Shock-absorbing tray module and serving robot equipped with same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robots designed for daily life tasks, such as serving robots, face challenges in transporting bowls with liquid food as they accelerate, decelerate, and turn sharply, leading to potential liquid overflow due to inadequate shock absorption.
Innovation Solution
A shock-absorbing tray module with a tray housing, a tray plate, a bottom casing, a guide plate, dampers, and return springs that absorb shocks by varying in length and angle, providing both vertical and lateral buffering forces to minimize liquid overflow, and is designed to be easily replaceable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a robot accelerates, decelerates, and turns sharply while transporting a bowl containing liquid food, then the robot's mobility and service efficiency are improved, but the liquid food may overflow due to insufficient shock absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by pre-installing dampers and return springs in the tray module before the robot encounters shocks during movement. These shock-absorbing components are positioned to actively counteract the harmful effects of acceleration, deceleration, and turning forces on liquid food, preventing overflow before it occurs during dynamic operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary shock-absorbing mechanism between the robot's moving body and the tray containing liquid food. The dampers and return springs act as intermediary elements that decouple the tray from direct shock transmission, allowing the robot to move dynamically while the intermediary components absorb and mitigate the harmful forces that would otherwise cause liquid overflow.
2Reliability
If a shock-absorbing mechanism with dampers and springs is added to the tray module, then the ability to minimize liquid overflow is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple shock-absorbing functions into a single integrated tray module assembly. The dampers, return springs, guide plates, and tray components are combined into one cohesive unit that performs both shock absorption and structural support functions simultaneously, reducing the need for separate components and simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining reliable liquid overflow prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies universality by designing the tray module components to serve multiple functions. The dampers not only absorb shocks but also guide tray movement; the return springs provide both restoration force and structural support; the guide plates serve both as structural elements and as guides for the shock-absorbing mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components needed while achieving reliable shock absorption.
3Ease of repair
If the tray module is designed with multiple replaceable components, then the ease of maintenance and replacement is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the tray module into distinct, separable components including the tray plate, dampers, return springs, and guide plates. Each component can be independently accessed, removed, and replaced without disassembling the entire module, enabling easy maintenance and repair while the modular segmented structure itself manages device complexity through organized functional separation.
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
The shock-absorbing tray module effectively reduces the risk of liquid overflow by absorbing instantaneous acceleration, allowing for easy maintenance and replacement, and ensures safe transportation of liquid food without electronic failure risks.
Implementation Method 1
a damper located between the tray plate and the guide plate and whose length varies depending on a movement of the tray plate
Implementation Method 2
a return spring located between the tray plate and the bottom casing
Data Source
AI summary
A shock-absorbing tray module includes a tray housing, a tray plate located on a top surface of the tray housing, a bottom casing located under the tray plate and mounted in the tray housing, a guide plate coupled to the bottom casing to be movable within a predetermined range, a damper located between the tray plate and the guide plate and whose length varies depending on a movement of the tray plate, and a return spring located between the tray plate and the bottom casing.