TOUCH SENSING DEVICE AND ROBOT

• US 20180310792A1
• Filed: 08/24/2017
• Published: 11/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Silver Star Intelligent Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Silver Star Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: TENG, WENHAI
• Granted Patent: US 10,646,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/26 comprising yieldable mounting means B60R19/38 takes precedence; springs, shock absorbers, or means for damping vibrations per se F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence

Abstract

A touch sensing device of a robot, comprising an inner housing and an outer housing continuously surrounds the inner housing at least at the side face of the inner housing. At least one resilient member used for maintaining an even moving gap between the outer housing and the inner housing and at least one sensing switch used for detecting relative displacement between the outer housing and the inner housing are disposed between the outer housing and the inner housing. The disclosure further provides a robot for mounting the touch sensing device. Since the outer housing surrounds the inner housing, no matter what portion of the robot is colliding with the obstacle, relative displacement occurs between the inner housing and the outer housing, and the robot can detect the collision. Thus the outer housing can provide buffering function from 360° perspective around the robot and detect the touched obstacle.

Claims

1. A touch sensing device of a robot, comprising:

an inner housing;

an outer housing, continuously surrounding the inner housing at least at the side face of the inner housing;

at least one resilient member, disposed between the outer housing and the inner housing for maintaining a moving gap between the outer housing and the inner housing; and

at least one sensing switch, disposed between the outer housing and the inner housing for detecting the relative displacement between the outer housing and the inner housing.

2. The touch sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing switch comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a microswitch, a proximity sensor, a photoelectric switch and a thin film switch.

3. The touch sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one resilient member comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a spring, a elastic sheet and a resilient buffer layer.

4. The touch sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one resilient member is in a strip shape, and comprises:

a sleeve;

a compression spring, disposed in the sleeve; and

a slide rod, one end of which extends into the sleeve for connecting to the compression spring,

wherein both ends of the resilient member are pivotally connected to the outer housing and the inner housing respectively.

5. The touch sensing device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one sensing switches comprise a plurality of sensing switches, which are distributed relative to the outer housing or symmetrically disposed in pair.

6. The touch sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one resilient members comprises a plurality of resilient members, which are symmetrically disposed on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the robot.

7. The touch sensing device according to claim 6, wherein the angle formed by the resilient members on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the robot is a reflex angle, and the orientation of the reflex angle is the front of the robot.

8. The touch sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the outer housing surrounds the inner housing at least one circle, and is integrally formed to a ring.

9. The touch sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing switch comprises:

a swing rod, at least partially lightly attached to the outer housing or the inner housing, and used for completing electronic trigger; and

a spring, acting on the swing rod to help the swing rod recover;

wherein the at least one sensing switch and the at least one resilient member are evenly distributed between the outer housing and the inner housing.

10. A robot, comprising:

a robot main body;

a walking device, disposed on the robot main body; and

a touch sensing device, comprising;

an inner housing;

an outer housing, continuously surrounding the inner housing at least at the side face of the inner housing;

at least one resilient member, disposed between the outer housing and the inner housing for maintaining a moving gap between the outer housing and the inner housing; and

at least one sensing switch, disposed between the outer housing and the inner housing for detecting the relative displacement between the outer housing and the inner housing.

11. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the robot main body comprises a base tray and a top cover which are arranged opposite to each other, and the inner housing of the touch sensing device is disposed on the base tray or integrally formed with the base tray.

12. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the robot main body comprises a base tray and a top cover which are arranged opposite to each other, and the top cover is arranged to:

when the outer housing of the touch sensing device is colliding with an obstacle, the top cover is movable together with the outer housing of the touch sensing device.

13. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the robot main body comprises a base tray and a top cover arranged opposite to each other, and the top cover is integrally formed with the outer housing of the touch sensing device.

14. The robot according to claim 10, wherein a rolling component is disposed between the robot main body and the outer housing of the touch sensing device, and reduces frictional force with the robot main body when the outer housing is moving.

15. The robot according to claim 14, wherein the rolling component is a round ball rollable in all directions in original position.

16. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the robot main body comprises a base tray and a top cover which are arranged opposite to each other, and the inner housing of the touch sensing device is disposed on the base tray or integrally formed with the base tray, the outer housing of the touch sensing device surrounds the robot main body at least one circle to form a ring shape or spiral shape.

17. The robot according to claim 16, wherein the at least one resilient member and/or the at least one sensing switch respectively comprise a plurality of resilient members and/or a plurality of sensing switches evenly distributed on one side of the outer housing close to the inner housing,

wherein the plurality of sensing switches are at least disposed on a front portion of the robot, and the plurality of resilient members are at least disposed on the front portion of the robot.

18. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the at least one resilient member is in a strip shape, and comprises:

a sleeve;

a compression spring, disposed in the sleeve; and

a slide rod, one end of which extends into the sleeve for connecting to the compression spring;

wherein both ends of the resilient member are pivotally connected to the outer housing and the inner housing respectively.

19. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the angle formed by the at least one resilient members on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the robot is a reflex angle, and the orientation of the reflex angle is the front of the robot.

20. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the sensing switch comprises:

a swing rod, at least partially lightly attached to the outer housing or the inner housing, and used for completing electronic trigger; and

a spring, acting on the swing rod to help the swing rod recover;

wherein the at least one sensing switch and the at least one resilient member are evenly distributed between the outer housing and the inner housing.