Mobile Robot Bumper Guide and Spring Return for Multi-Directional Impact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mobile robot bumpers are limited to two-dimensional movement and lack a mechanism to guide the bumper back to its original position after impact, restricting the robot's movement and inability to provide uniform restoring force for different impact types.

Innovation Solution

A mobile robot design featuring a bumper guide module with a guide hole and protruding guider, a position restoring module with elastic members, and an impact sensing module with detection sensors, allowing the bumper to move freely and return to its original position, providing uniform restoring force for side and front impacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a bumper assembly includes a guide member for guiding forward/rearward movement, then the bumper can be guided in a specific direction, but the movement of the bumper is restricted to two-dimensional movement and various movements of the bumper cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebumper movement freedomVSAvoidguide mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the guide member that restricted bumper movement to one dimension (forward/rearward only), allowing the bumper to move freely in multiple dimensions (front, rear, left, right) within a predetermined range, achieving three-dimensional movement capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and removes the guide member from the bumper assembly, eliminating the restriction it imposed on bumper movement and allowing the bumper to achieve various movements without being confined to a single movement path

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Device complexity

If no device for guiding the bumper to a certain position is included, then the structure is simplified, but the bumper cannot be restored to its original position after impact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebumper restoration mechanismVSAvoidbumper position restoration
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs elastic members (springs) that automatically restore the bumper to its original position after impact without requiring external intervention or complex control systems, achieving self-restoration functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent pre-installs elastic members between the bumper and body that are ready to provide restoring force immediately upon impact, ensuring the bumper can be restored to its original position without delay

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Measurement precision

If multiple detection sensors are used to sense front and side impacts, then impact detection accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimpact detection accuracyVSAvoidsensor quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent positions a single detection sensor on the body adjacent to the bumper, allowing it to detect both front impacts and side impacts uniformly, making the sensor multi-functional and eliminating the need for multiple sensors

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the detection of front impacts and side impacts into a single sensor system, merging multiple detection functions into one sensor to reduce device complexity while maintaining detection capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Volume of moving object

If the bumper is made close to the body, then the robot size is reduced, but the bumper cannot move freely when external force is applied

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverobot overall sizeVSAvoidbumper movement freedom
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the bumper dynamically movable relative to the body by removing fixed guide members and incorporating elastic restoration mechanisms, allowing the bumper to move freely in response to external forces while maintaining a compact overall structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables the mobile robot to freely move within a predetermined range after impact, restore to its original position, and detect impacts on both sides with minimal external force, enhancing movement stability and impact sensing accuracy.

Implementation Method 1

a position restoring module, with one side being connected to the body and the other side being connected to the bumper, and having an elastic member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3771391B1Mobile robot
Publication Date: 2023.05.24 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3771391B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3771391B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3771391B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a mobile robot, and more particularly to a mobile robot, including: a bumper which surrounds at least a portion of an outer circumference of the body; position restoring modules having an elastic member and disposed to be symmetrical to each other; a bumper guide module, having a guide hole and a protruding guider which moves inside the guide hole; and impact sensing modules configured to sense impact and disposed to be symmetrical to each other.