Automatic shooting mechanism and robot having the same

• US 7,866,247 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Techwin Corporation (Hanwha Vision Company Limited)
• Inventors: Son, Tae-jin, Ko, Jun-yeoul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes; Bret
• Assistant Examiner(s): David; Michael D
• Application Number:
  US12/634,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 89/273, 89 4101- 4115, 891/25, 42/690.1, 42/700.1
• US Class Current: 89/27.3
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/06 Electric or electromechanical safeties F41A17/04, F41A17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/00 Firing or trigger mechanisms; Cocking mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 23/24 Turret gun mountings feeding, loading or guiding ammunition F41A9/00; mechanical elevating or traversing systems for turret guns F41A27/18

Abstract

An automatic shooting mechanism capable of remote switching and unmanned switching between a safety mode and a shooting mode, and remote shooting and unmanned shooting. Also provided is a sentry robot employing the automatic shooting mechanism and capable of performing wide and narrow monitoring and sentry duties in short and long ranges, and automatically shooting at a target. The automatic shooting mechanism comprises a safety unit including a safety solenoid and an elastic member to move a safety pin of a gun between a safety mode position and a shooting mode position, a return unit for applying force to the safety pin of the gun to move the safety pin to the safety mode position. The automatic shooting mechanism further comprises a shooting unit including a shooting solenoid to move a connecting link back and forth, and a trigger push member having one end contacting a trigger of the gun and the other end contacting the shooting solenoid, and coupled at a middle portion of the shooting unit to be capable of pivoting to pull the trigger as desired.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a main body capable of pivoting; and

an automatic shooting mechanism, coupled to the main body, and comprising;

a holding region that holds a gun having a safety mechanism and trigger, the holding region having a trigger contacting region and a separate safety mechanism contacting region;

a mechanical safety unit including an electronically actuated safety moving member and an elastic member in the safety mechanism contacting region to effect movement of the safety mechanism of the gun between a safety mode position and a shooting mode position, the mechanical safety unit being external to the gun;

a mechanical return unit, external to the gun, for applying force to the safety mechanism to move the safety mechanism to the safety mode position; and

a mechanical shooting unit, external to the gun and including an electronically actuated shooting moving member in the trigger contacting region to effect movement of a trigger push member having one end for contacting and moving the trigger of the gun.

2. The robot of claim 1, further comprising:

a master camera arranged to rotate with the main body; and

an active camera arranged to rotate with the gun.

3. The robot of claim 2, wherein the master camera comprises two cameras, each installed at both sides of the main body.

4. The robot of claim 2, further comprising:

a driving portion for driving the main body, the master camera, the active camera, and the gun; and

a controller for controlling shooting of the gun and for performing at least one of image analysis, target recognition, and target tracking.

5. The robot of claim 1, further comprising:

a base, configured such that the main body is coupled to the base and is pivotable with respect to the base.

6. A method for controlling shooting of a gun, comprising:

providing an automatic shooting mechanism comprising a holding region that holds a gun having a safety mechanism and trigger, the holding region having a trigger contacting region and a separate safety mechanism contacting region;

a mechanical safety unit including an electronically actuated safety moving member and an elastic member in the safety mechanism contacting region to effect movement of the safety mechanism of the gun between a safety mode position and a shooting mode position, the mechanical safety unit being external to the gun;

a mechanical return unit, external to the gun, for applying force to the safety mechanism to move the safety mechanism to the safety mode position; and

a mechanical shooting unit, external to the gun and including an electronically actuated shooting moving member in the trigger contacting region to effect movement of a trigger push member having one end for contacting and moving the trigger of the gun.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

coupling the automatic shooting mechanism to a robot.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the robot comprises a main body capable of pivoting, and the automatic shooting mechanism and gun coupled to pivot with the main body; and

the method further comprises operating the main body to pivot the gun to point toward a target.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the robot further comprises a master camera arranged to rotate with the main body, and an active camera arranged to rotate with the gun; and

the method further comprises operating at least one of the master camera and active camera to rotate to locate the target.