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US 10,589,430 B2Granted
Throwable robot with improved drive system
AssigneeReconRobotics, Inc.
InventorAlex J. Kossett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A two wheeled throwable robot comprises an elongate chassis with two ends, a motor at each end, drive wheels connected to the motors, and a tail extending from the elongate chassis. The throwable robot includes a pair of torque limiting mechanisms, each torque limiting mechanism being operatively coupled between a motor and a drive wheel. Each torque limiting mechanism comprises a drive flange portion, a driven flange portion and a plurality of rollers. A spring element provides a ring force that biases the rollers toward the driven flange portion.
Claims20
A throwable surveillance robot weighing less than six pounds comprising:
- a pair of axially aligned drive wheels, each wheel having a maximum diameter, the pair of drive wheels comprising a starboard drive wheel and a port drive wheel;
- a housing extending between the wheels, the housing being disposed within a cylinder defined by the maximum diameters of the drive wheels, the housing defining a housing cavity containing a receiver, a transmitter and a video camera connected to the transmitter;
- a pair of motors disposed inside the housing cavity, the pair of motors comprising a starboard motor and a port motor, each motor comprising a motor shaft;
- a starboard motor gear fixed to the motor shaft of the starboard motor, the starboard motor gear comprising a plurality of gear teeth;
- a starboard drive member comprising a toothed outer portion, the toothed outer portion of the starboard drive member engaging the gear teeth of the starboard motor gear, the starboard drive member comprising a driving flange portion, the driving flange portion defining a plurality apertures, the apertures being arranged in a radial pattern extending along a circular path, the starboard drive member defining a central opening;
- a starboard driven member comprising a mating shaft portion extending through the central opening defined by the starboard drive member so that the a driven flange portion of the driven member is disposed opposite the driving flange of the starboard drive member, the starboard driven flange portion defining a plurality of holes, each hole being dimensioned and positioned to temporarily or permanently receive a portion of one of the plurality of rollers, each hole being dimensioned and configured such that one of the plurality of rollers cannot pass through the hole;
- a starboard spring element providing a spring force, the spring force acting to bias each of the rollers toward the driven flange of the starboard driven member.
4 more elements
A throwable surveillance robot weighing less than six pounds comprising:
- a pair of axially aligned drive wheels, each wheel having a maximum diameter, the pair of drive wheels comprising a starboard drive wheel and a port drive wheel;
- a housing extending between the wheels, the housing being disposed within a cylinder defined by the maximum diameters of the drive wheels, the housing defining a housing cavity containing a receiver, a transmitter and a video camera connected to the transmitter;
- a starboard drive member, the starboard drive member comprising a driving flange portion, the driving flange portion defining a plurality apertures, the apertures being arranged in a radial pattern extending along a circular path, the starboard drive member defining a central opening;
- a starboard driven member comprising a mating shaft portion extending through the central opening defined by the starboard drive member so that the a driven flange portion of the driven member is disposed opposite the driving flange of the starboard drive member, the starboard driven flange portion defining a plurality of holes, each hole being dimensioned and positioned to temporarily or permanently receive a portion of one of the plurality of rollers, each hole being dimensioned and configured such that one of the plurality of rollers cannot pass through the hole;
- a starboard spring element providing a spring force, the spring force acting to bias each of the rollers toward the driven flange of the starboard driven member.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.