Patent Publication Number: US-2021171296-A1

Title: Side-loading robotic arm

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a robotic arm mechanism for waste disposal vehicles. More particularly, the invention is directed to a side-loading robotic arm compatible for use with a container on a mid-body loader, but may be compatible with both front-end and rear-end loaders. 
     Conventional side-loading robotic arms are typically integral with or otherwise attached to the containers with which they are intended to be used. Such prior art arms typically involve a raising or lowering mechanism that includes an upright member that telescopically moves between a raised and lowered position relative to a point of rotation. Once the upright member is raised, the entire robotic arm is pivoted about the point of rotation such that a bin grasped by clamps at a lower end of the upright member can be emptied into the container. 
     Such telescoping movement of the upright member creates a situation where at least a portion of the upright member protrudes a significant distance above the point of rotation when in the raised position. Such protrusion above the point of rotation requires a large clearance area above the prior art arm. Without such clearance, the upright member may come into contact or otherwise impact surrounding structures. 
     In addition, such protrusion can also restrict the amount that the upright member may be rotated about the point of rotation. Depending upon how much the upright member protrudes above the point of rotation, the upright member may come into contact with the structure supporting the robotic arm. Thus, the prior art robotic arm must be constructed so as to minimize the chance of such contact during pivoting rotation. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for an improved side-loading robotic arm that minimizes the amount of over-head clearance that is required, as well as, minimizing the chance of mechanical contact during rotation. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a side-loading robotic arm for grasping and tipping bins of cans into a larger container. The side-loading robotic arm includes a pair of lateral rails disposed in parallel and attached forward of a front wall of a container. A carriage body is reciprocatingly disposed on the pair of lateral rails with a tipping arm pivotingly attached to a first end of the carriage body. A means for tipping is operational on the tipping arm and configured to pivot the tipping arm about the first end of the carriage body. A lifting arm is pivotingly attached to the tipping arm distal from the carriage body. A means for lifting is operational on the lifting arm and configured to pivot the lifting arm about the tipping arm. A pair of gripper arms is pivotingly attached to the lifting arm distal from the tipping arm. 
     Preferably, the tipping arm comprises a lateral portion and an upright portion oriented generally perpendicular to each other. The lateral portion is pivotingly attached to the carriage body and the upright portion is pivotingly attached to the lifting arm. The means for tipping preferably comprises a piston, a mechanical belt, a chain, a cable, or a geared connection. Ideally, the means for tipping is a piston or tipping piston attached at one end to a second end of the carriage body and at an opposite end to the lateral portion of the tipping arm. 
     Preferably, the means for lifting comprises a piston, a mechanical belt, a chain, a cable, or a geared connection. Ideally, the means for lifting comprises a piston or a lifting piston attached at one end to the lifting arm proximate to the upright portion of the tipping arm and at an opposite end to the upright portion of the tipping arm proximate to the lateral portion. 
     The robotic arm may also include a means for stabilizing that is operational on the pair of gripper arms and configured to stabilize a horizontal orientation of the pair of gripper arms during pivoting of the lifting arm. Such means for stabilizing preferably comprises a stabilizing linkage member connected at one end to the pair of gripper arms and at an opposite end to the tipping arm proximate to the lifting arm. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art side-loading robotic arm in a lowered position; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a prior art side-loading robotic arm in a raised position; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a prior art side-loading robotic arm in a pivoted position; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a side-loading robotic arm according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a reversed perspective view of a side-loading robotic arm according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is perspective view of a side-loading robotic arm according to the present invention mounted on a container; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a side-loading robotic arm according to the present invention preparing to grasp a bin; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a side-loading robotic arm according to the present invention extended and gasping a bin; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a side-loading robotic arm according to the present invention retracting and raising a bin; and 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a side-loading robotic arm according to the present invention dumping a bin. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The prior art side-loading robotic arm  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . As shown In these figures, the prior art robotic arm  10  includes a carriage body  12  carrying a pivoting body  14 , an upright member  16 , an offset arm  18 , and gripper arms  20 . The offset arm  18  extends from the upright member  16  and supports the gripper arms  20  at a point longitudinally offset from the pivoting body  14 . The carriage body  12  is reciprocatingly engaged with a pair of lateral rails  22 , allowing the carriage body  12  to move laterally along the rails relative to an adjacent container  24 . 
