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US-12623636-B2 - Robot stabilizer system and/or method therefor

US12623636B2US 12623636 B2US12623636 B2US 12623636B2US-12623636-B2

Abstract

The system can include an actuator; a set of links; and a foot. The automated stabilizer can optionally include a swivel (e.g., integrated into the foot); a support structure; and a wheel assembly. However, the automated stabilizer can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The automated stabilizer preferably functions to at least partially support a robotic assembly module against an uneven floor surface. Additionally or alternatively, an automated stabilizer can function to enable (automatic) leveling of a robotic assembly system (e.g., aligning the vertical axis of the system with a weight vector).

Inventors

  • John Unkovic
  • Nicholas LaBounty
  • Rajat Bhageria

Assignees

  • Chef Robotics, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20250905

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A robotic foodstuff assembly system, comprising: a frame; a foodstuff assembly robot statically mounted to the frame, the foodstuff assembly robot comprising an arm and a utensil mounted to the arm; and a pair of stabilizers supporting the frame, each stabilizer of the pair of stabilizers comprising: a sleeve bearing mounted to the frame, the sleeve bearing defining a central axis; a leg arranged within the sleeve bearing, wherein the leg comprises a manual adjustment mechanism configured to retract the leg along the central axis; a foot mechanically coupled to the leg and contacting a floor surface; a wheel mounted to the frame and positioned above the floor surface; and an electric actuator mechanically coupling the leg to the frame via a set of joints, wherein the electric actuator is configured to actuate the leg along the central axis.
  2. 2 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 1 , wherein the set of joints comprises a pair of hinges in series along a kinematic chain, the kinematic chain coupling the frame to the floor surface.
  3. 3 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 2 , wherein the electric actuator is arranged between the pair of hinges.
  4. 4 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 1 , wherein the manual adjustment mechanism is a first screw mechanically coupled to the leg and coaxial with the central axis, and wherein the electric actuator comprises a second screw coaxial with the central axis, wherein the second screw is a lead screw.
  5. 5 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 4 , wherein all threads of the first screw and second screw are fluidly separated from an ambient environment.
  6. 6 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 1 , wherein the floor surface has a slope of over 2°.
  7. 7 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 1 , wherein the electric actuator is articulatable between a first position and a second position to transform the respective stabilizer between a first mode and a second mode, respectively, wherein, in the first mode, the wheel is offset from the floor surface, and wherein, in the second mode, the wheel contacts the floor surface.
  8. 8 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 7 , wherein the robotic foodstuff assembly system defines a support polygon at the floor surface, wherein the support polygon is larger with the pair of stabilizers in the first mode than in the second mode.
  9. 9 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 7 , wherein the manual adjustment mechanism of the respective stabilizer is configured to retract the foot along the respective central axis to manually transform the respective stabilizer between the first mode and the second mode.
  10. 10 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 1 , wherein a manual adjustable length of the manual adjustment mechanism is at least a maximum stroke length of the electric actuator.
  11. 11 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 1 , further comprising: a dead-man's switch mechanically coupled to the frame; a control switch mechanically coupled to the frame and spatially separated from the dead-man's switch by a distance exceeding 8 inches; and a processing system communicatively coupled to the dead-man's switch and the control switch, wherein the processing system is configured to control the foodstuff assembly robot to perform an action only when both the dead-man's switch and the control switch are simultaneously activated.
  12. 12 . The robotic foodstuff assembly system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic foodstuff assembly system is arranged along a conveyor line, and wherein the arm of the robotic foodstuff assembly system and the pair of stabilizers are both mounted to the frame at a side of the robotic foodstuff assembly system distal from the conveyor line.
  13. 13 . A system, comprising: a frame comprising a sleeve bearing, the sleeve bearing defining a central axis; a wheel mounted to the frame; and an electric actuator mechanically coupled to the frame and actuatable along the central axis; a foot; and a linkage mechanically coupling the electric actuator to the foot, the linkage comprising: a leg arranged within the sleeve bearing and actuatable relative to the sleeve bearing along the central axis, wherein the leg defines, along a single kinematic chain: a first joint superior to the sleeve bearing, wherein the electric actuator is coupled to the leg at the first joint; a threaded interface arranged axially along the central axis, wherein the threaded interface defines a manual actuation stroke parallel with the central axis; and a second joint inferior to the sleeve bearing, wherein the foot is mechanically coupled to the leg at the second joint.
  14. 14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the first joint is a hinge.
  15. 15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the electric actuator is coupled to the frame via a third joint, wherein the third joint is a hinge.
