Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Robot control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-17
2004-01-06
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Robot control
C700S248000, C700S249000, C700S254000, C700S257000, C700S262000, C901S015000, C901S021000, C901S028000, C901S050000, C701S023000, C414S680000, C451S057000, C244S159200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675068
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a working robot for working in space to inspect a structure in a space station or an artificial satellite or to replace an attached member (e.g., an orbital replacement unit (ORU), various functional parts, a shield, orbital structure parts, or pay-loads, as will be generally called the “attached member”, of which the “shield” will be adopted and described as one example of the attached member for convenience of description in the following individual portions) attached to the surface of the structure, for astronauts so that the movement of the attached member and the replacement of the structure can be precisely performed to improve the working safety in space. Moreover, the invention enables the robot body to move while being fixed on the ground or cliff in an environment of rough ground on a star or the earth.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 34
is a diagram showing one example of a manned module constructing a portion of the space station. In
FIG. 34
, numeral
80
designates a module body having an experimental house space therein. To the periphery of the module body
80
, there are adhered protection panels called the “M/D (Meteoroid/Debris) shields” due to numerous fine obstacles such as paint chips flying in the universe of gravity-free space which can damage the surface of the module body if they hit it at a high speed. Numeral
81
designates the M/D shield which is equipped with two T-handle sockets
82
at two portions and with bolt holes
83
at its four corners and which is attached to the surface of the module body
80
by bolts
85
. These M/D shields
81
cover the entire surface of the module body
80
to protect the inside against collisions with space obstacles.
Each T-handle socket
82
is equipped with jig inserting sockets so that a worker having space wear (a space unit) grips a T-shaped manipulation tool and inserts the leading end of the tool into the socket
82
to remove and replace the M/D shield
81
. Numeral
84
designates a hand rail which is disposed at each portion on the outside circumference of the module body
80
so that the worker may perform the maintenance and inspection by gripping the hand rail
84
to move along the hand rail
84
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The work in space such as in the module or in the artificial satellite, as planned at the present stage, is mainly done by the worker having the space wear, and mechanization substituting for man power is desired for safety purposes. As for robots in space, on the other hand, there have been proposed a variety of robots which are composed of a single arm or two arms, but many of them have unsolved practical problems. Currently, no robot has been realized for inspecting the module body of the space station or for replacing the structure.
Therefore, the invention has been conceived to provide a working robot which can reliably move over the surface of the module structure in the space and can unbolt the target structure to replace it with a new one and mount the new structure, and a working robot which can reliably fix its body and can move easily and precisely for observations even on the ground of the satellite or the like.
In order to solve the above-specified problems, the invention provides the following.
A working robot includes a robot body and at least one arm device including a plurality of arm members articulately jointed at their end portions. The arm device is turnably attached at its one end to the robot body and has a manipulation tool connected to its other end and the arm device is further constructed in an extensible/contractible form. The arm device of the working robot can include at least one moving arm and one multifunctional arm. The moving arm moves the robot body by the manipulation tool by either gripping a head of a bolt for attaching an attached member, as attached to a surface of a structure, or removing the bolt and screwing another bolt, and the moving arm extending/contracting itself.
The working robot can also be designed such that the robot body and the multifunctional arm are enabled to lift the attached member by the robot body fixing a fixing member onto the attached member on the lower face of the robot body and by the multifunctional arm fixing the manipulation tool onto the attached member to be replaced. The robot body and the multifunctional arm are equipped with piston type adapters as the fixing member and the manipulation tool and the structure is equipped with sockets to engage with the adapters. Further, the arm device includes a plurality of multifunctional arms and the multifunctional arms move the robot body by the manipulation tools gripping sockets or bolt heads protruding from a surface of a structure and by the multifunctional arms extending/contracting themselves to change the grips to other sockets or bolt heads.
The working robot can also be designed such that the attached member to be replaced is enabled to be lifted by one of the multifunctional arms fixing the manipulation tool onto the attached member to be replaced, as attached to the surface of the structure, and by the manipulation tools of the remaining multifunctional arms gripping the sockets or bolt heads of an attached member other than the attached member to be replaced. The multifunctional arms are equipped at their manipulation tools with piston type adapters and the structure is equipped with sockets to engage with the adapters. The multifunctional arms can also be equipped at their manipulation tools with unbolting drivers for the bolts of the attached member. The multifunctional arms can further be equipped at their manipulation tools with hands for gripping hand rails attached to the structure.
The working robot can also be designed such that the arm device includes at least one moving arm and multifunctional arm. A lower face of the robot body and the manipulation tool of the moving arm are equipped with drills or bits to be inserted and fixed in the ground and the moving arm is enabled to move the robot body, while the robot body is unfixed to the ground, by the moving arm extending/contracting itself and screwing the drills or bits into the ground, then to fix the robot body on the ground by the drills or bits, and to remove the drills or bits of the moving arm from the ground after the robot body is fixed. The moving arm can also be equipped at its manipulation tool with a wheel adapter in place of the drills or bits so that it can move by the wheel. The moving arm can further be equipped at its manipulation tool with a light and a camera.
The working robot can also be designed such that the arm device includes a plurality of multifunctional arms. The multifunctional arms are equipped at their manipulation tools with drills or bits to be inserted and fixed in the ground and the multifunctional arms are enabled to move the robot body, while the robot body is unfixed to the ground, by the multifunctional arms extending/contracting themselves and screwing the drills or bits into the ground, then to fix the robot body on the ground by the drills or bits, and to remove the drills or bits of the multifunctional arms from the ground after the robot body is fixed. The multifunctional arms can also be equipped at their manipulation tools with wheel adapters in place of the drills or bits so that they can move by the wheels. The manipulation tools can further be equipped in their leading ends with lights and cameras. In addition, the multifunctional arm is equipped with a light and a camera for detecting a position of the multifunctional arm and a state of the ground.
The working robot can also be designed such that the arm device moves the robot body by the manipulation tool gripping sockets or bolt heads protruding from a surface of a structure and by the arm device extending/contracting itself to change the grips to other sockets or bolt heads. Further the arm device is enabled to grip, carry and transfer an attached member, as attached to the surface of the structure, by its manipulation tool. An attaching portion of each
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Marc McDieunel
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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