Mobile robot for cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9540179-B2
Application number	US-201414455621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A mobile robot for a cable includes a first gripper unit including a first main body, a first driving wheel unit disposed over the first main body and configured to have its wheels changed up and down, and a first support wheel unit disposed under the first main body; a second gripper unit including a second main body, a second driving wheel unit disposed over the second main body and configured to have its wheels changed up and down, and a second support wheel unit disposed under the second main body; and a link unit including first links fixed to the first gripper unit, second links fixed to the second gripper unit, and a link driving unit configured to control the angle of the first links and the second links that are fixed together by a main hinge unit so that they rotate at an angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile robot capable of moving on a cable, comprising:
a first gripper unit ( 100 ) configured to comprise a first main body ( 110 ), a first driving wheel unit ( 120 ) disposed over the first main body ( 110 ) and configured to have its wheels changed up and down, and a first support wheel unit ( 130 ) disposed under the first main body ( 110 );
a second gripper unit ( 200 ) configured to comprise a second main body ( 210 ), a second driving wheel unit ( 220 ) disposed over the second main body ( 210 ) and configured to have its wheels changed up and down, and a second support wheel unit ( 230 ) disposed under the second main body ( 210 ); and
a link unit ( 300 ) configured to comprise first links ( 310 ) fixed to the first gripper unit ( 100 ), second links ( 320 ) fixed to the second gripper unit ( 200 ), and a link driving unit ( 340 ) configured to control an angle of the first links ( 310 ) and the second links ( 320 ), wherein the first links ( 310 ) and the second links ( 320 ) are fixed together by a main hinge unit ( 330 ) in such a way as to rotate at a specific angle,
wherein the first driving wheel unit ( 120 ), together with the first support wheel unit ( 130 ), closely attaches the first gripper unit ( 100 ) to the cable or separates the first gripper unit ( 100 ) from the cable by gripping or releasing the cable through up and down movements,
wherein the second driving wheel unit ( 220 ), together with the second support wheel unit ( 230 ), closely attaches the second gripper unit ( 200 ) to the cable or separates the second gripper unit ( 200 ) from the cable by gripping or releasing the cable through up and down movements, and
wherein the link driving unit ( 340 ) comprises:
a screw ( 343 ) mounted on the second links ( 320 ) and rotated by a link driving motor ( 344 );
a slider ( 342 ) mounted on the screw ( 343 ) and linearly moved by the rotation of the screw ( 343 ); and
rods ( 341 ) configured to have first ends fixed to the first links ( 310 ) by first rod hinges ( 3411 ) in such a way as to rotate and to have second ends fixed to the slider ( 342 ) by second rod hinges ( 3412 ) in such a way as to rotate.

2. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the first driving wheel unit ( 120 ) and the second driving wheel unit ( 220 ) comprise:
driving wheels ( 122 , 222 ) configured to closely fit on a top of the cable and rotate on the cable;
respective driving motors ( 123 , 223 ) configured to transfer driving force to the driving wheels ( 122 , 222 ); and
respective location change units ( 121 , 221 ) configured to comprise respective screws ( 1211 , 2211 ), respective screw motors ( 1212 , 2212 ), respective guide plates ( 1213 , 2213 ), guide rollers ( 1214 , 2214 ), and respective driving wheel supports ( 1215 , 2215 ) so that up and down locations of the driving wheels ( 122 , 222 ) are able to be controlled,
wherein the driving wheel ( 122 , 222 ) is mounted on a first end of the driving wheel support ( 1215 , 2215 ), a second end of the driving wheel support ( 1215 , 2215 ) is united with the screw ( 1211 , 2211 ), and a guide roller ( 1214 , 2214 ) that is restricted along the guide plate ( 1213 , 2213 ) and moved is mounted between the first end and second end of the driving wheel support ( 1215 , 2215 ), and
when the screw motor ( 1212 , 2212 ) is driven, the screw ( 1211 , 2211 ) is rotated, and a location and angle of the driving wheel support ( 1215 , 2215 ) is changed by the rotation of the screw ( 1211 , 2211 ).

3. The mobile robot of claim 2 , wherein a friction member ( 1221 , 2221 ) made of elastic materials is mounted on an outer circumference surface of the driving wheel ( 122 , 222 ) so that the friction member ( 1221 , 2221 ) is firmly fit on the top of the cable and provides specific friction force.

4. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the first support wheel unit ( 130 ) and the second support wheel unit ( 230 ) comprise:
respective pairs of support wheels ( 132 , 232 ) configured to closely fit on a bottom of the cable and to be capable of rotating; and
respective support frames ( 131 , 231 ) mounted on one sides of the respective pairs of support wheels ( 132 , 232 ) in such a way as to rotate.

5. The mobile robot of claim 4 , wherein locations on sides of the pairs of support wheels ( 132 , 232 ) are locations capable of forming equilateral triangle or isosceles triangle structures along with the locations of the driving wheels ( 122 , 222 ).

6. The mobile robot of claim 4 , wherein support wheel guides ( 1321 , 2321 ) each having a circular shape on a side are mounted on both sides of each of the support wheels ( 132 , 232 ) so that the support wheel guides are closely fit on the bottom and part of sides of the cable, wherein each of the support wheel guides has an external diameter (D2) that is 110 to 150% of an external diameter (D1) of the support wheel.

7. The mobile robot of claim 4 , wherein the first support wheel unit ( 130 ) and the second support wheel unit ( 230 ) comprise:
respective auxiliary arms ( 133 , 233 ) mounted on first ends of the respective support frames ( 131 , 231 ) and extended in a specific length in a direction along which the mobile robot travels; and
respective auxiliary wheels ( 134 , 234 ) mounted on first ends of the respective auxiliary arms ( 133 , 233 ) in such a way as to rotate and configured to closely fit on the bottom of the cable and rotate on the cable.

8. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein, an external mounting member is mounted on the first main body ( 110 ) or the second main body ( 210 ).

9. The mobile robot of claim 8 , wherein the external mounting member comprises one or more selected from a group consisting of camera equipment, cable repair equipment, arms equipment, disaster relief equipment, weather observation equipment, heat detection equipment, cleaning equipment, and welding equipment.

Assignees

• Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation Yonsei Univ

Inventors

• Yang Hyun Seok
• Oh E Noch

Classifications

• H02G1/04 Primary

  for mounting or stretching · CPC title

• B65G25/04 Primary

  the carrier or impeller having identical forward and return paths of movement, e.g. reciprocating conveyors · CPC title

• H02G1/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines · CPC title

• B25J5/02

  travelling along a guideway · CPC title