Support Assembly

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support assembly including a lower frame configured to be mounted on one surface of a movable body, an upper frame positioned on top of the lower frame and configured to be movable independently of the lower frame, and a coupling portion positioned between the lower frame and the upper frame to couple the lower frame and the upper frame, wherein the upper frame is configured to return to its original position by the restoring force of the coupling portion in response to the upper frame moving from its original position to another position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 436,750, filed January 3, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a support assembly. [Background technology]

[0003] As robot technology advances, interest and demand are growing not only for industrial robots but also for service robots. Service robots are being applied in various areas of daily life, and among these service robots, there are also autonomous service robots that deliver food and drink orders to tables in restaurants. Serving robots have the advantage of maximizing restaurant operational efficiency and improving the quality of customer service, so interest in them has been surging recently.

[0004] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a robot for serving food and / or beverages. Referring to FIG. 1, the robot 10 comprises a driving unit 11 for moving the robot 10 and a main body 12 mounted on the top of the driving unit 11. The main body 12 may be provided with a device for inputting user commands or a device for receiving user commands via wireless communication. The main body 12 may move autonomously in accordance with the input or received commands to serve food and / or beverages to customers and collect tableware after the customers have finished their meals. A support stand 13 may be provided on one side of the main body 12 for serving food and / or beverages and collecting tableware.

[0005] Meanwhile, as the robot 10 moves, changes in speed or direction of movement may cause impact or vibration to the support base 13, which may cause food and / or drinks placed on the support base 13 to spill or tableware placed on the support base 13 to fall.

[0006] In other words, as the robot 10 moves, the food and / or beverages or tableware may not be stably supported on the support base 13, which may result in the food and / or beverages or tableware falling off the support base 13. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] An object of the present invention is to solve all of the problems of the prior art mentioned above.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to compensate for the impacts and vibrations transmitted to the food and / or beverages or tableware carried by the serving robot while the serving robot is moving, so that the food and / or beverages or tableware can be stably supported on the serving robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A typical configuration of the present invention to achieve the above object is as follows.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support assembly including a lower frame configured to be mounted on one surface of a movable body, an upper frame positioned on top of the lower frame and configured to be movable independently of the lower frame, and a coupling portion positioned between the lower frame and the upper frame to couple the lower frame and the upper frame, wherein the upper frame is configured to return to its original position by the restoring force of the coupling portion in response to the upper frame moving from its original position to another position.

[0011] Additionally, other support assemblies are also provided for embodying the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to compensate for the impacts and vibrations transmitted to the food and / or beverages or tableware carried by the serving robot during the serving robot's movement, so that the food and / or beverages or tableware can be stably supported on the serving robot. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a robot for serving food and / or beverages. [Figure 2] 1 is a view showing a support assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a front view of a support assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded front view of a support assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] 1 is a top view of a coupling portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a view showing a lower frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 2 is a bottom view of a lower frame according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following detailed description of the present invention refers to the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example, specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in detail to enable those skilled in the art to fully practice the present invention. It should be understood that although the various embodiments of the present invention are different from one another, they are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be embodied in different embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should also be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention should be understood to encompass the scope of the appended claims and all equivalents thereof. Like reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or similar components throughout the various aspects.

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 is a view showing a support assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a view showing the support assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front.

[0017] 2 and 3, a support assembly 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a lower frame 110 and an upper frame 120.

[0018] First, the lower frame 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to be mounted on one side of a moving body (not shown). Here, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a moving body may refer to an object that moves autonomously or heteronomously, and may include, for example, a robot, an automobile, a ship, etc.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a surface parallel to the plane on which the mobile object moves (hereinafter referred to as the ground) may be formed or disposed on one side of the mobile object, and this surface will be referred to as one side of the mobile object. For example, if the mobile object is a robot for serving food and / or beverages (i.e., a serving robot), the top surface of a support platform configured to support at least one object (e.g., food, beverage, tray, etc.) may correspond to one side of the mobile object.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lower frame 110 may include a structure that allows the lower surface facing the surface of the mobile body to be attached to the mobile body. This structure may use various known coupling methods such as mechanical coupling, magnetic coupling, etc. Meanwhile, the lower frame 110 may be fixedly attached to the surface of the mobile body, or may be detachably attached to the surface of the mobile body for maintenance and management.

[0021] Next, the upper frame 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be located on the upper part of the lower frame 110 and may be configured to have at least one object (e.g., food, drink, tray, etc.) placed on its upper surface. If the moving object is a robot for serving food and / or drink, the upper frame 120 may support the at least one object instead of the support platform.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the upper frame 120 may be able to move independently of the lower frame 110. Specifically, the upper frame 120 may maintain the same movement as the lower frame 110 (i.e., maintain a state parallel to the ground) when the moving object is stable, for example, when the moving object is not moving or is moving at a constant speed, but may move differently from the lower frame 110 when the moving object is unstable, for example, when the moving object changes direction or is accelerating.

