Robot

• US 9,896,139 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi-Mou Chao
• Original Assignee: Chi-Mou Chao
• Inventors: Chao, Chi-Mou
• Primary Examiner(s): Winner, Tony H
• Application Number:
  US14/924,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20160347384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 1/02 Power-driven machines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/265 having magnetic or pneumatic adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/024 specially adapted for moving on inclined or vertical surfaces endless-track vehicles for ascending or descending stairs B62D55/075; hand-carts with provision for travelling up or down stairs B62B5/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A robot comprises a body, at least one traveling device, a suction cup and a pump module. The at least one traveling device disposed in the body is for causing the robot to move on a surface of a plate. The suction cup and the pump module are disposed in the body. The suction cup can move relative to the body. Upon an operation of the robot, the body, the suction cup and the plate form a closed space, and the closed space is kept at a negative pressure by use of the pump module.

Claims

1. A robot adapted to movement on a surface of a plate, the robot comprising:

a body;

at least one traveling device, which is disposed in the body for causing the robot to move on the surface of the plate;

a suction cup, a part of the suction cup being movably disposed in the body; and

a pump module disposed in the body, wherein

the suction cup can move relative to the body in a direction along a normal of a bottom surface of the suction cup, and upon an operation of the robot, the body, the suction cup and the plate form a closed space, wherein the closed space is kept at a negative pressure by use of the pump module; and

an area of a first region of a space defined by the suction cup is substantially larger than or equal to an area of a second region of a space defined by the body,

an acting force is caused by the negative pressure of the closed space,

a first acting force of the acting force is substantially caused by the negative pressure in a residual region and distributed on the suction cup, wherein the residual region is the region of the first region outside the second region,

a second acting force of the acting force is substantially caused by the negative pressure in the second region and distributed on the at least one traveling device.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the second acting force to the first acting force is substantially equal to a ratio of the area of the second region to an area of the residual region.

3. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising multiple pivots,

wherein the suction cup is formed with multiple through holes and the pivots are inserted into the through holes, so that the suction cup can be movably fixed on the body and movable along long axes of the pivots.

4. The robot according to claim 3, wherein a length of the pivot is longer than a thickness of a portion of the suction cup defining the through hole.

5. The robot according to claim 3, wherein the long axes of the pivots are substantially parallel to the normal of the bottom surface of the suction cup.

6. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the at least one traveling device is disposed outside of the closed space and the robot is a cleaner.

7. The robot according to claim 6, further comprising a cleaning cloth attached to a bottom surface of the suction cup.

8. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one elastic member disposed between the suction cup and the body, wherein an elastic force of the at least one elastic member keeps the suction cup in close contact with the surface of the plate.

9. The robot according to claim 1, wherein,

the body further defines a chamber communicating with the closed space, and

the robot further comprises a pneumatic sensor, which is disposed in the chamber and for sensing a pneumatic pressure of the closed space.

10. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising at least one edge sensor, which is disposed on a side surface or a bottom surface of the body and for sensing an edge of the plate.