Robotic vehicle
First Claim
1. A robotic vehicle comprising:
- a chassis having front and rear ends and supported on right and left driven tracks, each track trained about a corresponding front wheel rotatable about a front wheel axis;
right and left elongated flippers disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot about the front wheel axis of the chassis, each flipper having a driven track about its perimeter and a flipper end distal from the front wheel axis of the chassis;
a payload deck assembly configured to support a removable payload; and
a linkage connecting the payload deck to the chassis, the linkage having a first end rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot, and a second end rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot,wherein the robotic vehicle is configured to pivot the flippers so that, in a first position, the flippers and the chassis are aligned and, in a second position, the flipper ends are rearward of the front end of the chassis so that the flippers and the chassis define an acute angle between a plane extending from the front end of the chassis to the rear end of the chassis and the flippers.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A robotic vehicle (10,100,150A,150B150C,160,1000,1000A,1000B,1000C) includes a chassis (20,106,152,162) having front and rear ends (20A,152A,20B,152B) and supported on right and left driven tracks (34,44,108,165). Right and left elongated flippers (50,60,102,154,164) are disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot. A linkage (70,156,166) connects a payload deck assembly (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806), configured to support a removable functional payload, to the chassis. The linkage has a first end (70A) rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot (71), and a second end (70B) rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot (73). Both of the first and second pivots include independently controllable pivot drivers (72,74) operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots (71,73) to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck (D1,D2,D3,80,158,168,806) with respect to the chassis (20,106,152,162).
110 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A robotic vehicle comprising:
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a chassis having front and rear ends and supported on right and left driven tracks, each track trained about a corresponding front wheel rotatable about a front wheel axis; right and left elongated flippers disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot about the front wheel axis of the chassis, each flipper having a driven track about its perimeter and a flipper end distal from the front wheel axis of the chassis; a payload deck assembly configured to support a removable payload; and a linkage connecting the payload deck to the chassis, the linkage having a first end rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot, and a second end rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot, wherein the robotic vehicle is configured to pivot the flippers so that, in a first position, the flippers and the chassis are aligned and, in a second position, the flipper ends are rearward of the front end of the chassis so that the flippers and the chassis define an acute angle between a plane extending from the front end of the chassis to the rear end of the chassis and the flippers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification