Crawler robot equipped with a work unit, and governing equipment for such crawler robots

#The present invention relates to a crawler robot equipped with a work unit, said robot being capable of displacing itself over a smooth curved surface, positioning itself in different predetermined places of work of that surface and performing a job in one or more operation sites in each of those places of work. The present invention also concerns governing equipment for such robots which includes at least one first robot adapted for performing one or more stages preceding said work in the predetermined sites and a second robot for afterwards performing one or more stages following the work in the same predetermined sites, both the first and the second robot being governed by certain control means for being displaced and working in a coordinated fashion on the work surface.

#In general, the crawler robot and the equipment for the crawler robots of the present invention have application in any sector of industry and in particular in the field of aeronautics.

#In various fields of the art there exist a need to have crawler robots capable of crawling on smooth surfaces that are steeply inclined, vertical or even overhanging. Numerous robots are known provided with suction pads adapted for crawling, for example on the glass facades of buildings with the aim of carrying out cleaning or similar tasks. Nevertheless, when the work surfaces are curved, the displacement of such robots over them presents a considerably greater problem.

#The above characteristics and advantages and others will be more fully understood on the basis of the following detailed description of some examples of embodiment with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a plan view of a crawler robot equipped with a work unit in accordance with the example of embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a plan view of the crawler robot of FIG. 1 without the work unit in order to better show the structure of the chassis and the locomotion system;

#Making reference to the figures, according to an example of embodiment of the present invention the crawler robot comprises a chassis 1 equipped with a locomotion system for being displaced on a work surface S (FIGS. 5 to 7) and adapted for carrying a work unit 44 provided with a head 19 ready for working in that work surface S. With regard to the said chassis 1, and solely for the purpose of facilitating the following description, an imaginary system of references has been established based on three coordinate axes X, Y, Z, where the X axis is aligned with a direction of advance of the said chassis 1 and the Z axis is directed towards a work surface S on which the robot is displaced. It has to be stated that the said coordinate axes X, Y, Z are associated exclusively with the chassis 1 and they change their position together with the chassis 1. If the crawler robot is placed on a flat work surface, the X and Y axes would be parallel to that flat work surface and the Z axis would be perpendicular to it. Nevertheless, FIGS. 5A to 5G show the crawler robot arranged on a curved work surface S with the aim of illustrating the adaptations which the robot incorporates for displacing and working on a curved surface. Although for greater simplicity of the drawing, the work surface S that is illustrated is curved in one direction, the crawler robot of the present invention is adapted for likewise being displaced on surfaces curved in multiple directions, such as for example the surfaces found in fuselages and other parts of aircraft. Given that the locomotion system of the crawler robot of the present invention includes, as will be seen further below, certain suction coupling devices based on suction pads for being secured to the work surface, no matter what its orientation might be, the work surface S therefore has to be substantially smooth.

#As shown better in FIG. 2, the chassis 1 is in the form of an approximately rectangular plate provided with a wide opening 12 in its middle part. Provided on two opposite sides of the chassis 1 is a first set of legs 2a, 2b, which include a subset of front legs 2a and a subset of rear legs 2b. Provided around the said opening 12 is a second set of legs 4. The said first set of legs 2a, 2b is mounted in a linearly displaceable manner in the direction of the X axis with respect to the chassis 1 and each leg 2a, 2b of the first set of legs 2a, 2b is mounted in a manner that is extensible and retractable in the direction of the Z axis with regard to the chassis 1. The second set of legs 4 is mounted in a rotary manner around an axis parallel with the Z axis with respect to the chassis 1. The first and second set of legs 2a, 2b and 4 are respectively provided with a first and second suction coupling device 3, 5 adapted for intermittently coupling said first and second set of legs 2a, 2b and 4 to the work surface S.

#The subset of front legs 2a comprises two legs, one on each side of the chassis 1 and the subset of rear legs 2b comprises another two legs, one on each side of the chassis 1. The front legs 2a and the rear legs 2b located on the same side of the chassis 1 are mounted on a sliding support 20 coupled to the chassis 1 by means of a linear guide device 21 arranged in the direction of the X axis (FIGS. 3 and 5A to 5G). Each sliding support 20 is joined to a pair of runners 28 coupled to the corresponding linear guide device 21 and connected to a linear actuator 22. In the example of embodiment that is illustrated, the said runners 28 are recirculating ball skates and the linear actuators 22 are ball spindles actuated by respective electric servomotors 29 in order to extend or retract some rods 39 (FIGS. 1 and 2). With this construction the front and rear legs 2a, 2b located on the same side of the chassis 1 can be jointly displaced with respect to the chassis 1 by virtue of activating the corresponding electric servomotor 29 and, in general, the two electric servomotors 29 are controlled by some control means such that the four legs 2a, 2b are jointly displaced with respect to the chassis 1 as if the two sliding supports 20 were joined. Obviously, a single sliding support on which the four legs 2a, 2b were mounted would be an equivalent construction.