Steering mechanism for rail guided robots in a library
AssigneeStorage Technology Corporation
InventorGary Gustafson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steering mechanism for a track-mounted robot is provided. The steering mechanism comprises guide wheels, which are fixed to yokes that pivot around secondary drive wheels. The pivot action of the yokes allows the guide wheels to maintain full contact with the track and steer as the robot traverses straight and curved portions of the track. Linkage components attach the yokes to a cam follower which follows a cam surface in the track in order to force the proper angle of steering for the guide wheels.
Claims24
A steering mechanism for a track-mounted robot, the steering mechanism comprising:
- at least one guide component that moves along the track, wherein the guide component is attached to a first pivot arm with a plane of rotation approximately perpendicular to the track;
- at least one cam follower that moves along a cam surface of the track and is mounted on a slider plate that moves perpendicular to the track;
- and
- a second pivot arm with a plane of rotation approximately perpendicular to the track, wherein the second pivot arm connects the first pivot arm to the slider plate;
- wherein the rotation of the first and second pivot arms causes the guide component to maintain a movement path tangent to the track as the cam follower wheel moves along the cam surface of the track.
A steering mechanism for a track-mounted robot, the steering mechanism comprising:
- an articulated robot chassis, wherein the chassis is divided into at least two sections that pivot about at least one axis, and wherein the chassis sections have a plane of rotation approximately perpendicular to the track;
- at least one guide component coupled to each of two robot chassis sections, wherein the guide component runs along the track;
- and
- at least one cam follower coupled to each of two robot chassis sections, wherein the cam follower follows a cam surface of the track;
- wherein the rotation of the robot chassis sections causes the guide component to maintain a movement path tangent to the track as the cam followers move along the cam surface of the track.
A method for steering a track-mounted robot, the method comprising:
- maintaining contact between the track and at least one guide component, wherein the guide component pivots in order to maintain a movement path tangent to the track while the robot follows a cam surface of track;
- and
- using the pivoting of the guide component to maintain contact between the track and at least one robot drive wheel.
A steering mechanism for a track-mounted robot, the steering mechanism comprising:
- at least one guide component, wherein the guide component pivots in order to maintain a movement path tangent to the track while the robot follows a cam surface of track;
- and
- means for using the pivoting of the guide component to maintain contact between the track and at least one robot drive wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.