  16. 16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the electric actuator defines a first stroke length along the central axis, and wherein the threaded interface provides a second stroke length along the central axis, wherein the second stroke length is at least the first stroke length.
  17. 17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein a range of travel along the threaded interface is at least a maximum stroke length of the electric actuator.
  18. 18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the electric actuator comprises an electric motor and lead screw, wherein all threads of both the lead screw and the threaded interface are enclosed and fluidly isolated from an ambient environment.
  19. 19 . The system of claim 13 , wherein an inferior region of the foot comprises a deformable material.
  20. 20 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the sleeve bearing constrains movement of the leg during manual adjustment via the threaded interface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/690,903, filed 5 Sep. 2024, which is incorporated in its entirety by this reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates generally to the robotics automation field, and more specifically to a new and useful automated stabilizer in the robotics automation field. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a variant of the system. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a variant of the system. FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a variant of the system integrated within a robotic assembly module. FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional view of an example of a human machine interface for control of the system. FIGS. 5A-5B are side views of the system when the foot is in the retracted and deployed positions, respectively. FIGS. 6A-6B are front views of the system when the foot is in the retracted and deployed positions, respectively. FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a variant of the system. FIGS. 8A-8B are cross-sectional views of a variant of a manual adjustment interface. FIG. 9 is a view of a variant of a manual adjustment interface. FIGS. 10A-10B are graphical projections of a variant of the system. FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a retracted configuration of the system. FIGS. 12A-12B are a first and a second trimetric projection view of a variant of the system, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments, but rather to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. 1. Overview The automated stabilizer 100, an example of which is shown in FIG. 7, can include an actuator 102; a set of links 110; and a foot 104. The automated stabilizer 100 can optionally include a swivel 106 (e.g., integrated into the foot 104); a support structure 101; and a wheel assembly 105. However, the automated stabilizer 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The automated stabilizer 100 preferably functions to at least partially support a robotic assembly module against an uneven floor surface. Additionally or alternatively, an automated stabilizer can function to enable (automatic) leveling of a robotic assembly system (e.g., aligning the vertical axis of the system with a weight vector). Additionally or alternatively, the automated stabilizer can function to at least partially jack a robotic assembly module to disengage (or re-engage) to a set of caster wheels, such as to allow frequent relocation of the robotic assembly module. A first variant is shown in FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B. A second variant is shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B. However, the automated stabilizer can include any other suitable variants. Variants of the system can optionally include or be used in conjunction with a robotic assembly system, such as a robotic pick and place system, gantry-style assembly system, multi-axis robotic arm, and/or other robotic assembly system. In variants, the system can be used in conjunction with the robotic assembly system and/or method as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 17/881,475, filed 4 Aug. 2022, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. In variants, the automated stabilizer can optionally include or be used in conjunction with the human machine interface (HMI), line changeover, and/or refill method(s) as described in U.S. application Ser. No. 18/124,451, filed 21 Mar. 2023, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. The system 100 can optionally include or be used in conjunction with an industrial conveyor line, or can be deployed in a high-throughput assembly application (e.g., airline food catering prep, etc.), such as to facilitate assembly by human workers and/or cooperative assembly by human operators and robots. However, the system can alternatively be deployed in any suitable assembly settings. In a second set of variants, the system can be implemented in a restaurant setting, such as a ‘fast casual’, ‘ghost kitchen’ or low-throughput application (e.g., without continuous operation; universities, K-12, prisons, hotels, hospitals, factories, stadiums, entertainment venues, festivals, etc.). In variants, the system and/or each component thereof (e.g., actuator; support, mechanical linkage joints, etc.) can be configured to be individually or collectively certified in compliance with various ingress protection standards (e.g., IP65; IP67; IP69; IP67+; etc.) and operate with food safe materials (e.g., stainless steel, complaint with NSF food safety standards; for example, the internal threads of a manual adjustment interface 108 integrated with the foot and/or leg, as shown in FIG. 2, etc.). However, variants may be utilized outside of industrial applications and/or in various alternative contexts without certified compliance with ingress protection requirements/standards; a