Driving robot for agricultural tasks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12564175-B2
Application number	US-202218713231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2022
Priority date	Nov 26, 2021
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A driving robot for agricultural tasks includes a chassis and a functional unit mounted on the chassis. The chassis provides supports carrying the functional unit. A force sensor is provided for at least one of the supports, which detects a force exerted by the functional unit on the chassis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A driving robot for agricultural tasks, the driving robot comprising:
a chassis; a functional unit interchangeably mounted on the chassis, wherein the chassis includes supports carrying the functional unit; and at least one pivot bearing on the chassis and arranged relative to the functional unit so that the at least one pivot bearing only comes into engagement with the functional unit after a connection between the function unit and the supports has been released, wherein a force sensor is provided for at least one of the supports, and wherein the force sensor is configured to detect a force exerted on the chassis by the functional unit.

2 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein the supports include at least three supports, each of which is assigned a corresponding force sensor.

3 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein the force exerted by the functional unit on the chassis passes completely via the supports.

4 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein the supports comprise bearing plates.

5 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein the connection between the supports and the functional unit are closeable or releasable in an actuated manner via actuators.

6 . The driving robot according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive configured to tilt the functional unit on the chassis.

7 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein the chassis comprises a semi-trailer chassis and a towing chassis, wherein the semi-trailer chassis rests in a pivot bearing on the towing chassis.

8 . The driving robot of claim 7 , wherein the semi-trailer chassis has a swivel wheel.

9 . The driving robot of claim 8 , wherein the towing chassis has at least two drive wheels and a further swivel wheel.

10 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein the driving robot is a feeding robot and the functional unit has at least one container for holding feed.

11 . The driving robot of claim 10 , wherein the container is a mixing container having a mixing device.

12 . The driving robot of claim 11 , wherein the container is coupled to a feed conveyor to discharge feed from the container.

13 . The driving robot of claim 12 , wherein the feed conveyor comprises a conveyor belt.

14 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein the driving robot is a cleaning robot, a bedding robot, or a universal transport robot.

15 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein
at least one battery and a hydraulic unit are mounted on the chassis, the at least one battery and the hydraulic unit are covered by the functional unit when the functional unit is connected to the supports, and the at least one battery and the hydraulic unit are exposed when the functional unit is engaged with the at least one pivot bearing.

16 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein
the driving robot has two lateral sides transverse to a direction of travel of the driving robot, the at least one pivot bearing comprises at least two pivot bearings mounted on a same one of the two lateral sides of the driving robot.

17 . The driving robot of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pivot bearing is arranged relative to the functional unit so that forces are not transmitted via the at least one pivot bearing when the functional unit is connected to the supports.

Assignees

• Gea Farm Technologies Gmbh

Inventors

• Schwenker Alexander
• Haupt Tobias

Classifications

• A01K1/0128

  by means of scrapers or the like moving continuously · CPC title

• A01K5/004

  with mixing or shredding element rotating on vertical axis · CPC title

• A01K5/0266

  with stable trolleys, e.g. suspended · CPC title

• A01K1/105

  Movable feed barriers · CPC title

• A01K1/015

  Floor coverings, e.g. bedding-down sheets {; Stable floors} · CPC title