[0023] More specifically, when the movement of the moving object is unstable as described above, the upper frame 120 may be able to move from its original position (i.e., the position when the movement of the moving object is stable) to another position. Such movement of the upper frame 120 may be for compensating for impact or vibration to at least one object placed on the upper frame 120. Meanwhile, the upper frame 120 may return to its original position after a predetermined time has elapsed after such movement.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the movement and return of the upper frame 120 as described above can be achieved by a connecting part 130 located between the lower frame 110 and the upper frame 120. The function and structure of the connecting part 130 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0025] 4 is an exploded front view of the support assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a top view of the coupling portion 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] The coupling part 130 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be located between the lower frame 110 and the upper frame 120, and may perform the function of coupling the lower frame 110 and the upper frame 120 together while allowing the upper frame 120 to move relative to the lower frame 110.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the coupling unit 130 may include various components, the coupling structures and functions of which are as follows.

[0028] (1) A pair of first guide rails 131 a may be coupled to the upper surface of the lower frame 110 .

[0029] (2) The first plate 132 may be coupled to a slide member 131b located on each of the pair of first guide rails 131a. The slide member 131b may move along each of the pair of first guide rails 131a while coupled to the first plate 132. More specifically, the first plate 132 may be coupled to the slide member 131b and move in a direction parallel to the pair of first guide rails 131a while the movement of the moving body is not stable. The movement of the first plate 132 may be in the left or right direction with reference to FIG. 5, and these two directions of movement will be referred to as a first linear movement in this specification.

[0030] (3) The second plate 133 may be coupled to the lower surface of the first plate 132. Basically, the second plate 133 may be coupled to the first plate 132 at a predetermined distance, but may be coupled to the first plate 132 in close contact with it if necessary.

[0031] (4) A pair of second guide rails 134a may be coupled to both ends of the second plate 133. Here, the pair of second guide rails 134a may be disposed perpendicular to the pair of first guide rails 131a.

[0032] (5) The connecting member 135 may be coupled to a sliding member 134b located on each of the pair of second guide rails 134a. The sliding member 134b may move along each of the pair of second guide rails 134a while coupled to the connecting member 135. More specifically, the connecting member 135 may be coupled to the sliding member 134b and move in a direction parallel to the pair of second guide rails 134a while the movement of the moving body is not stable. The movement of the connecting member 135 may be in an upward or downward direction based on FIG. 5, and these two movements are collectively referred to as a second linear movement in this specification.

[0033] (6) The connecting member 135 may be connected to the slide member 134b and the upper frame 120. Specifically, the connecting member 135 may be connected to the underside of the upper frame 120 and may perform the function of enabling the upper frame 120 to perform the first linear motion and / or the second linear motion when other components perform the first linear motion and / or the second linear motion. For example, when the first plate 132 performs the first linear motion, not only can the second plate 133 connected to the first plate 132 also perform the first linear motion, but also the upper frame 120 connected to the connecting member 135 can perform the first linear motion. Also, when the connecting member 135 performs the second linear motion, the upper frame 120 connected to the connecting member 135 can perform the second linear motion. On the other hand, it should be noted that when the upper frame 120 performs the second linear movement, the first plate 132 and the second plate 133 cannot perform the second linear movement together with the upper frame 120 due to their structure, and can only maintain a state parallel to the ground or perform the first linear movement.

[0034] (7) The first plate 132 may include a pair of first elastic members 136 disposed in an opening formed therein and parallel to the pair of second guide rails 134a. Here, the pair of first elastic members 136 have been described as being disposed parallel to the pair of second guide rails 134a, but they may also be described as being disposed perpendicular to the pair of first guide rails 131a.

[0035] Each of the pair of first elastic members 136 may have one end coupled to the first plate 132 and the other end coupled to the upper frame 120. Specifically, each of the pair of first elastic members 136 may be formed of a tension spring (the spring rate of the tension spring may be changed as needed) and configured to be compressed or tensioned in opposite directions. For example, when the upper frame 120 performs the second linear movement in the upward direction with reference to FIG. 5, one of the pair of first elastic members 136, elastic member 136a, may be tensioned, and the other elastic member, elastic member 136b, may be compressed. At this time, the upper frame 120, which has performed the second linear movement in the upward direction, may return to its original position due to a downward restoring force generated by the tensioned elastic member 136a. As another example, when the upper frame 120 performs the second linear movement in the downward direction with reference to FIG. 5, one of the pair of first elastic members 136, elastic member 136b, may be tensioned, and the other elastic member, elastic member 136a, may be compressed. At this time, the upper frame 120, which has performed the second linear motion in the downward direction, can return to its original position due to the upward restoring force generated by the stretched elastic member 136b.

[0036] (8) The second plate 133 may include a pair of second elastic members 137 disposed in parallel to the pair of first guide rails 131a in an opening formed therein. Here, the pair of second elastic members 137 have been described as being disposed in parallel to the pair of first guide rails 131a, but they may also be described as being disposed perpendicular to the pair of second guide rails 134a.

