# US 11,077,457 B2 · Method of covering a surface of a building and robot therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,457 B2 - Document ID: US11077457B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/591,696 - Filed: 2019-10-03 - Published: 2020-02-20 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2013-05-23 - Assignees: Q-Bot Limited - Applicants: Q-Bot Limited - Inventors: Tomasz B Lipinski; Peter Childs; Mathew Holloway - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077457B2 ## CPC - B05B 13/005: {mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers} - B05B 3/00: Spraying or sprinkling apparatus with moving outlet elements or moving deflecting elements - B05B 13/0405: {with reciprocating or oscillating spray heads (B05B13/0436, B05B13/0442, B05B13/0447, B05B13/0468 take precedence)} - B05B 13/0431: {with spray heads moved by robots or articulated arms, e.g. for applying liquid or other fluent material to three-dimensional [3D] surfaces} - B05D 1/02: performed by spraying - B25J 5/007: {mounted on wheels} - B25J 11/0055: {Cutting} - B25J 11/0075: {Manipulators for painting or coating} - B25J 15/0019: {End effectors other than grippers} - B25J 15/04: with provision for the remote detachment or exchange of the head or parts thereof - E04B 1/76: specifically with respect to heat only (heat insulation in general F16L59/00) - G05D 1/0094: {involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target} - G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)} - B05B 12/084: {responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material already sprayed on the target, e.g. coating thickness, weight or pattern} - B05B 12/18: using fluids, e.g. gas streams - E04F 21/12: acting by gas pressure, e.g. steam pressure - E04F 21/16: Implements for after-treatment of plaster or the like {before it has hardened or dried}, e.g. smoothing-tools, profile trowels {(E04F21/04, E04F21/165 take precedence)} - Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot - Y10S 901/43: Spray painting or coating - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001}) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - E04F: FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS (windows, doors E06B) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A method of covering a surface of a building, the method comprising spraying an expandable foam material onto the surface and allowing the foam material to solidify whereby to form a covering of the surface and a robotic vehicle configured to carry out the method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robotic device comprising a spray nozzle, wherein the spray nozzle is coupled to a hose that is coupled to a source of thermally insulating material, wherein the spray nozzle of the robotic device sprays at least one layer of thermally insulating material onto an underside of a suspended floor of a building, wherein the thermally insulating material forms an insulative covering, wherein an underfloor cavity comprises a space between the underside of the suspended floor and a ground surface, wherein the source of the thermally insulating material is located outside the underfloor cavity, and wherein the robotic device is able to be introduced into the underfloor cavity and remotely operated. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the robotic device is a robotic vehicle further comprising a propulsion system configured to move the robotic vehicle relative to the underside of the suspended floor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The robotic device of claim 2, wherein the propulsion system comprises at least one driven wheel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The robotic device of claim 3, wherein the robotic device comprises a chassis having a length and the at least one driven wheel is mounted so as to have two positions relative to the chassis: a first position where the at least one driven wheel is positioned so as to be able to drive the robotic device in a direction of the length of the chassis and a second position where a rotational axis of the at least one driven wheel is aligned with the length, wherein the maximum cross-sectional area of the robotic device in a plane perpendicular to the length is less in the second position than in the first position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the thermally insulating material is an expandable foam material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The robotic device of claim 5, wherein the expandable foam material is a polyurethane foam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The robotic device of claim 5, wherein the expandable foam material comprises two parts, and wherein the robotic device combines the two parts of the thermally insulating material in the spray nozzle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, further comprising a sensing device configured to monitor a thickness of the insulative covering applied to the underside of the suspended floor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The robotic device of claim 8, wherein the sensing device comprises a rangefinder. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The robotic device of claim 8, wherein the sensing device comprises an optical sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The robotic device of claim 8, wherein the sensing device comprises an infrared camera. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The robotic device of claim 8, wherein the robotic device further comprises an air nozzle arranged to direct an air stream across a surface of the sensing device, whereby the air stream reduces debris on the sensing device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the robotic device is configured to apply the thermally insulating material autonomously to the underside of the suspended floor in order to achieve a predetermined thickness of the insulative covering. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the robotic device is coupled to the source of thermally insulating material via an umbilical cord that extends from the robotic device to outside of the underfloor cavity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The robotic device of claim 14, wherein the robotic device receives power and control signals via the umbilical cord. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the robotic device applies a surface coating to the thermally insulating material after the thermally insulating material has solidified. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the robotic device further comprises a robotic arm coupled to the spray nozzle and configured to move the spray nozzle relative to the underside of the suspended floor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the spray nozzle is mounted for rotation about an axis for moving the spray nozzle relative to the underside of the suspended floor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the spray nozzle is mounted for rotation relative to the robotic device about two axes, wherein spraying the thermally insulating material comprises rotating the spray nozzle about the two axes to spray the thermally insulating material to form the insulative covering. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the spray nozzle of the robotic device sprays the thermally insulating material to a controlled depth on the underside of the suspended floor.