# US 11,110,595 B2 · Mast systems for autonomous mobile robots > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,110,595 B2 - Document ID: US11110595B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/216,386 - Filed: 2018-12-11 - Published: 2020-06-11 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-11 - Assignees: iRobot Corporation - Applicants: iRobot Corporation - Inventors: Patrick Chow; Irene Lee; Kenneth Holm, Jr.; Frederic D. Hook; Patrick Petrossian; Fred Alibozek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110595B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/0015: {Flexure members, i.e. parts of manipulators having a narrowed section allowing articulation by flexion} - B25J 13/089: {Determining the position of the robot with reference to its environment} - B25J 5/007: {mounted on wheels} - B25J 9/0012: {making use of synthetic construction materials, e.g. plastics, composites} - B25J 9/162: {Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it} - B25J 9/1694: {characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion} - B25J 18/02: extensible - B25J 18/04: rotatable - B25J 18/06: flexible - B25J 19/023: {including video camera means} - 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}) ## Abstract An autonomous mobile robot includes a flexible member including a polymer layer extending along an entire length of the flexible member, and an end portion vertically movable away from a body of the robot. A first portion of a fastening mechanism extends along a first lateral edge of the polymer layer and a second portion of the fastening mechanism extends along a second lateral edge of the polymer layer. The first portion of the fastening mechanism is attached to the second portion of the fastening mechanism and forms a conduit to support the image capture device. The conduit includes an inner surface and an outer surface, and the outer surface of the conduit is at least partially defined by the polymer layer. An image capture device is mounted to an end portion of the flexible member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An autonomous mobile robot comprising: a body; a drive to maneuver the body across a floor surface; an image capture device; and an elongate flexible member comprising a polymer layer forming a central portion of the flexible member, the polymer layer extending along an entire length of the flexible member, first and second fabric portions forming lateral portions of the flexible member, the first and second fabric portions extending along first and second lateral edges, respectively, of the polymer layer, a first portion of a fastening mechanism extending along a lateral edge of the first fabric portion and a second portion of the fastening mechanism extending along a lateral edge of the second fabric portion, wherein the first portion of the fastening mechanism is directly attached to the second portion of the fastening mechanism to connect the lateral edge of the first fabric portion and the lateral edge of the second fabric portion such that the first and second fabric portions, the polymer layer, and the fastening mechanism form a conduit to support the image capture device, the conduit comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, and the outer surface of the conduit being defined by the polymer layer, the first and second fabric portions, and the fastening mechanism, and an end portion vertically movable away from the body, wherein the central portion is configured to deflect such that the lateral edges of the first and second fabric portions are moved toward one another as the end portion of the flexible member moves away from the body, and wherein the image capture device is mounted to the end portion of the flexible member such that the image capture device moves vertically away from the body as the end portion moves vertically away from the body, wherein a perimeter of a cross section of the conduit comprises a first segment and a second segment, the first segment comprising a first end connected to a first end of the second segment and a second end connected to a second end of the second segment, wherein the second segment has a curvature more than a curvature of the first segment, and wherein the polymer layer extends along the second segment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein: the end portion is a first end portion, and the flexible member comprises a second end portion attached to a spool within the body of the robot, the flexible member configured to be coiled onto the spool as the first end portion moves vertically toward the body, and the central portion is configured to deflect such that the lateral edges of the first and second fabric portions are moved away from one another as the first end portion of the flexible member moves vertically toward the body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein a section of the flexible member is deflectable between a flattened configuration in which the lateral portions of the flexible member along the section are separated from one another by the central portion of the flexible member along the section and a curled configuration in which the lateral portions of the flexible member are attached to one another. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the flexible member comprises a transition region comprising a first end in which the first and second portions of the fastening mechanism are attached to one another and a second end in which the first and second portions of the fastening mechanism are separated from one another by at least a width of the polymer layer, wherein a distance between the first and second portions of the fastening mechanism decreases and a curvature of the polymer layer increases from the first end of the transition region to the second end of the transition region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer extends along 50% to 90% of a width of the flexible member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the first and second fabric portions extending along no more than 20% of a width of the flexible member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the first and second fabric portions are sewed to the polymer layer along the first and second lateral edges of the polymer layer, respectively, of the polymer layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The robot of claim 7, wherein: the first fabric portion is sewed to the polymer layer such that an outer surface of the first fabric portion at least partially defining the outer surface of the conduit faces the outer surface of the polymer layer, and the second fabric portion is sewed to the polymer layer such that an outer surface of the second fabric portion at least partially defining the outer surface of the conduit faces the outer surface of the polymer layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the flexible member comprises a metallic layer longitudinally extending along the flexible member, wherein the robot comprises a sensor to detect the metallic layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The robot of claim 9, wherein the sensor comprises a Hall effect sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The robot of claim 9, wherein a width of the metallic layer varies longitudinally along the flexible member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The robot of claim 11, wherein a maximum width of the metallic layer is between 2 and 10 centimeters, and a minimum width of the metallic layer is between 0.1 and 5 centimeters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The robot of claim 9, wherein the polymer layer is a first polymer layer, the flexible member further comprises a second polymer layer underlying the first polymer layer, and the metallic layer is positioned between the first polymer layer and the second polymer layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The robot of claim 9, wherein an inner surface of the conduit is at least partially defined by the metallic layer, the metallic layer being a metallic film bonded to the polymer layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The robot of claim 9, wherein a width or a pattern of the metallic layer is indicative of a distance travelled by the end portion of the flexible member based on the detected metallic layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer of the flexible member comprises woven polymer fibers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer is pre-formed such that a radius of curvature of the polymer layer in an unstressed state is between 10 and 60 millimeters. