Magnetically coupled accessory for a self-propelled device

• US 9,090,214 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orbotix Incorporated
• Inventors: Bernstein, Ian H., Wilson, Adam, Chun, Mickey Kong
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/459,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20140345957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 180/7.1, 180/7.4, 180/210, 180/212, 701/99, 901/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 23/04 Self-propelled boats, ships or submarines
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/02 Model aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/007 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/003 Electric or electronic control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 39/00 Vehicle bodies not otherwise provided for , e.g. safety vehicles safety equipment B60R21/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system including one or more motors. The internal drive system acts to provide power to an interior surface of the spherical housing, thereby causing the self-propelled device to move. A biasing mechanism is coupled to the internal drive system and includes a spring and a spring end in contact with the inner surface of the spherical housing. An accessory component magnetically interacts with the biasing mechanism through the spherical housing such that as the self-propelled device rotates along, the accessory component remains stable with respect to the biasing mechanism.

Claims

1. A self-propelled device comprising:

a spherical housing;

an internal drive system including one or more motors disposed within the spherical housing;

a biasing mechanism coupled to the internal drive system, the biasing mechanism including a spring and a spring end in contact with an inner surface of the spherical housing; and

an accessory in contact with an outer surface of the spherical housing, the accessory being magnetically coupled to the biasing mechanism through the spherical housing.

2. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic accessory includes a contact surface having a radius of curvature equivalent to the outer surface of the spherical housing.

3. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the internal drive system includes a pair of wheels each coupled to the one or more motors of the internal drive system.

4. The self-propelled device of claim 3, wherein the one or more motors comprise a first independent motor coupled to a first wheel of the pair of wheels, and a second independent motor coupled to a second wheel of the pair of wheels.

5. The self-propelled device of claim 3, wherein the biasing mechanism is configured to actively force the pair of wheels to continuously engage the inner surface of the spherical housing in order to cause the self-propelled device to move.

6. The self-propelled device of claim 5, wherein movement of the self-propelled device comprises three dimensional rotation of the spherical housing in relation to a constant orientation of the accessory external to the spherical housing based on the magnetic coupling.

7. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the spring end comprises a magnet to magnetically couple with the accessory.

8. The self-propelled device of claim 7, wherein the accessory includes a ferrous metal to magnetically couple with the spring end.

9. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the accessory includes a magnet to magnetically couple with the biasing mechanism.

10. The self-propelled device of claim 9, wherein the spring end comprises a ferrous metal to magnetically couple with the accessory.

11. The self-propelled device of claim 9, wherein a contact surface of the accessory, corresponding to contact with the outer surface of the spherical housing, comprises a substantially frictionless material.

12. The self-propelled device of claim 11, wherein the contact surface comprises a liquid-impregnated surface.

13. The self-propelled device of claim 11, wherein the contact surface comprises a slippery liquid infused porous surface (SLIPS).

14. The self-propelled device of claim 11, wherein the contact surface comprises one or more of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating or a polyoxymethylene (POM) coating.

15. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the accessory includes a first magnet and the spring end includes a second magnet.

16. The self-propelled device of claim 15, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are irregularly shaped to provide additional stability for the magnetic coupling between the accessory from and the spring end.

17. The self-propelled device claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the spherical housing comprises one or more of a PTFE coating or a POM coating.

18. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein magnetic coupling between the accessory and the biasing mechanism corresponds to one or more neodymium magnets coupled to one or more of the accessory or the biasing mechanism.

19. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the spherical housing comprises a ceramic alloy coating.

20. A self-propelled device comprising:

a spherical housing;

an internal drive system including one or more motors disposed within the spherical housing;

a biasing mechanism coupled to the internal drive system, the biasing mechanism including a spring and a magnetic spring end, in contact with an inner surface of the spherical housing; and

an accessory in magnetic interaction with the magnetic spring end through the spherical housing, the accessory including a stability mechanism providing corrective stability to maintain the magnetic interaction.