DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR A MOBILE ROBOT

• US 20130087393A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: VANDERSTEGEN-DRAKE, Mark Stamford, BOTT, Paul Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/608,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20130087393A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/9.1
• 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: B60K 17/342 having a longitudinal, endless element, e.g. belt or chain, for transmitting drive to wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/06 with tracks without ground wheels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A drive arrangement suitable for a mobile robot and particularly for an autonomous surface treating appliance. The drive arrangement comprises a drive housing adapted to be mounted on a chassis of a mobile robot and includes a drive motor operatively connected to a drive shaft having a drive axis. The drive arrangement further comprises a linkage member rotatably mounted to the drive housing about a pivot axis, a first wheel carried by the drive shaft, a second wheel carried by the linkage member, and means for transmitting drive from the first wheel to the second wheel.

Claims

1. A drive arrangement for a mobile robot comprising a drive housing adapted to be mounted on a chassis of a mobile robot and including a drive motor operatively connected to a drive shaft extending from the drive housing along a drive axis, a linkage member rotatably mounted to the drive housing about a pivot axis, a first wheel carried by the drive shaft, a second wheel carried by the linkage member, and a drive mechanism for transmitting drive from the first wheel to the second wheel.

2. The drive arrangement of claim 1, wherein the pivot axis of the linkage member is coaxial with the drive axis of the drive shaft.

3. The drive arrangement of claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism for transmitting drive from the first wheel to the second wheel is a flexible track.

4. The drive arrangement of claim 3, wherein the flexible track is a belt.

5. The drive arrangement of claim 3, wherein the flexible track is constrained around an outer peripheral surface of the first wheel and a surface of the second wheel.

6. The drive arrangement of claim 5, wherein the surface of the second wheel is an outer peripheral surface thereof such that a portion of the flexible track defines a floor engaging surface.

7. The drive arrangement of claim 3, wherein the first wheel carries a toothed formation on an outer peripheral face thereof which is engageable with a complementary formation formed on an inner surface of the flexible track.

8. The drive arrangement of claim 7, wherein the second wheel defines an extended rim surface, the diameter of the rim surface being greater than the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the second wheel.

9. The drive arrangement of claim 8, wherein the extended rim surface has a diameter equal to or greater than the combined diameter of the second wheel and the adjacent portion of the flexible track.

10. The drive arrangement of claim 8, wherein the rim surface of the second wheel carries a serrated formation.

11. The drive arrangement of claim 3, wherein the first wheel and the second wheel are adapted such that the portion of the track extending between the first wheel and the second wheel and opposing a floor surface defines an oblique angle with the adjacent floor surface thereby providing a ramped climbing surface.

12. The drive arrangement of claim 11, wherein the diameter of the second wheel is greater than the diameter of the first wheel.

13. The drive arrangement of claim 3, wherein the linkage member includes a guard member that at least partially fills a volume bounded by the first wheel, the second wheel and the flexible track.

14. The drive arrangement of claim 1, further including a biasing element arranged to urge the second wheel into contact with an adjacent floor surface.

15. The drive arrangement of claim 1, wherein the drive motor is an electric motor.

16. A mobile robot comprising a chassis including a drive arrangement according to claim 1.