Vehicle, in particular toy robot with vibration drive

The invention relates to a vibrating drive vehicle, in particular a toy robot with a vibrating drive and with many legs, wherein the toy robots resemble live crawling animals or beetles.

Background of the Invention [0002] Vibrating propulsion vehicles are known in the art, which these specialists generally call "vibrating machines".

[0003] A special form of the "vibrator" is the so-called "bristlebot", which consists of a severed toothbrush head, battery and vibrating drive. "Bristlebot" is supported on the ground by brushes of a toothbrush head; the brushes correspond in a sense to the "bristlebot" legs. Both the battery and the vibration drive are located above the toothbrush head. The entire toothbrush head is vibrated by vibration so that the "bristlebot" can move. Bristlebots of this type are known from the patents FR 1 564 711 A, FR 2 358 174 A1 and US 4 219 957 A.

[0004] However, the mobility and mechanical properties of "bristlebots" are unsatisfactory in many respects. This leads to the fact that the "bristlebot" from the point of view of the user or another person simply does not give the impression of a live beetle, but rather only gives the impression of a vibrating toothbrush head.

[0005] Another form of "bristlebot" is known from GB 2 427 529 A. The present "bristlebot" has an egg-shaped form with two toothbrush heads as rows of legs. This "bristlebot" also does not look like a live beetle, but rather a moving egg.

[0006] US 6 899 589 B1 discloses a bouncing robot toy in the form of a tiger. This tiger toy has a vibrating drive and vertical legs with jumping springs.

Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle according to claim 1. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0008] The vehicle according to the invention has a plurality of legs and a vibrating drive. The term "vehicle" in the present invention is understood to mean any mobile robot, especially essentially a toy robot and toy robots that have the shape of a beetle or other animal, insect or reptile.

[0009] According to one aspect of the invention, the vehicle legs can be curved and flexible. The vibration drive can generate downward force (Fv) which is appropriate to tilt at least the front legs so that the vehicle moves forward. The vehicle legs are preferably inclined in a direction that is displaced from the vertical line. The bases of the legs are therefore placed more forward on the vehicle in relation to the tips of the legs. Especially the front legs are adapted to bend when the vehicle vibrates due to the vibration drive. Conversely, a vibration drive can also cause upward force (Fv), which is appropriate to cause the vehicle to bounce or pull the front legs from the backrest surface.

[0010] According to a further aspect of the invention, the geometry of the rear legs can be made such that a different braking or towing effect is achieved. In other words, the geometry of the following legs can be made so as to counteract the tendency to rotate as a result of vibration of the vibration drive. When the front legs bounce, the rotating eccentric mass moves - in relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle in the lateral direction, so that without preventive measures the vehicle would move along the curve line. Preventive measures can be achieved in a variety of ways: more weight can be transferred to one front leg compared to the other front leg. The length of one hind leg can be increased compared to the other hind leg. The stiffness of the legs on one side can be increased compared to the legs on the other side. The hind leg can be made thicker compared to other hind legs on the other side. One of the hind legs can be placed more forward than the other hind leg.

[0011] According to a further aspect of the invention, the vehicle is designed to rotate and carry itself by the action of the torque of the vibrating drive. This is achieved by setting the center of gravity of the solid or the center of gravity of the vehicle close to or on the axis of rotation of the vibrating drive. In addition, the sides and top of the vehicle should be constructed to facilitate self-lifting of the vehicle during vibration. A higher point can be provided on the top of the vehicle so that the vehicle cannot turn completely and lie on its back. It is also possible to place dorsal fins, plates or fins on the back of the vehicle on the sides and / or on the back of the vehicle, whose external points preferably lie nearby or on a virtual roller.

[0012] According to a further aspect of the invention, the legs can be arranged in rows of legs, with space being provided between the body of the vehicle and the legs of the vehicle, especially a V-shaped recess, so that the legs can bend inwardly during lifting rotation. In this way, the vehicle's lifting motion is facilitated if it falls over. Preferably, the legs are arranged in two rows of legs, as well as at the side and above the axis of rotation of the vibrating drive.

