Climbing robot with compliant pinion drive
AssigneeSymbotic LLC
InventorsWilliam J. Fosnight, John G. Lert, Jr., Michael Duquette, Martin R. Elliott, Julian D. Warhurst, Charles W. Su, Alan J. Grant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated order fulfillment system and mobile robot are disclosed, where the mobile robot includes a compliant drive for moving between levels of a multilevel storage structure. In one example, the compliant drive comprises a drive shaft having splines configured to provide rotational play that prevents jamming of a vertical drive gear on the end of the shaft with a rack in a vertical track.
Claims20
A mobile robot configured to travel in a vertical or inclined passage within an automated retrieval and storage system, the passage comprising a rack having gear teeth, the mobile robot comprising:
- a pinion gear having gear teeth and configured to rotate on a shaft about an axis of rotation, the shaft configured to extend axially along the axis of rotation to position the pinion gear in meshing engagement with the rack when the mobile robot is to travel in the passage,
- wherein both the gear teeth of the rack and the gear teeth of the pinion gear comprise complementary chamfered lead in portions configured to facilitate a meshing engagement of the gear teeth of the pinion gear with the gear teeth of the rack without the gear teeth of the pinion gear jamming against the gear teeth of the rack upon axial extension of the shaft.
A mobile robot configured to travel in a vertical or inclined passage within an automated retrieval and storage system, the passage comprising a linear drive mount, the mobile robot comprising:
- a drive assembly for moving the mobile robot in the passage, the drive assembly having:
- a shaft configured to be rotated about an axis of rotation by a motor and to be extended axially along the axis of rotation;
- a drive gear mounted on an end of the shaft, the drive gear configured to move into engagement with the linear drive mount upon extension of the shaft;
- a hub for supporting a wheel and mounted on the shaft;
- wherein:
- the hub is permitted to move axially along the shaft between a first position and a second position;
- wherein in the first position, rotational play between the hub and the shaft is restricted, and
- wherein in the second position, rotational play between the hub and the shaft is permitted, the rotational play allowing a degree of free rotation of the drive gear relative to the linear drive mount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.