Mast systems for autonomous mobile robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10100968-B1
Application number	US-201715620658-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2017
Priority date	Jun 12, 2017
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A protractible and retractable mast system for an autonomous mobile robot includes an elongate flexible member including a first lateral end and a second lateral end, and a fastener having a first portion extending along a length of the first lateral end and a second portion extending along a length of the second lateral end. The flexible member is configured to be at least partially coiled within a body of the robot, and a portion of the flexible member is vertically movable away from the body when the flexible member is being uncoiled. The fastener is configured to connect the first lateral end to the second lateral end when the flexible member is being uncoiled, and disconnect the first lateral end from the second lateral end when the flexible member is being coiled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous mobile robot comprising:
a body;
a drive configured to maneuver the body across a floor surface;
an image capture device;
an interface cable connecting the image capture device to a controller of the robot, the interface cable being configured to be spooled within the body; and
an elongate flexible member having a portion coupled to the image capture device, the flexible member being configured to be at least partially coiled within the body of the robot, and the portion of the flexible member being vertically movable with the image capture device away from the body when the flexible member is being uncoiled,
wherein the flexible member is configured to form a conduit around a portion of the interface cable between the body and the image capture device and to support the image capture device above the body of the robot when the portion of the flexible member and the image capture device move away from the body, and
wherein a top surface of the image capture device is configured to be flush with or below a top surface of the body when the flexible member and the image capture device are retracted within the body.

2. The robot of claim 1 , wherein:
the flexible member comprises a section having a first lateral end and a second lateral end, and
the section of the flexible member is configured such that a distance between the first lateral end and the second lateral end when the section of the flexible member is coiled is larger than a distance between the first lateral end and the second lateral end when the section of the flexible member is uncoiled.

3. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the flexible member is configured to
be substantially flat when coiled within the body, and
be curled about a longitudinal axis of the flexible member to form the conduit when uncoiled and vertically extended from the body.

4. The robot of claim 1 , wherein:
the flexible member comprises a first lateral edge configured to be fastened to a second lateral edge of the flexible member to form the conduit around the portion of the interface cable, and
the interface cable and the flexible member are configured to be separately spooled within the body when the first lateral edge of the flexible member is unfastened from the second lateral edge of the flexible member.

5. The robot of claim 1 , wherein:
the flexible member comprises a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge,
the robot further comprises a fastener having a first portion extending along a length of the first lateral edge and a second portion extending along a length of the second lateral edge, and
the fastener is configured to
connect the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge to form the conduit around the portion of the interface cable when the flexible member is being uncoiled, and
disconnect the first lateral edge from the second lateral edge when the flexible member is being coiled within the body.

6. The robot of claim 5 , wherein the fastener comprises a zipper, a hook-and-loop fastener, or a magnetic fastener.

7. The robot of claim 5 , further comprising a fastening and unfastening device positioned below the top surface of the body, the fastening and unfastening device being configured to
connect the first portion of the fastener to the second portion of the fastener such that the flexible member forms the conduit around the portion of the interface cable when the image capture device moves vertically away from the body, and
disconnect the first portion of the fastener from the second portion of the fastener when the portion of the flexible member is retracted toward the body.

8. The robot of claim 5 , wherein the fastener is attached to an outer cloth layer of the flexible member.

9. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a drive roller contacting the flexible member, the drive roller being rotatable
in a first direction to cause the flexible member to be uncoiled and to move vertically away from the body, and
in a second direction to cause the flexible member to be coiled and to cause the portion of the flexible member to retract toward the body.

10. The robot of claim 9 , further comprising a motor positioned within the drive roller and between outer lateral ends of the drive roller, the motor being configured to rotate the drive roller in the first direction or the second direction.

11. The robot of claim 9 , further comprising a compressor roller positioned to contact the flexible member to compress another portion of the flexible member against the drive roller.

12. The robot of claim 9 , further comprising a ramp extending away from the drive roller from a first end proximate the drive roller to a second end proximate a location on the body through which the flexible member is movable to an exterior of the body, the ramp being configured to contact the flexible member to inhibit the flexible member from buckling.

13. The robot of claim 1 , wherein:
the portion of the flexible member is positioned proximate a first longitudinal end of the flexible member, and another portion of the flexible member is positioned proximate a second longitudinal end of the flexible member, and
the robot further comprises a spring to apply tension to the flexible member at the other portion of the flexible member.

14. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor to detect motion of the flexible member, wherein the controller is configured to determine a length of an uncoiled portion or a length of a coiled portion of the flexible member based on the detected motion of the flexible member.

15. The robot of claim 14 , wherein the sensor comprises an encoder operably connected to a motor to drive the flexible member away from the body of the robot.

16. The robot of claim 14 , wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor to detect motion of the flexible member.

17. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a rigid nest positioned within the body of the robot, the rigid nest configured to receive the image capture device when the image capture device is in a fully retracted position.

18. An autonomous mobile robot comprising:
a body;
a drive configured to maneuver the body across a floor surface;
an image capture device;
an interface cable connecting the image capture device to a controller of the robot, the interface cable being configured to be spooled within the body;
an elongate flexible member having a portion coupled to the image capture device, the flexible member being configured to be at least partially coiled within the body of the robot, and the portion of the flexible member being vertically movable with the image capture device away from the body when the flexible member is being uncoiled; and
a spool assembly having a first portion about which the flexible member is configured to be coiled, and a second portion about which the interface cable is configured to be coiled,
wherein the flexible member is configured to form a conduit around a portion of the interface cable between the body and the image capture device and to support the image capture device above the body of the robot when the portion of the flexible member and the image capture device move away from the body.

19. The robot of claim 18 , wherein:
the spool assembly defines a slit through the first portion of the spool assembly, and
the interface cable extends through the slit to engage the second portion of the spool assembly.

20. The robot of claim 18 , wherein the interface cable is configured to contact an in

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Chow Patrick
• Romanov Nikolai

Classifications

• B25J19/023

  including video camera means · CPC title

• F16M11/10

  around a horizontal axis {(F16M11/12 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G03B17/561

  Support related camera accessories · CPC title

• B65H2701/371

  Curved tapes, e.g. "Spreizband" · CPC title

• F16M11/40 Primary

  by means of coilable or bendable legs {or spiral shaped legs} · CPC title