[0013] According to a further aspect of the invention, the vehicle may have a resilient nose or resilient front portion, so that the vehicle bounces when it encounters an obstacle. The resilient nose or resilient front portion is preferably made of rubber. In addition, this resilient nose or resilient front

- the third part is preferably made as a tapering one. In this way, the vehicle can avoid an obstacle more easily without using a sensor or other steering control.

[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, the vibrating drive may have a motor and an eccentric mass, the eccentric mass being located in front of the front legs. In this way, an enhanced bouncing movement of the front legs is achieved, while the hind legs remain as close to the ground as possible (however, they can also bounce slightly). The eccentric mass is especially placed in front of the engine. In addition, the battery is preferably located at the rear of the vehicle to increase weight on the hind legs. Both the battery and the motor are preferably located between the legs. The axis of rotation of the engine may run along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

[0015] According to the principles of the present invention, the vehicle may therefore be equipped with a vibrating drive to mimic an organic form of life, especially a live beetle or other animal, with respect to speed of movement, stability of forward movement, tendency to wander, ability to rise again and / or individuality.

[0016] The present invention may be a device, in particular a vibrating drive vehicle or toy robot that pursues one or more of the following objectives:

1. Vibrating drive vehicle with flexible legs in a variable configuration;

2. Maximizing vehicle speed;

3. Changing the prevailing direction of vehicle movement;

4. Vehicle rollover prevention;

5. Manufacturing vehicles that can rise by themselves;

6. Generating movement that mimics live animals, especially beetles, insects, reptiles or other animals;

7. Generating multiple modes of movement so that vehicles differ visibly in their movement to provide many different types of vehicles;

8. Generating apparent intelligence when the vehicle finds an obstacle.

[0017] These aspects and how they are achieved will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the figures.

Short description of the figures [0018]

Figures 1a and 1b show a vehicle or toy robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 2a to 2f show general forces that can substantially affect a vehicle or toy robot according to one embodiment of the present invention (Figure 2c shows a front view);

Figures 3a to 3c show a vehicle or robot toy according to various other embodiments of the present invention in which the leg structure has been changed;

Figs. 4a and 4b Fig. 5 Figs. 6a and 6b Fig. 7 show a vehicle or toy robot according to another embodiment of the present invention in which the hind legs are adjustable; shows a toy vehicle or robot according to another embodiment of the present invention with a flexible nose;

show a toy vehicle or robot according to a first embodiment;

shows a toy vehicle or robot toy according to another embodiment of the present invention in which additional dorsal fins, lamellas or fins are arranged.

Detailed description of the invention [0019] Figs. 1a and 1b show a toy vehicle or robot in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] The vibration driven vehicle 100, such as a miniature toy robot, may have a lump with two or many legs 104 that are adapted to bend when the vehicle vibrates in a manner that tends to indicate that the vehicle is moving in a certain direction . For example, the legs can bend or bend in one direction, which is slightly displaced from the vertical line, and can be made of flexible or swivelable material. The vehicle body may contain a motor to generate vibrations, and may have a relatively low center of gravity. The shape of the top side of the solid may protrude to facilitate self-lifting of the vehicle during vibration. The geometry of the following (i.e. hind legs) can be done like this (e.g. in terms of the length or thickness of the legs) that a different braking or towing effect is achieved to counteract the tendency to rotate as a result of motor vibration, or to cause a tendency to rotate in one particular direction. If multiple legs are used, then some legs (e.g., those that are positioned between the "driving" front legs and the "towing" hind legs) may be made slightly shorter to avoid further braking or towing action.

[0021] Figs. 2a to 2f show general forces that can substantially affect a vehicle or a toy robot according to one embodiment of the present invention (Fig. 2c is a front view).

