Robotic Rail IBC Handler
OwnerMing Zhanginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is an outdoor mobile robot manipulator for the automatic handling of railway inter box connectors (IBC) in an intermodal rail yard. The manipulator includes a dual-mode adaptive suspension for protection of the robotic arm and end-effector against shock and vibration, a universal fingerless gripper capable of manipulating main types of rail IBCs, a blind IBC type recognition based on force sensor and close-range proximity sensors, and other protection gears enabling the manipulator to work in harsh outdoor working environments.
Claims20
A mobile manipulator work cell system for manipulating container connectors, capable of working in outdoor environments, comprising
- a plurality of containers located in a plurality of worksites, each container having a container frame and a plurality of corner castings with apertures, containers sharing common geometric features associated with their container frames and corner castings,
- a plurality of container connectors, each having a connector flange engageable with the corner casting, a top cone being rotatable relative to the connector flange, a bottom cone and the top cone being insertable into the aperture, the container connector capable of being locked in place in the aperture or being unlocked by rotation of the top cone relative to the connector flange,
- a manipulator comprising a controller, an arm with an arm base at one end and a gripper at the other end,
- and a flexible cover enveloping at least a portion of the manipulator, creating an internal environment between the flexible cover and the portion of the manipulator, the arm being capable of, under the command of the controller, performing at least one manipulation of the container connector programmed in reference to the common geometric feature, the manipulation including picking up and hanging the container connector by the top cone, and rotating the top cone relative to the connector flange when the movement of the connector flange is restricted,
- a mobile lift comprising a mobile base, a lift mounted to the mobile base, a power unit that generates waste heat or after heat, and a heating and ventilation unit capable of directing, absorbing, and distributing the waste heat or after heat to at least the internal environment for keeping the manipulator working in outdoor environments, the lift having a movable end to where a dual mode lockable suspension unit and the arm are mounted,
- the dual mode lockable suspension unit being capable of either working in a suspension mode to protect the arm from shock and vibration or in a locking mode to stabilize the arm, the mobile lift being capable of moving, in multi-directions, the movable end, powered by a lift actuator unit.
The mobile manipulator work cell system of claim second shock and vibration isolator mounted between the mobile carrier and the controller to protect the controller from shock and vibration, the mobile carrier providing an enclosure enveloping at least partially the controller and a driver, or the controller and autopilot, the heating and ventilation unit directing the waste heat or after heat to the interior of the enclosure and the internal environment.
A mobile manipulator with a dual mode lockable suspension unit for protection of the manipulator against shock and vibration, comprising
- a mobile carrier with a navigation system configured to move among a plurality of worksites,
- a manipulator capable of performing desired manipulation tasks in the worksite, the manipulator having an arm with an arm base at one end and at least an end effector at the other end, and a controller,
- a dual mode lockable suspension unit capable of either working in a suspension mode to protect the arm from shock and vibration or in a locking mode to bind the arm base and the mobile carrier together for stabilizing the arm, comprising
- a first shock and vibration isolator mounted between the mobile carrier and the arm base capable of attenuating shock and vibration acting on the arm and the end effector,
- a mode switch capable of interrupting and resuming the function of the first shock and vibration isolator, and changing the working mode of the dual mode lockable suspension unit between the suspension mode and the locking mode.
A manipulator for manipulating a container connector, comprising
- a controller, an arm with an arm base at one end and a gripper at the other end,
- the arm being capable of manipulating a container connector under the command of the controller,
- the container connector having a connector flange and, a top cone being rotatable relative to the connector flange, the container connector being capable of switching between a locked status and an unlocked status by rotation of the top cone relative to the connector flange,
- the arm being capable of, picking up and hanging the container connector by the top cone, and rotating the top cone relative to the connector flange when the movement of the connector flange is restricted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.