     The pivoting body  14  is pivotingly attached about an axis of rotation  14   a  proximate to a first end  12   a  of the carriage body  12 . The pivoting body  14  is configured to pivot between a down position  26   a  (not shown for Prior Art embodiment) and an up position  26   b.    FIGS. 1 and 2  generally show the down position  26   a  when the pivoting body  14  is attached to the carriage body  12  (not shown in these FIGURES).  FIG. 3  generally shows the up position  26   b.  A means for tipping  28  the pivoting body  14  about the axis of rotation  14   a.  The means for tipping  28  preferably comprises a pneumatic or hydraulic piston  28   a,  a mechanical belt, chain or cable, a geared connection, or a similar mechanism for achieving the desired pivoting movement.  FIG. 3  illustrates the means for tipping  28  as a piston cylinder  28   a  attached at one end to the pivoting body  14  and at an opposite end to a second end  12   b  of the carriage body  12 . 
     The pivoting body  14  includes a thru-port  14   b  through which the upright member  16  is reciprocatingly passed. The upright member  16  has a cross-body  16   a  at an end distal from the pivoting body  14 . The upright member  16  preferably has a range of reciprocating motion between a lowered position  30   a  and a raised position  30   b,  which corresponds to a length of the upright member  16  relative to a support body  32  extending below the thru-port  14   b  of the pivoting body  14 . The upright member  16  includes a means for raising  34  attached at one end to the cross-body  16   a  and at an opposite end proximate to the thru-port  14   b.  As with the means for tipping  28 , the means for raising  34  preferably comprises a pneumatic or hydraulic piston  34   a,  a mechanical belt, chain or cable, a geared connection, or a similar mechanism for achieving the desired reciprocating movement. 
     In this configuration, the upright member  16  is movable between the lowered position  30   a  and the raised position  30   b.  Depending upon the height of the robotic arm  10  relative to a ground surface (not shown), the gripper arms  20  can be used to grasp a bin or other refuse can at any point between the lowered positon  30   a  and the raised position  30   b.  The carriage body  12  may also be extended or retracted relative to the lateral rails  22  depending upon the distance between the robotic arm  10  and the bin. 
     Once the gripper arms  20  grasp the bin, the upright member  16  is placed fully in the raised position  30   b.  If extended, the carriage body  12  is retracted back into the lateral rails  22 . The pivoting body  14  is also pivoted about the axis  14   a  such that the upright member  16  and gripper arms  20  are raised into a tipping position over a container  24 . When the upright member  16  is in the raised position  30   b,  an upper end of the upright member  16  extends well above the pivoting member  14 . Because of such extension, the pivoting motion mush be concerned with the upright member  16  intersecting a portion of the container  24  or any other structure positioned above the robotic arm  10 . 
     In addition, when in the raised position  30   b,  the portion of the upright member  16  that extends above the pivoting member  14  may interfere with full pivoting of the pivoting body  14 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the portion of the upright member  16  that extends above the pivoting body  14  may intersect the carriage body  12  and prevent sufficient rotation of the pivoting body  14 . 
     The inventive robotic arm  40 , shown generally in  FIGS. 4-10 , includes important improvements over this prior art design. The robotic arm  40  includes a carriage body  12  reciprocatingly disposed on a pair of lateral rails  22  attached adjacent to a container  24  for holding refuse or other waste. Instead of the pivoting body  14  and upright member  16  of the prior art robotic arm  10 , the inventive robotic arm  40  includes a tipping arm  42  and a lifting arm  44 . The tipping arm  42  is pivotingly attached to the first end  12   a  of the carriage body  12  about an axis of rotation  42   d.  The tipping arm  42  has a lateral portion  42   a  and an upright portion  42   b,  which portions  42   a,    42   b  are oriented generally perpendicular to each other at an elbow  42   c.  The lifting arm  44  is pivotingly attached to an end of the upright portion  42   b  distal from the lateral portion  42   a.  The gripper arms  20  are pivotingly attached to the lifting arm  44  distal from the upright portion  42   b.    
