Medical Robot Immobilization Feet for Uneven Floor Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing immobilization systems for mobile devices, such as medical assistance robots, are inadequate due to reliance on operator-dependent manual activation, variability in friction force, and sensitivity to floor flatness, leading to potential instability and movement during treatments.
Innovation Solution
A system with at least three mobile feet connected by a linkage mechanism, actuated by an electric cylinder, that slides between bearing and retracted positions to immobilize the device, incorporating sensors and elastic members to ensure stability and compensate for floor defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual bearing shoes are used for immobilization, then the device can be immobilized, but the immobilization efficacy varies greatly depending on friction intensity and operator action
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to automatically detect wheel position and activate the immobilization mechanism without operator intervention. The microcontroller autonomously controls the actuator based on sensor feedback, making the system self-regulating and eliminating reliance on operator memory or manual action.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical lever operation is replaced with an automated electromechanical system. Sensors detect wheel position, a microcontroller processes this information, and an actuator automatically positions the bearing shoes, replacing the entire manual operation sequence with an automated control system.
2Force
If bearing shoes rely on friction to immobilize the device, then the mechanism is simple, but the immobilization force is insufficient and variable
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator applies a force that counteracts the weight of the mobile device, pressing the bearing shoes firmly against the wheels. This mechanical advantage system multiplies the immobilization force beyond what simple friction could provide, ensuring reliable wheel blocking.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the floor is not perfectly flat, then the bearing shoes cannot bear uniformly on the floor, but the known mechanism prevents any shoe movement relative to another
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage mechanism allows the bearing shoes to dynamically adjust their positions independently in response to floor irregularities. Each shoe can move vertically on its linkage to compensate for local floor variations, maintaining uniform bearing contact across all shoes despite an uneven surface.
4Reliability
If automated actuation is implemented, then operator memory issues are eliminated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors provide real-time feedback on wheel position and bearing shoe contact status to the microcontroller. This feedback loop allows the system to automatically adjust and confirm proper immobilization, ensuring reliability while keeping the control logic straightforward and manageable.
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
Provides automated, stable, and reliable immobilization of mobile devices, ensuring safety by supporting a fraction of the device's weight and compensating for floor irregularities, reducing the risk of unwanted movement.
Implementation Method 1
the immobilization system comprises at least one elastic member solicited when the feet are in the bearing position. Said at least one elastic member is sized to support a predetermined fraction of the total weight of the mobile device when it is solicited.
Implementation Method 2
a linkage mechanism connecting the feet to one another and being intended to be fixed to said chassis of the mobile device, and an actuator able to solicit the linkage mechanism to move the feet to slide between a position bearing against the floor
Implementation Method 3
Known immobilization means consist in a shoe able to bear against a wheel of the device so as to apply a friction force to the wheel of sufficient intensity to prevent its rotation.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a system for immobilizing a mobile device, such as a medical assistance robot, comprising: a linkage mechanism connecting at least three feet to one another and intended to be fixed to the chassis of the mobile device, said linkage mechanism being adapted to drive the feet sliding in respective guides intended to be fixed to the chassis of the mobile device, an actuator connected to the linkage mechanism so as to move the feet between a position bearing against the floor in which the immobilization system is able to immobilize the mobile device and a retracted position in which the immobilization system is able to release the mobility of the mobile device.