Chassis with an integrated fork assembly for autonomous mobile robots and autonomous guided vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304787-B2
Application number	US-202217892690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2022
Priority date	Jan 13, 2022
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A compact and mast-less apparatus for an autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) or autonomous guided vehicle (AGVs). The apparatus includes a chassis having a fork assembly with a first plate and second plate, wherein the first plate is provided with a first and second set of bushings mounted thereon, a first and second set of guide rods configured to slide within the bushings and provided with linear bearings, a bearing retainer mounted on the first plate, a ball and bevel gear assembly coupled to the bearing retainer, a hinge clamp mounted on an end of a ball screw nut of the ball and bevel gear assembly, a fork motor operatively coupled to the ball screw and bevel gear assembly and wherein the second plate is provided with mounting holes for mounting the guide rods and hinge clamp.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a chassis comprising a front end and a rear end, wherein the rear end of the chassis serves as a fork assembly, wherein the fork assembly comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein the fork assembly further comprises:
a first plate comprising a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein each of the first side wall and the second side wall extends from the first end through the second end of the fork assembly;
a first set of bushings and a second set of bushings, wherein each bushing from the first set of bushings and the second set of bushings comprises a circular end and a flange end, wherein the flange end of each bushing from the first set of bushings and the second set of bushings comprises a plurality of holes, and wherein the first set of bushings and the second set of bushings are mounted adjacent to the first side wall and the second side wall respectively on the first plate of the fork assembly by a plurality of screws that are fitted into the plurality of holes of the flange end;
a first set of guide rods and a second set of guide rods, wherein each guide rod from the first set of guide rods and the second set of guide rods is configured to slide through the circular end and a corresponding linear bearing comprised in a corresponding bushing from the first set of bushings and the second set of bushings;
a bearing retainer mounted on the first plate;
a ball screw and bevel gear assembly coupled to the bearing retainer using one or more bearings, wherein the ball screw and bevel gear assembly comprises a ball screw and a bevel gear arrangement;
a ball screw nut mounted on the ball screw and bevel gear assembly, wherein a first end of the ball screw nut comprises a step to form a plurality of threads, and a second end of the ball screw nut comprises a set of holes;
a hinge clamp mounted on the second end of the ball screw nut via the set of holes using a plurality of pins;
a fork motor fitted in the first plate, wherein the fork motor is operatively coupled to the ball screw and bevel gear assembly; and
a second plate mounted on the first plate, wherein the second plate comprises a plurality of hinge mounting holes and a plurality of guide rod mounting holes, wherein the second plate is fixed to the hinge clamp, the first set of guide rods and the second set of guide rods using a plurality of screw mechanisms through the plurality of hinge mounting holes and the plurality of guide rod mounting holes respectively.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first plate and the second plate comprises a tapered guide plate that extends from the second end of the fork assembly.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bevel gear arrangement comprises a drive bevel gear and a driven bevel gear, and wherein the drive bevel gear and the driven bevel gear are operatively coupled to each other.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the fork motor comprises a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end of the fork motor is configured to receive power supply, and the second end of the fork motor is connected to the drive bevel gear of the bevel gear arrangement.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the fork motor is configured to rotate the drive bevel gear in a first direction that in turn rotates the driven bevel gear, wherein rotation of the driven bevel gear drives the ball screw and the ball screw nut in a second direction, and wherein driving of the ball screw and the ball screw nut in the second direction causes movement of the second plate in the second direction.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the fork motor is further configured to rotate the drive bevel gear in a third direction that in turn rotates the driven bevel gear, wherein rotation of the driven bevel gear drives the ball screw and the ball screw nut in a fourth direction, and wherein driving of the ball screw and the ball screw nut in the fourth direction causes the movement of the second plate in the fourth direction.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , comprising a lip seal mounted on a top surface of (i) the first side wall, and (ii) the second side wall, (iii) a third side wall, and (iv) a fourth side wall of the first plate, wherein the lip seal is configured to (i) refrain entry and accumulation of dust inside the first plate and the second plate, and (ii) enable the movement of the second plate with reference to the first plate.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the bearing retainer and the ball screw and bevel gear assembly are placed and mounted at a center of a region formed by the first side wall, the second side wall, the third side wall, and the fourth side wall of the first plate and between the first plate and the second plate such that the bearing retainer and the ball screw and bevel gear assembly are equidistant from the first end and the second end of the fork assembly.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first direction and the second direction are a clockwise direction and an upward direction respectively.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the third direction and the fourth direction are an anti-clockwise direction and a downward direction respectively.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first set of bushings, the second set of bushings, the first set of guide rods, and the second set of guide rods are configured to counter at least one of imbalance and deflection of the second plate during at least one of (i) placement of a payload on the second plate, and (ii) transport of the payload from one location to another location.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each bushing from the first set of bushings and the second set of bushings is mounted at a specific position on the first plate such that each bushing and an adjacent bushing are separated by a pre-defined distance.

Assignees

• Tata Consultancy Services Ltd

Inventors

• Bangalore Srinivas Venkatesh Prasad
• Kamble Pradeep Prabhakar

Classifications

• B66F7/14

  screw operated · CPC title

• B66F9/063

  Automatically guided · CPC title

• B66F9/065

  non-masted (mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00) · CPC title

• B66F9/07513 Primary

  Details concerning the chassis · CPC title

• B66F9/12 Primary

  Platforms; Forks; Other load supporting or gripping members · CPC title