# US 11,029,692 B2 · Robotic device for providing vertical mobility > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,692 B2 - Document ID: US11029692B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/740,883 - Filed: 2020-01-13 - Published: 2020-05-14 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-01 - Assignees: InnovBot, LLC; Research Foundation of the City University of New York - Applicants: Research Foundation of the City University of New York; InnovBot, LLC - Inventors: Jizhong Xiao; Kenshin Ushiroda; SaiadiVishnu Sanigepalli; Guoyong Yang; Yifeng Song - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029692B2 ## CPC - A47L 9/009: {Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles} - G05D 1/0219: {ensuring the processing of the whole working surface} - A47L 9/122: {flat} - A47L 9/2805: {Parameters or conditions being sensed} - 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) - A47L 11/38: Machines, specially adapted for cleaning walls, ceilings, roofs, or the like - A47L 11/4066: {Propulsion of the whole machine} - A47L 2201/00: Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation - Y02B 10/30: Wind power - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A robotic device for providing vertical mobility has a payload disposed inside a central compartment and can move up and down through spring load to keep intimate contact with the surface and cross over bumps. The apparatus uses a flexible seal to create a reliable vacuum chamber. The flexible seal comprises a foam ring inside fabric pocket. A plurality of rod and spring strips are configured to apply a downward force to the flexible seal to conform with surface curvatures. The fabric pocket fills in the gaps or seams to maintain a vacuum. The air flows inside a manifold and passes through a filter to avoid debris from damaging the vacuum motor assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robotic device for providing vertical mobility, the robotic device comprising: a housing with a housing perimeter, the housing enclosing a vacuum chamber that is exposed to an opening on a lower surface of the housing; a flexible seal that circumscribes the housing perimeter to form the vacuum chamber; a plurality of rod and spring pairs configured to apply a downward force to the flexible seal; a vacuum motor assembly operatively connected to the vacuum chamber; a means for moving the robotic device across a surface, the means for moving being at least one wheel or at least one tank tread; wherein actuation of the vacuum motor assembly creates a vacuum in the vacuum chamber that pulls the housing toward the surface such that the means for moving is pressed against the surface and wherein the flexible seal defines a seal perimeter and the means for moving is disposed within the seal perimeter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robotic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising payload disposed inside a central compartment of the housing, the payload being supported by a spring loaded connector that is vertically mobile. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robotic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the flexible seal comprises soft material wrapped within a flexible air-tight fabric pocket. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robotic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the vacuum motor assembly comprises an impeller, the robotic device further comprising a filter compartment with at least one filter, the vacuum motor assembly configured to pull air through the vacuum chamber and through the at least one filter before the air passes through the impeller of the vacuum motor assembly, thereby protecting the vacuum motor assembly from debris. ### Claim 5 A robotic device for providing vertical mobility, the robotic device comprising: a housing with a housing perimeter, the housing enclosing a vacuum chamber that is exposed to an opening on a lower surface of the housing; a flexible seal that circumscribes the housing perimeter to form the vacuum chamber; a vacuum motor assembly operatively connected to the vacuum chamber; a means for moving the robotic device across a surface, the means for moving being at least one wheel or at least one tank tread, wherein the means for moving is directly connected to the housing such that actuation of the vacuum motor assembly creates a vacuum in the vacuum chamber and pulls the housing toward the surface such that the means for moving is pressed against the surface; a payload disposed inside a central compartment of the housing, the payload being supported by a spring loaded connector that is vertically mobile. ### Claim 6 A robotic device for providing vertical mobility, the robotic device comprising: a housing enclosing a flexible vacuum chamber that is exposed to an opening on a lower surface of the housing, the housing has a central compartment with a compliant seal assembly disposed therein; the compliant seal assembly comprising a flexible, air-tight tube whose wall is made of fabric or plastic or silicone rubber material, which is clamped inside the central compartment and supported by a plurality of rod and spring pairs forming the flexible vacuum chamber, that is vertically mobile, but not laterally mobile; wherein a flexible seal is attached on a bottom end of the compliant seal assembly that circumscribes the opening of the central compartment to seal the flexible vacuum chamber; a vacuum motor assembly operatively connected to the flexible vacuum chamber; a means for moving the robotic device across a surface, the means for moving being at least one wheel or at least one tank tread; wherein actuation of the vacuum motor assembly creates a vacuum in the flexible vacuum chamber that pulls the housing toward the surface such that the means for moving is pressed against the surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The robotic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the flexible seal defines a seal perimeter and the means for moving is disposed external to the seal perimeter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The robotic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the flexible seal comprises soft material wrapped within a flexible, air-tight fabric pocket. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The robotic device as recited in claim 6, further comprising a filter compartment with at least one filter, the vacuum motor assembly configured to pull air through the flexible vacuum chamber and through the at least one filter before the air passes through an impeller of the vacuum motor assembly, thereby protecting the vacuum motor assembly from debris. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The robotic device as recited in claim 6, further comprising a payload within the central compartment, the payload keeping intimate contact with a surface.