Agile mobility chassis design for robotic all-terrain vehicle

Details Agile mobility chassis design for robotic all-terrain vehicle Agile mobility chassis design for robotic all-terrain vehicle

1999-06-14

2001-06-05

Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)

Joints and connections

Articulated members

Including limit means

C403S112000, C403S117000, C403S119000, C403S315000, C403S316000, C403S180000, C180S006200, C180S006480

Reexamination Certificate

active

06241416

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of this invention relates to chassis design for highly mobile all-terrain vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various robotic vehicles have been developed in the past. To obtain maximum agility, such vehicles have incorporated an all-wheel drive dual-body design where the bodies are disposed parallel to each other with a transverse pivot, generally at their mid-point, disposed transversely to the direction of forward or rearward motion. For example, highly mobile tractors have been designed using such a transversely mounted mid-body pivot for independent rotation in the vertical plane of forward motion about such pivot between the two bodies of the vehicle. This design is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,430,251. More recently, in the field of lunar exploration rovers, Klarer in “A Highly Agile Ground Assessment Robot (HAGAR) for Military Battlefield and Support Missions”, SAND94-0408C (1994), and in “R.A.T.L.E.R.: Robotic All Terrain Lunar Exploration Rovers”, SAND92-1821C (1992), has revealed similar designs. The basic concept of the prior art designs is illustrated in
FIG. 1
of this application.
FIG. 1
is a section view through a pivot
10
which extends through bodies
12
and
14
. Each of the bodies
12
and
14
has stationary bushings, such as
16
,
18
,
20
, and
22
. The bushings
16
,
18
,
20
and
22
fully surround the pivot
10
so that the bodies
12
and
14
can rotate in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of pivot
10
.
There are numerous problems with this type of design. In order to run power or communication wiring from one of the bodies
12
to the other
14
, or vice versa, slits or openings were needed to be made between the bushings in each of the bodies
12
and
14
for entrances and exits of such wires. Thus, for example, slits made to the pivot
10
between bushings
16
and
18
would weaken the pivot
10
in that location. Additionally, if maintenance work was necessary or additional wires had to be added and connectors were disposed on wiring inside the pivot
10
in area
24
, such connectors would get hung up on the slits used for access for such wires to get through the pivot
10
in the first place. Another problem with the use of a pivot
10
which goes cleanly through both bodies
12
and
14
is that as shown in
FIG. 1
, it separates the bodies
12
and
14
into two halves where communication with wiring becomes problematic. The prior art design shown in
FIG. 1
also had problems in designing an effective travel stop. Although one attempted design was to put a projection on the pivot
10
which would, within bodies
12
or
14
, strike a fixed object, the problem was that the pivot
10
was of such a diameter so as to present a significant lever arm on the projection mounted to its outer surface. Thus, what resulted in the past was shear failures of the travel stop. The function of a travel stop is significant in this particular prior art design in view of the fact that a variety of wires for both power and signals cross through the area
24
from body
12
to
14
and vice versa. This means that if undue relative rotation between bodies
12
and
14
were to occur, some of those wires could be cut, causing a battery or other power system failure or even a fire.
Yet another problem with the prior designs which used carbon composite bushings, with an aluminum pivot
10
was that galvanic action created maintenance problems at the interface of those two components.
Accordingly, the apparatus of the present invention seeks to improve the prior art design revealed in FIG.
1
and present a comparable degree of agility to the vehicle, while at the same time providing the enhanced benefits of a more compact design which alleviates the problems previously described in the prior art design of FIG.
1
. Just how such problems in the prior art design are overcome is best understood by a review of the preferred embodiment of the invention which appears below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An improved connection between articulated bodies for agile vehicles is disclosed. It features independent bodies which are connected to each other with concentric sleeves serving as the pivot to allow the bodies to rotate in a plane parallel to the direction of forward movement. The concentric bushings are preferably made of graphite/epoxy and secured to the chassis body sidewalls. Each of the body segments remains uninterrupted by the bushings which are principally disposed between the facing interior sides of the two bodies. The bearing assembly, which is preferably graphite/epoxy, is self-lubricating as it wears over time. Lateral movement is easily controlled, and relative rotation is also controlled by a collar which serves a dual function to control lateral movement of the bodies as well as relative rotation.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1384186 (1921-07-01), Fullington
patent: 1420251 (1922-09-01), Parker
patent: 1430251 (1922-09-01), Parker
patent: 3140066 (1964-07-01), Sutton et al.
patent: 4083513 (1978-04-01), Pfarrawaller
patent: 4491436 (1985-01-01), Easton
patent: 5228797 (1993-07-01), Ota et al.
patent: 5320443 (1994-06-01), Lient et al.
patent: 5331695 (1994-07-01), Bales
patent: 5553962 (1996-09-01), Eustache
patent: 3434016 (1986-03-01), None
P. R. Klarer, A Highly Agile Ground Assessment Robot (HAGAR) For Military Battlefield and Support Missions, SAND94-0408C Report, 1994.
P. R. Klarer, J. W. Purvis, R.A.T.L.E.R.: Robotic All Terrain Lunar Exploration Rovers, SAND92-1821C Report, 1992.

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