Active docking mechanism for modular and reconfigurable robots
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B62D-055/06
B62D-055/02
B62D-055/065
B62D-055/075
F16D-043/16
B62D-055/04
B62D-057/00
출원번호
US-0639491
(2015-03-05)
등록번호
US-9616948
(2017-04-11)
발명자
/ 주소
Ben-Tzvi, Pinhas
Moubarak, Pual Marie
출원인 / 주소
Ben-Tzvi, Pinhas
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
20
초록▼
A robot has a track assembly having tracks configured to move the robot in a first direction and a wheel assembly having wheels configured to move the robot in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A toggling assembly switches between the track assembly and the wheel assembly. The ro
A robot has a track assembly having tracks configured to move the robot in a first direction and a wheel assembly having wheels configured to move the robot in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A toggling assembly switches between the track assembly and the wheel assembly. The robot modules can mate with each other. The robot module has an elongated shaft with a head and a narrow neck. The shaft extends outward from the side of the robot module. A mating robot module has a clamping mechanism with opposing clamps which in an opened position receive the shaft. In a closed position, the clamps define an opening which matches and engages the cross-section of the neck of the elongated shaft. The clamping mechanism has a drive mode to drive the module, a clamping mode for docking, and neutral mode for alignment prior to clamping.
대표청구항▼
1. A vehicle module for engaging an elongated shaft extending from a mating vehicle module, the elongated shaft having a neck with a cross-section which is non-uniform, the vehicle module comprising: a clamping mechanism having opposing clamps which in an opened position receive the shaft and in a c
1. A vehicle module for engaging an elongated shaft extending from a mating vehicle module, the elongated shaft having a neck with a cross-section which is non-uniform, the vehicle module comprising: a clamping mechanism having opposing clamps which in an opened position receive the shaft and in a closed position define an opening matching the cross-section of the neck of the elongated shaft;a mechanism connected to said clamping mechanism configured to move the clamps between the opened position and the closed position, whereby the clamps engage the neck of the elongated shaft in the closed position so that the shaft is fixed with respect to the clamping mechanism;wherein the shaft cannot rotate with respect to the clamping mechanism when the clamping mechanism is in the closed position; and,wherein the vehicle module has a front, rear and sides, and the shaft is received by the clamping mechanism at a side of said vehicle module and said vehicle module can be rotated with respect to the mating vehicle module by rotating the clamping mechanism. 2. The vehicle module of claim 1, further comprising a drive mechanism, wherein in a drive mode the clamping mechanism is in the open position and engages the drive mechanism to drive the vehicle module, wherein the clamping mechanism is disengaged from the drive mechanism in the closed position, and wherein the clamping mechanism is disengaged from the drive mechanism and from the shaft in a neutral position between the open position and the closed position. 3. The vehicle module of claim 2, wherein the clamps have an outer circumference which is semi-circular and has an outer surface with teeth, and said drive mechanism includes a gear with teeth which mate with the clamp teeth. 4. The vehicle module of claim 1, wherein the mechanism in one embodiment comprises: a lead screw;a nut coupled to the lead screw;at least one arm attached to the nut and to each of the clamps; anda motor configured to turn the lead screw to move the nut with respect to the screw to move the clamps between the open position and the closed position. 5. The vehicle module of claim 1, wherein the mating vehicle comprises: a first pulley and a second pulley;the elongated shaft extending from and coupled with said first pulley and said second pulley, said shaft having a rack with teeth;a pinion coupled with the rack of said shaft and configured to move said shaft to extend outward from said first pulley in a direction opposite said second pulley. 6. The vehicle module of claim 5, wherein said first pulley and said second pulley receive a track configured to drive the vehicle module and said first pulley is an active or passive pulley. 7. The vehicle module of claim 5, wherein said shaft has a head at a distal end of said shaft, and the neck is narrower than said head and further the said neck is configured to be engaged by the clamping mechanism of the mating vehicle module. 8. The vehicle module of claim 1, wherein the mechanism comprises: an arm;a first link connected at one end to the arm and at an opposite end to one of the clamps; anda second link connected at one end to the arm and at an opposite end to the other one of the clamps, wherein the first and second links move the clamps in response to movement of the arm. 9. The vehicle module of claim 8, further comprising a drive mechanism, wherein in a drive mode the clamping mechanism is in the open position and engages the drive mechanism to drive the vehicle module, wherein the clamping mechanism is disengaged from the drive mechanism in the closed position, and wherein the clamping mechanism is disengaged from the drive mechanism and from the shaft in a neutral position between the open position and the closed position. 10. The vehicle module of claim 9, further comprising a worm and worm gear assembly configured to transmit motor torque to the arm and ensure the non-back-drivability of the clamps in the drive mode, in the neutral position and in the closed position. 11. A vehicle module for engaging a clamping mechanism from a mating vehicle module, the vehicle module comprising: a first pulley and a second pulley;a shaft extending from and coupled with said first pulley and said second pulley, said shaft having a rack with teeth;a pinion coupled with the rack of said shaft and configured to move said shaft to extend outward from said first pulley in a direction opposite said second pulley;wherein said first pulley and said second pulley receive a track configured to drive the vehicle module wherein said first pulley is an active or passive pulley; and,wherein said shaft has a head and a narrow neck and said neck is configured to be engaged by a clamping mechanism of the mating vehicle module; and,wherein the vehicle module has a front, rear and sides, and the shaft is extended from a side of said vehicle module and said vehicle module can be rotated with respect to the mating vehicle module by rotating the clamping mechanism. 12. A method for docking a first vehicle module to a second vehicle module, said method comprising: providing the first vehicle module with omni-directional movement, whereby the first vehicle module can move in a first direction or a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;providing the first vehicle module with a clamping mechanism at a side of the first vehicle module as a first mating adapter;providing the second vehicle module with an elongated shaft at a side of the second vehicle module as a second mating adapter configured to mate with the clamping mechanism;aligning the clamping mechanism with the elongated shaft in the first direction by moving either the first vehicle module or the second vehicle module so that the first vehicle module is parallel to the second vehicle module;raising the first vehicle module to align the clamping mechanism with the elongated shaft in a third direction; andmoving the first vehicle module in the second direction toward the second vehicle module to engage the clamping mechanism with a neck of the elongated shaft; wherein the first and second vehicle modules can be rotated with respect to each other by rotating the clamping mechanism.
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