Ground robot drive system

• US 9,227,654 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robo-Team Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Robo-Team Ltd.
• Inventors: Wolf, Yosi, Levy, Elad, Rotbart, Mor
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/501,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20150210327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 180/9.32
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/02 mechanical, e.g. using a power-take-off mechanism for taking power from a rotating shaft of the vehicle and applying it to the steering gear
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/02 with tracks and additional ground wheels for multi-purpose tractors B62D49/0635
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/04 with tracks and alternative ground wheels, e.g. changeable from endless track vehicle into wheeled vehicle and vice versa for multi-purpose tractors B62D49/0635
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/065 Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/084 Endless-track units or carriages mounted separably, adjustably or extensibly on vehicles, e.g. portable track units B62D55/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/24 of continuously flexible type, e.g. rubber belts
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/028 having wheels and mechanical legs B62D57/024 takes precedence; ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle, wholly or in part B60S9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A ground robot having a main body, two opposing drive systems, a flipper disposed distal to the main body, and a front wheel and a rear wheel, both disposed substantially parallel to the vertical plane and between the inner track and the flipper. The main body has a sagittal plane and two opposing lateral sides. Each drive system having an inner track disposed proximal to the main body. The inner track extends along a corresponding lateral side of the two opposing lateral sides and substantially parallel to a vertical plane of the main body, and is supported by a plurality of inner pulleys. The flipper extending along the corresponding lateral side and substantially parallel to the vertical plane. The flipper has a flipper body, an outer track, and a plurality of outer pulleys supporting the outer track. The diameter of the front wheel and the rear wheel of each of the opposing drive systems ranges between 1.2 to 1.3 times of a diameter of the inner track.

Claims

1. A ground robot comprising:

a main body having a sagittal plane and two opposing lateral sides;

two opposing drive systems, each located at one of said two opposing lateral sides and each comprising;

an inner track disposed proximal to the main body, the inner track extending along a corresponding lateral side of the two opposing lateral sides and substantially parallel to a vertical plane of the main body, wherein the inner track is supported by a plurality of inner pulleys;

a flipper disposed distal to the main body, the flipper extending along the corresponding lateral side and substantially parallel to the vertical plane, wherein the flipper comprises;

(a) a flipper body,

(b) an outer track, and

(c) a plurality of outer pulleys supporting the outer track; and

a front wheel and a rear wheel, both disposed substantially parallel to the vertical plane and between the inner track and the flipper,

wherein a diameter of the front wheel and the rear wheel of each of the opposing drive systems ranges between 1.2 to 1.3 times of a diameter of the inner track.

2. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein each of the front wheel and the rear wheel comprises, on an external surface thereof, a plurality of wheel projections.

3. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein the inner track comprises, on an external surface thereof, a plurality of inner track projections protruding outwards with respect to the inner track.

4. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein the outer track comprises, on an external surface thereof, a plurality of outer track projections protruding outwards with respect to the outer track.

5. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the inner track of each of the two opposing drive systems and the diameter of the outer track of each of the two opposing drive systems are substantially equal.

6. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein, for each flipper of the two opposing flippers, the plurality of outer pulleys comprise a front outer pulley and a rear outer pulley, and wherein the front outer pulley is pivotal about a front central hinge of the front wheel.

7. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein a rotation of the inner track, the front wheel, the rear wheel of the two opposing drive systems and a rotation of the outer track of the two opposing flippers are synchronized.

8. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein for each opposing drive system, the plurality of inner pulleys comprises a front inner pulley and a rear inner pulley.

9. The ground robot of claim 8, wherein each drive system of the two opposing drive systems further comprises:

a front central hinge configured to rotate the front inner pulley and the front wheel in a common manner; and

a rear central hinge configured to rotate the rear inner pulley and the rear wheel in a common manner.

10. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein at least one flipper of the two opposing flippers is tilted on a plane parallel to the vertical plane.

11. The ground robot of claim 10, wherein the at least one flipper has an operational mode and a folded mode.

12. The ground robot of claim 10, wherein each flipper of the two opposing flippers may be tilted independently with respect to the other flipper.

13. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein:

the inner pulleys and the outer pulleys comprise annular projections; and

the inner track and the outer track comprise multiple cogs connected in a parallel manner forming a niche for receiving the annular projections of the respective supporting pulleys.

14. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein said ground robot is configured to be remotely controlled.

15. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein the inner track extend along 70-130% of the corresponding lateral side.

16. The ground robot of claim 1, wherein the flipper extend along 70-130% of the corresponding lateral side.