     A tipping means  46  is attached to the tipping arm  42  and the carriage body  12 . Preferably, one end of the tipping means  46  is attached to the lateral portion  42   a  of the tipping arm  42 , and an opposite end of the tipping means  46  is attached proximate to the second end  12   b  of the carriage body  12 . The tipping means  46  is configured to move the tipping arm  42  between a lowered position  48   a  ( FIGS. 6-9 ) and a raised position  48   b  ( FIG. 10 ). Similar to the tipping means  28  described above, the tipping means  46  preferably comprises a pneumatic or hydraulic piston  46   a,  a mechanical belt, chain or cable, a geared connection, or a similar mechanism for achieving the desired pivoting movement. The piston  46   a  is preferable as it more reliably controls movement of the tipping arm  42  in both the upward (from the lowered position  48   a  to the raised position  48   b ) and the downward (from the raised position  48   b  to the lowered position  48   a ) directions. 
     In addition, a lifting means  50  is attached to the lifting arm  44  and the tipping arm  42 . Preferably, one end of the lifting means  50  is attached to the lifting arm  44  proximate to the upright portion  42   b,  and an opposite end of the lifting means  50  is attached to the upright portion  42   b  proximate to the elbow  42   c.  The lifting means  50  is configured to move the lifting arm  44  between a raised position  52   a  ( FIG. 6 ) and a lowered position  52   b  ( FIG. 7 ). Similar to the raising means  34  described above, the lifting means  50  preferably comprises a pneumatic or hydraulic piston  50   a,  a mechanical belt, chain or cable, a geared connection, or a similar mechanism for achieving the desired pivoting movement. The piston  50   a  is preferable as it more reliably controls movement of the lifting arm  44  in both the downward (from the raised position  52   a  to the lowered position  52   b ) and the upward (from the lowered position  52   b  to the raised position  52   a ) directions. 
       FIGS. 7-9  illustrate operation of the robotic arm  40  in grasping a bin  54  for emptying into the container  24 . Specifically, the lifting arm  44  is moved to the lowered position  52   b  ( FIG. 7 ). The carriage body  12  is them extended out of the lateral rails  22  to move the gripper arms  20  into proximity with the bin  54 . Once the gripper arms  20  are in proximity of the bin  54 , the same are closed so as to grasp the bin  54  ( FIG. 8 ). Separately or simultaneously, the lifting arm  44  is moved into the raised position  52   a  and the carriage body  12  is retracted back into the lateral rails  22  so as to bring the bin  54  closer to the container  24  ( FIG. 9 ). Then the tipping arm  42  is raised so as to invert the bin  24  over the container  24  and empty the contents of the same ( FIG. 10 ). The bin  54  is returned to its starting position by performing these steps in the reverse order. 
     The robotic arm  40  may also include a stabilizing means  56  connecting the gripper arms  20  to the upright portion  42   b.  The stabilizing means  56  is configured to control movement of the gripper arms  20  relative to the lifting arm  44 . Preferably, the stabilizing means  56  is a linkage  56   a  or similar mechanism that automatically pivots the gripper arms  20  relative to the lifting arm  44  during any of the lifting operations performed by the lifting means  50 . Ideally, the stabilizing means  56  is configured to maintain the gripper arms  20  parallel to any surface upon which the bin  54  or other object is resting. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 10 , the inventive design of the raising arm  42  eliminates many of the drawbacks of the prior art. The raising arm  42  does not have an upright member  16  that protrudes above a pivoting body  14 . Such configuration eliminates the need for excessive clearance above the raising arm  42  to avoid contact with the protruding upright member  16 . The elimination of the need for such clearance allows for more coverage or enclosure of the mechanical parts of the robotic arm  40  so as to minimize weather or other damage to the same. 
     In addition, the inventive configuration of the raising arm  42  allows for greater rotation of the raising arm  42  around the axis of rotation  42   d . Specifically, the lack of the protruding upright member  16  eliminates the possibility of interference with the carriage body  12 . Such freedom of movement allows for more reliability in inverting the bin  54  over the container  24  when emptying the contents of the same. 
     The inventive embodiment of the robotic arm  40  described herein has a number of particular features that should preferably be employed in combination, although each is useful separately without departure from the scope and spirit of the invention. Although preferred embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.