Method for fabricating sliding vacuum cups

• US 7,280,890 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Robotics Vehicles Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Robotics Vehicles Incorporated
• Inventors: Seemann, Henry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc; McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/972,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20050119789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/258, 318/68, 318/568.12, 318/568.1, 15/211, 15/534, 153/19, 153/271, 180/164, 180/7.1, 180/8.1, 294/64.1, 900/1
• US Class Current: 700/245
• 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: B62D 55/00 Endless track vehicles steering aspects B62D11/00; characterised by the driver not being seated B62D51/007
• 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 55/265 having magnetic or pneumatic adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• 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: B63B 59/10 using trolleys or the like driven along the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/30 Cleaning aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 23/002 Arrangements for cleaning building facades
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0236 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S

Abstract

A surface clinging robotic device. The device includes a supporting structure or base, on which is mounted (a) a lead pivoting support surface, such as a pivoting wheel, and (b) two or more traction drives, such as drive wheels. Each of the traction drives are independently driven by a separate drive motor. A plurality of vacuum cups are mounted on the bottom of the base. The vacuum cups each have a low friction foot designed for movement over a surface with minimal friction while vacuum is maintained. The low friction foot portion is provided by a generally surface direction oriented C-shaped Teflon skin. The robotic device can move over gaps or obstructions in the surface without losing vacuum in all of the vacuum cups, using a fluid limiting valve at each vacuum cup to interrupt flow in the event of loss of vacuum in that vacuum cup.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a vacuum cup for a robotic device, comprising the following steps:

(a) providing a female mold shaped in the desired vacuum cup foot shape;

(b) providing a flat Teflon sheet of desired thickness and shape to fill said female mold;

(c) providing a male mold shaped complementary to said female mold;

(d) deforming said flat Teflon sheet by heating and compressing components (a), (b), and (c) in an oven at about 375 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two hours or until said Teflon sheet conforms to the desired shape;

(e) providing a second mold for containing said conformed Teflon sheet and a poured resilient polymer in a preselected vacuum cup shape;

(f) pouring said resilient polymer in said mold;

(g) allowing said polymer to cure;

(h) removing said vacuum cup from said mold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step (d) is carried out so that said cross-sectional foot curvature is substantially a downward oriented C-shaped configuration.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step (e) applies and establishes a preselected vacuum cup shape having at least two V-shaped corrugations, and wherein said corrugations take up said mold shape and hold said mold shape after removal of said cured vacuum cup from said mold.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resilient compound comprises at least one polyurethane rubber compound, and wherein said Teflon and said at least one polyurethane compound are joined by implicit mutually adhesive properties during production of said vacuum cup.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said Teflon and said polyurethane are arranged in at least two layers, one above another.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said polyurethane rubber is in said foot is at least partially surrounded by said Teflon.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said Teflon film is at least 0.005 inches thick.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said polyurethane layer above said Teflon layer is at least one quarter of an inch thick.

9. A vacuum cup for a robotic device, said device comprising:

(a) an upper seal ring surface;

(b) a sidewall comprising one or more resilient accordion pleats (34), said resilient pleats compressible and expandable along a compression range D and adapted to withstand constant flexing under vacuum during robotic operations;

(c) a shaped sliding contact foot, said contact foot bonded directly to a lower portion of said sidewall, said shaped sliding contact foot comprising a low-stiction wear surface, said contact foot adapted for sliding action while under vacuum during robotic operations.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said low-stiction wear surface comprises a molded Teflon sheet.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said Teflon sheet is at least 0.005 inches in thickness.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said shaped sliding contact foot is provided in a generally upwardly opening C-shape, and wherein said shaped sliding contact foot has a width W of at least about one inch.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising, disposed between said upper seal ring surface and said shaped sliding contact foot, an end effector.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said end effector comprises a sander.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said end effector comprises a shaft, and, operably connected to said shaft, a rotatable resilient tool mount.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said end effector comprises a brush.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, further comprising, disposed within said vacuum cup, a plurality of low friction stops, said low friction stops adapted to space said end effector an effective distance with respect to a workpiece.

18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said end effector includes a motor selected from the group consisting of (a) electric motor, (b) pneumatic motors, and (c) hydraulic motors.