[0037] Each of the pair of second elastic members 137 may have one end coupled to the second plate 133 and the other end coupled to the lower frame 110. Specifically, the pair of second elastic members 137 may each be formed of a tension spring (the spring constant of the tension spring may be changed as needed) and configured to be compressed or tensioned in opposite directions. For example, when the upper frame 120 performs a first linear movement in the leftward direction with reference to FIG. 5, one elastic member 137a of the pair of second elastic members 137 may be tensioned and the other elastic member 137b may be compressed. At this time, the rightward restoring force generated by the tensioned elastic member 137a may allow the upper frame 120, which has performed the first linear movement in the leftward direction, to return to its original position. As another example, when the upper frame 120 performs a first linear movement in the rightward direction with reference to FIG. 5, one elastic member 137b of the pair of second elastic members 137 may be tensioned and the other elastic member 137a may be compressed. At this time, the upper frame 120, which has performed the first linear movement in the right direction, can return to its original position due to the restoring force in the left direction generated by the stretched elastic member 137b.

[0038] The components included in the coupling portion 130 have been described above, and the lower frame 110 will be further detailed below with reference to FIGS.

[0039] Fig. 6 is a view showing a lower frame 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 7 is a view showing the lower frame 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from below.

[0040] The lower frame 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first mounting portion 111 that allows a pair of first guide rails 131a to be coupled to the lower frame 110 and a second mounting portion 112 that allows a pair of second elastic members 137 to be coupled to the lower frame 110.

[0041] Furthermore, the lower frame 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an opening 113 formed in a predetermined shape therein. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the opening 113 may be formed to facilitate assembly of components of the coupling part 130 (e.g., the pair of first elastic members 136, the pair of second elastic members 137, etc.) during the assembling of the support assembly 100, or to facilitate replacement of components of the coupling part 130 after the assembly of the support assembly 100 is completed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the opening 113 may be formed in a shape similar to the character "+", but is not limited thereto and may be changed to various shapes within a range consistent with the above-mentioned uses.

[0042] Furthermore, the lower frame 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a protrusion 114 formed in a shape that surrounds all of the first mounting portion 111, the second mounting portion 112, and the opening 113. According to an embodiment of the present invention, such a shape of the protrusion 114 may be understood as being for surrounding the coupling portion 130 when the assembly of the support assembly 100 is complete.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the protrusion 114 is formed to have a predetermined height and can perform the function of preventing foreign matter such as liquid from entering the inside of the support assembly 100 (or the coupling portion 130).

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least two portions 114a, 114b of the protrusion 114 may be relatively lower in height than the remaining portions 114c, 114d, which may be to prevent components of the coupling part 130, which perform the first linear movement together with the upper frame 120, from colliding with the protrusion 114 while the upper frame 120 performs the first linear movement.

[0045] Although the present invention has been described above using specific details such as specific components and limited examples and drawings, this is merely provided to facilitate a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above examples. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and changes from such descriptions.

[0046] Therefore, the concept of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and all scopes equivalent to or modified equivalently from the scope of the claims below as well as the scope of the invention can be said to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. a lower frame configured to be mounted on one surface of the moving body; an upper frame located above the lower frame and configured to be movable independently of the lower frame; and a coupling portion located between the lower frame and the upper frame to couple the lower frame and the upper frame, A support assembly configured such that, in response to movement of the upper frame from its original position to another position, the upper frame returns to its original position by a restoring force of the joint.

2. The coupling portion is a pair of first guide rails coupled to an upper surface of the lower frame; a first plate coupled to a slide member that moves along each of the pair of first guide rails and is configured to perform a first linear motion in a direction parallel to the pair of first guide rails; a second plate coupled to the lower surface of the first plate; a pair of second guide rails coupled to both ends of the second plate and arranged perpendicular to the pair of first guide rails; and 2. The support assembly of claim 1, further comprising a connecting member coupled to the upper frame, the connecting member being coupled to a slide member that moves along each of the pair of second guide rails and configured to perform a second linear movement in a direction parallel to the pair of second guide rails.

3. The support assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first linear movement of the first plate causes the second plate and the upper frame to correspondingly perform the first linear movement.

4. 3. The support assembly of claim 2, wherein in response to the connecting member performing the second linear movement, the first plate and the second plate do not perform the second linear movement, and the upper frame performs the second linear movement.

5. the first plate includes a pair of first elastic members disposed in an opening formed therein and parallel to the pair of second guide rails; 3. The support assembly of claim 2, wherein the pair of first elastic members have one end connected to the first plate and the other end connected to the upper frame, but are configured to be compressed or pulled in opposite directions to each other, so that the upper frame returns to its original position in response to the upper frame performing the second linear movement.

6. the second plate includes a pair of second elastic members disposed in an opening formed therein and parallel to the pair of first guide rails; 3. The support assembly of claim 2, wherein the pair of second elastic members have one end connected to the second plate and the other end connected to the lower frame, but are configured to be compressed or pulled in opposite directions to each other, so that the upper frame returns to its original position in response to the upper frame performing the first linear movement.

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