# US 11,440,592 B1 · Integrated bumper

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- Number: US 11,440,592 B1
- Document ID: US11440592B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/072,252
- Filed: 2020-10-16
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-18
- Assignees: AI Incorporated
- Applicants: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi; Alexander Powers; Shahin Fathi Djalali
- Inventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi; Alexander Powers; Shahin Fathi Djalali
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440592B1

## CPC

- B62D 24/04: Vehicle body mounted on resilient suspension for movement relative to the vehicle frame
- A47L 9/009: {Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles}
- A47L 9/2805: {Parameters or conditions being sensed}
- A47L 9/2857: {User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays}
- A47L 11/4066: {Propulsion of the whole machine}
- B62D 27/04: resilient
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- A47L 2201/04: Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
- 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)
- 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

## Abstract

Provided is an integrated bumper system including an integrated bumper system of a robot, including a bumper elastically coupled with a chassis of the robot and comprising an opening in a top surface of the bumper; at least one elastic element coupled to the chassis and interfacing with the bumper; and a bridging element coupled with the chassis or another component of the robot, wherein the bumper slides relative to the bridging element upon an impact and a release of the impact; a perimeter of the opening of the bumper is hidden beneath the bridging element when the bumper is in a neutral position and an impacted position; and the perimeter of the opening of the bumper remains hidden beneath the bridging element during movement of the bumper caused by the impact and the release of the impact.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An integrated bumper system of a robot, comprising:
a bumper elastically coupled with a chassis of the robot and comprising an opening in a top surface of the bumper;
at least one elastic element coupled to the chassis and interfacing with the bumper; and
a bridging element coupled with the chassis or another component of the robot, wherein:
the bumper slides relative to the bridging element upon an impact and a release of the impact;
a perimeter of the opening of the bumper is hidden beneath the bridging element when the bumper is in a neutral position and an impacted position; and
the perimeter of the opening of the bumper remains hidden beneath the bridging element during movement of the bumper caused by the impact and the release of the impact.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The integrated bumper system of claim 1, further comprising:
a user interface coupled with the chassis; and
a user interface frame framing the user interface and coupled with the chassis,
wherein the another component of the robot is the user interface frame.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The integrated bumper system of claim 2, wherein the bridging element is coupled with the user interface frame along an outer perimeter of the user interface frame.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The integrated bumper system of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for limiting an amount of movement of the bumper.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The integrated bumper system of claim 4, wherein the mechanism comprises at least one tab coupled to the bumper and at least one stopping element coupled to the chassis or another component of the robot, wherein the mechanism is configured to limit movement of the bumper by physical contact of the at least one tab against the at least one stopping element.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The integrated bumper system of claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic element comprises one or more of: a spring, a rubber piece, a spring clip, and an elastic band.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The integrated bumper system of claim 1, further comprising at least one impact sensor configured to detect movement of the bumper.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The integrated bumper system of claim 7, wherein the at least one impact sensor is coupled to the chassis on a first end and interfaces with the bumper on a second end.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The integrated bumper system of claim 7, wherein the at least one impact sensor detects at least one of six conditions upon impact of the bumper with an object, the at least six conditions indicating at least a front impact, a first front side impact local to a first of the at least one impact sensor, a second front side impact local to a second of the at least one impact sensor, a back impact, a first back side impact local to a third of the at least one impact sensor, and a second back side impact local to a fourth of the at least one impact sensor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The integrated bumper system of claim 1, wherein the bumper at least partially encloses the chassis.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The integrated bumper system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a user interface and a user interface frame are positioned within the opening of the top surface of the bumper.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The integrated bumper system of claim 1, wherein the bumper comprises a plurality of side ports corresponding with a plurality of sensors.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The integrated bumper system of claim 1, further comprising a cover, wherein the bumper and at least a portion of the cover are a unitary component.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The integrated bumper system of claim 1, wherein the bridging element is stationary and the bumper moves relative to the bridging element and a user interface disposed within the opening on the top surface of the bumper upon the impact and the release of the impact.

### Claim 15

A robot, comprising:
a chassis; and
an integrated bumper system, comprising:
a bumper elastically coupled with the chassis and comprising an opening in a top surface of the bumper;
at least one elastic element coupled to the chassis and interfacing with the bumper; and
a bridging element coupled with the chassis or another component of the robot, wherein:
the bumper slides relative to the bridging element upon an impact and a release of the impact;
a perimeter of the opening of the bumper is hidden beneath the bridging element when the bumper is in a neutral position and an impacted position; and
the perimeter of the opening of the bumper remains hidden beneath the bridging element during movement of the bumper caused by the impact and the release of the impact.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The robot of claim 15, wherein the bridging element is stationary and the bumper moves relative to the bridging element and a user interface disposed within the opening on the top surface of the bumper upon the impact and the release of the impact.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The robot of claim 15, further comprising a mechanism for limiting an amount of movement of the bumper.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The robot of claim 17, wherein the mechanism comprises at least one tab coupled to the bumper and at least one stopping element coupled to the chassis or another component of the robot, wherein the mechanism is configured to limit movement of the bumper by physical contact of the at least one tab against the at least one stopping element.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The robot of claim 15, further comprising at least one impact sensor configured to detect movement of the bumper.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The robot of claim 19, wherein the at least one impact sensor is coupled to the chassis on a first end and interfaces with the bumper on a second end.