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises a zipper mechanism, the first portion and the second portion of the fastening mechanism corresponding to first clasps and second clasps, respectively, of the zipper mechanism. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The robot of claim 18, wherein a gauge size of the first and second clasps is #3, #4, #5, #6, or #7. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the fastening mechanism are positioned along the first segment. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein a length of the first segment is between 2 and 50 millimeters, and a length of the second segment is between 4 and 10 centimeters. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein a length of the first segment is between 5 and 50% of a length of the perimeter of the conduit, and a length of the second segment is between 50 and 95% of the length of the perimeter of the conduit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, further comprising a passive roller comprising a frustoconical member at least partially defining an outer surface of the passive roller along which the flexible member is routed. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, further comprising a plug attached to the end portion of the flexible member, the plug being bonded to the end portion along at least 80% of an inner perimeter of the end portion. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The robot of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer has a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the first and second fabric portions. ### Claim 26 An autonomous mobile robot comprising: a body; a drive to maneuver the body across a floor surface; an image capture device; and an elongate flexible member comprising a polymer layer extending along an entire length of the flexible member, first and second fabric portions forming lateral portions of the flexible member, a first portion of a fastening mechanism extending along a first lateral edge of the polymer layer and a second portion of the fastening mechanism extending along a second lateral edge of the polymer layer, wherein the first portion of the fastening mechanism is attached to the second portion of the fastening mechanism and forms a conduit to support the image capture device, the conduit comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, and the outer surface of the conduit being at least partially defined by the polymer layer, and an end portion vertically movable away from the body, wherein the image capture device is mounted to the end portion of the flexible member such that the image capture device moves vertically away from the body as the end portion moves vertically away from the body, wherein a perimeter of a cross section of the conduit comprises a first segment and a second segment, the first segment comprising a first end connected to a first end of the second segment and a second end connected to a second end of the second segment, wherein the second segment has a curvature more than a curvature of the first segment, and wherein the first and second fabric portions extend along the first segment and the polymer layer extends along the second segment. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The robot of claim 26, wherein the first and second fabric portions extend along no less than 90% of entire lengths of the first and second lateral edges of the polymer layer, respectively. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The robot of claim 26, wherein in the cross section of the conduit, the first portion of the fastening mechanism is attached to the second portion of the fastening mechanism along the first segment. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The robot of claim 26, wherein in the cross section of the conduit, a length of the first segment is less than an overall width of the conduit. ### Claim 30 An autonomous mobile robot comprising: a body; a drive to maneuver the body across a floor surface; an image capture device; and an elongate flexible member comprising a polymer layer forming a central portion of the flexible member, the polymer layer extending along an entire length of the flexible member, first and second fabric portions forming lateral portions of the flexible member, the first and second fabric portions extending along first and second lateral edges, respectively, of the polymer layer, wherein the polymer layer has a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the first and second fabric portions, a first portion of a fastening mechanism extending along a lateral edge of the first fabric portion and a second portion of the fastening mechanism extending along a lateral edge of the second fabric portion, wherein the first portion of the fastening mechanism is directly attached to the second portion of the fastening mechanism to connect the lateral edge of the first fabric portion and the lateral edge of the second fabric portion such that the first and second fabric portions, the polymer layer, and the fastening mechanism form a conduit to support the image capture device, the conduit comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, and the outer surface of the conduit being defined by the polymer layer, the first and second fabric portions, and the fastening mechanism, and an end portion vertically movable away from the body, wherein the central portion is configured to deflect such that the lateral edges of the first and second fabric portions are moved toward one another as the end portion of the flexible member moves away from the body, and wherein the image capture device is mounted to the end portion of the flexible member such that the image capture device moves vertically away from the body as the end portion moves vertically away from the body. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The robot of claim 30, wherein in a cross section of the conduit, the first and second fabric portions extend along only a first portion of a perimeter of the cross section, and the polymer layer extends along only a second portion of the perimeter of the cross section. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The robot of claim 30, wherein in a cross section of the conduit, the first and second fabric portions form at least part of a first segment of a perimeter of the cross section between first and second ends of a second segment of the perimeter of the cross section. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The robot of claim 32, wherein the first segment of the perimeter of the cross section is formed at least in part by the fastener mechanism.