comprising:

a main robot body having a side portion and a first joint provided on the side portion;

a moving mechanism, on which the main robot body is mounted, configured to move the main robot body;

a first arm portion coupled to the first joint and being rotatable around the first joint, the first arm portion having a first concave portion with a first opening;

a first mechanism capable to be accommodated in the first concave portion in a first folded state, the first mechanism including a second arm portion, a second joint portion coupling the second arm portion to the first arm portion, a third arm portion, and a third joint portion coupling the third arm portion to the second arm portion, the third arm portion being folded at the third joint portion toward the second arm portion in the first folded state, and the third arm portion being extendable at the third joint portion from the second arm portion in a first extendable state in which the first mechanism is located out of the first concave portion;

a first driver configured to rotate the first arm portion around the first joint, so that the first opening is oriented in an arbitrary direction;

a first mover configured to move the first mechanism in the first folded state into and out of the first concave portion through the first opening; and

a second driver configured to rotate the third arm portion around the third joint portion in the first extendable state so that the third arm portion is folded at the third joint portion toward the second arm portion or is extended at the third joint portion from the second arm portion.

2. The moving robot according to claim 1, wherein the first mechanism further includes a fourth arm portion and a fourth joint portion coupling the fourth arm portion to the third arm portion, and the fourth arm portion is foldable at the fourth joint portion toward the third arm portion in the first extendable state, and the moving robot further comprises a third driver configured to rotate the fourth arm portion around the fourth joint portion in the first extendable state so that the fourth arm portion is folded at the fourth joint portion toward the third arm portion or is extended at the fourth joint portion from the third arm portion.

3. The moving robot according to claim 2, wherein the fourth arm portion further comprises a gripping mechanism configured to grip an article.

4. The moving robot according to claim 1, wherein the second and third arm portions are configured to be rotatable around longitudinal axes of the second and third arm portions, respectively, and the moving robot further comprises a third and fourth drivers configured to rotate the second and third arm portions around the longitudinal axes of the second and third arm portions, respectively.

5. The moving robot according to claim 2, wherein the second, third, and fourth arm portions are configured to be rotatable around longitudinal axes of the second, third, and fourth arm portions, and the moving robot further comprises drivers configured to rotate the second, third, and fourth arm portions around the longitudinal axes of the second, third, and fourth arm portions, respectively.

6. The moving robot according to claim 1, wherein the first joint portion is provided in a substantially central part of the main robot body, and a mounting portion configured to mount an article is provided on the main robot body.

7. The moving robot according to claim 1, wherein the main robot body has an other side portion and a fourth joint provided on the other side portion;

the moving robot further comprises;

a fourth arm portion coupled to the fourth joint and being rotatable around the fourth joint, the fourth arm portion having a second concave portion and a second opening with the second concave portion;

a second mechanism capable to be accommodated in the second concave portion in a first folded state, the second mechanism including a fifth arm portion, a fifth joint portion coupling the fifth arm portion to the fourth arm portion, a sixth arm portion, and a sixth joint portion coupling the sixth arm portion to the fifth arm portion, the sixth arm portion being folded at the sixth joint portion toward the fifth arm portion in a second folded state, and the sixth arm portion being extendable at the sixth joint portion from the fifth arm portion in a second extendable state in which the second mechanism is located out of the second concave portion;

a third driver configured to rotate the fourth arm portion around the fourth joint, so that the second opening is oriented in an arbitrary direction;

a second mover configured to move the second mechanism in the second folded state into and out of the second concave portion through the second opening; and

a fourth driver configured to rotate the sixth arm portion around the sixth joint portion in the second extendable state so that the sixth arm portion is folded at the sixth joint portion toward the fifth arm portion or is extended at the sixth joint portion from the fifth arm portion.

8. The moving robot according to claim 1, wherein the first driver is driven to orient the first opening toward a moving path for the moving robot, the first mover is driven to slide the first mechanism so as to bring the first mechanism into contact with the moving path, and the first driver rotates the first mechanism to lift the main robot body, thus allowing the robot to climb over an obstacle on the moving path.

9. The moving robot according to claim 1, wherein sensors are provided on the first arm portion, the sensors being rotated together with the first arm portion and detecting an obstacle around the robot.

10. The moving robot according to claim 1, wherein indicators are provided on the first arm portion rotated by the first rotating portion, the indicators being rotated together with the first arm portion and clarifying an operational status of the robot.