Patent · US Expired

Device for absorbing floor-landing shock for legged mobile robot

US7228923B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
5References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 11, 2002
Grant dateJun 12, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 14, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF16F9/0481
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A landing shock absorbing device 18 disposed in a foot mechanism 6 of a leg of a robot, wherein an inflatable bag-like member 19 (a variable capacity element) is provided at a ground-contacting face side of the foot mechanism 6. The bag-like member 19 is constructed of an elastic material such as rubber and has a restoring force. An interior portion of the bag-like member 19 is communicated with the atmosphere side through a flow passage 20. During a landing motion of the leg, the bag-like member 19 makes contact with the ground to be compressed, and the air in the interior portion thereof flows out into the atmosphere through the flow passage 20, so that its outflow resistance is generated. Accordingly, a landing shock is reduced. In a lifting state of the leg, the restoring force of the bag-like member 19 allows the bag-like member 19 to be inflated while the air flows into the interior portion thereof. An impact load during the landing of the leg of the legged mobile robot may smoothly be reduced in a light-weight configuration.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.