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US 2026/0061616 A1Published application
Cooking and serving general purpose robot
AssigneeClutterbot, Inc.
InventorJustin David Hamilton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is described for a tidying robot to approach a storage device, such as a refrigerator or freezer, containing a food item, and perform a series of actions to remove the food item. The robot then transports the food item to either a cooking device or a serving location. The method may also adjust the operating conditions of the cooking device. The method may also include retrieving serving objects, such as plates and cutlery items from a storage location and transporting those serving objects to a serving location.
Claims13
A method comprising:
- approaching a storage device with a tidying robot, wherein the storage device contains a target object, and
- wherein the tidying robot is configured with:
- a chassis;
- a capture and containment system including:
- a scoop;
- pusher pads including a first pusher pad and a second pusher pad;
- pusher pad arms including a first pusher pad arm and a second pusher pad arm;
- a gripper arm;
- a lifting column configured to raise and lower the capture and containment system through extension and retraction of a lifting column linear actuator;
- raising or lowering the capture and containment system, using the lifting column linear actuator to a grabbing height of a storage door handle on a storage door, covering a storage door opening of the storage device;
- grabbing the storage door handle with the gripper arm;
- backing up the tidying robot until the storage door is open;
- driving the tidying robot forward until the scoop is just inside the storage door opening;
- extending the pusher pads out and forward with respect to the pusher pad arms, and above the target object;
- rotating the first pusher pad inward toward a front edge of the scoop in a position to grasp a first side of the target object;
- rotating the second pusher pad until the second pusher pad is in the position to grasp a second side of the target object;
- approaching the target object and coming to a stop when the target object is positioned below and between the pusher pads;
- lowering the pusher pads to the height of the target object;
- rotating the first pusher pad and the second pusher pad until the target object is contacted;
- retracting the pusher pad arms to move the target object into the scoop;
- and
- exerting pressure on the target object with the pusher pads to hold the target object stationary in the scoop;
- backing up the tidying robot to remove the capture and containment system from the storage device;
- grabbing the storage door handle with the gripper arm;
- driving the tidying robot forward to close the storage door;
- and
- raising or lowering the capture and containment system to a transporting height.
24 more elements
A method comprising:
- approaching a storage area with a tidying robot, wherein the storage area contains a serving object, and
- wherein the tidying robot is configured with:
- a chassis;
- a capture and containment system including:
- a scoop;
- pusher pads including a first pusher pad and a second pusher pad;
- pusher pad arms including a first pusher pad arm and a second pusher pad arm;
- a gripper arm;
- a lifting column configured to raise and lower the capture and containment system through extension and retraction of a lifting column linear actuator;
- raising or lowering the capture and containment system, using the lifting column linear actuator to a grabbing height of the serving object;
- driving the tidying robot forward until the capture and containment system can engage with the serving object;
- extending the pusher pads out and forward with respect to the pusher pad arms, and above the serving object;
- rotating the first pusher pad inward toward a front edge of the scoop in a position to grasp a first side of the serving object;
- rotating the second pusher pad until the second pusher pad is in the position to grasp a second side of the serving object;
- approaching the serving object and coming to a stop when the serving object is positioned below and between the pusher pads;
- lowering the pusher pads to the height of the serving object;
- rotating the first pusher pad and the second pusher pad until the serving object is contacted;
- grasping the serving object with the pusher pads;
- on condition the serving object will contact an obstruction if the pusher pads are retracted toward the scoop:
- raising the pusher pads grasping the serving object;
- retracting the pusher pad arms to move the serving object into the scoop;
- and
- backing up the tidying robot to remove the capture and containment system from the storage area;
- and
- raising or lowering the capture and containment system to a transporting height.
22 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.