[0022] The engine rotates the eccentric mass that causes torque and force vectors, as shown in Figs. 2a to 2d. If the vertical force Fv is negative (i.e. directed downwards), then the legs that can be curved are deflected and the vehicle body moves forward to the section of the legs that touches the surface. If the vertical force Fv is positive (i.e. up), then the vehicle bounces so that the front legs break away from the ground surface and allow the legs to return to their normal geometric shape (i.e. without further bending by external force). During this movement, some legs, especially both hind legs, are only pulled behind the others and do not bounce. An oscillating, eccentric mass can

- rotate a few hundred times per second so that the vehicle rotates and moves in a substantially forward direction.

[0023] The rotation of the engine also causes a lateral, vertical force Fh (see Figures 2b and 2c) which is directed in one direction (either to the right or to the left) when the nose of the vehicle is raised and is directed towards the other direction when the nose of the vehicle is pressed down. The force Fh causes or tends to keep the vehicle rotating when the nose of the vehicle is raised. This phenomenon may cause rotation; in addition, it is possible to manipulate various motion characteristics, especially speed, the prevailing direction of movement, leaning and self-rising.

[0024] An important feature of the leg geometry is the relative position of the "base" of the leg (i.e. the portion of the leg that is attached to the body, and thus the "hip") relative to the tip of the leg (i.e., the lower end of the leg that touches the ground surface). Variations in the design of flexible legs make it possible to change the vehicle's ability to move.

[0025] The vehicle moves in one direction according to the position of the base of the leg, which is placed in front of the position of the tip of the leg. If the vertical force Fv is negative, then the vehicle body is pressed down. Therefore, the block will slope so that the base of the legs will rotate around the tip of the legs towards the surface, so that the block moves again from the tip of the leg towards the base of the leg. However, when the base of the leg is placed vertically above the top of the leg, then the vehicle will only bounce and will not move in the general (vertical) direction.

[0026] The curved design of the leg emphasizes forward movement by increasing the flexion of the leg compared to the straight leg.

[0027] The vehicle speed can be maximized in various ways. Increasing the speed of the vehicle is significant so that the visual perception of the product, which should especially depict a beetle, insect or reptile, is so improved that the vehicle really appears to be a living being. The factors that affect speed are the frequency and amplitude of vibration, the material of the legs (e.g. lower friction of the hind legs results in higher speed), leg length, leg bending properties, one leg geometry relative to the other leg, and the number of legs.

[0028] The vibration frequency (i.e. engine rotation speed) and vehicle speed are directly proportional. This means that when the oscillation frequency of the engine is increased and all other factors remain unchanged, the vehicle will move faster.

[0029] The leg material has many properties that contribute to speed. The friction properties of the legs determine the braking or towing force that affects the vehicle. Because the material of the legs can increase the coefficient of friction relative to the surface, therefore in this case the braking or towing power of the vehicle is also increased, so that the vehicle becomes slower. Therefore, it is important to choose low friction material for the legs, especially for the rear legs. For example, polystyrene - butadiene - styrol with a durometer value of about 65 is suitable. Properties

- 6 leg material also contribute - depending on the thickness of the leg and the length of the leg - to stiffness, which ultimately determines how much bouncing action the vehicle will develop. If the total leg stiffness increases, then the vehicle speed also increases. In contrast, longer and thinner legs reduce leg stiffness so that the vehicle speed will be lower.

[0030] If the braking or towing force (or braking / towing ratio) of the rear legs is now reduced - according to the remedies mentioned above - especially compared to the front or drive legs, then the speed will increase significantly, since only the rear legs develop braking force or tow.

[0031] In a variety of ways, one can influence the predominant direction of movement of the vehicle. Adjustment of the direction of movement can be made especially by the mass that loads certain legs, number of legs, leg positions, leg stiffness and the respective braking or towing factor.

[0032] The force Fh acting naturally from the side causes the vehicle to rotate (see Figures 2b, 2c and 2d). If the vehicle should move straight ahead then this force must be compensated. This can be achieved by leg geometry and the right choice of leg materials.

[0033] As shown in Figs. 2c and 2d, the engine generates a (slightly obliquely directed) speed vector Vsiltern by means of its eccentrically rotating mass, the lateral component of which is caused by the lateral force Fh (Fig. 2c shows the effect of force in the view from front of the vehicle). If this direction of movement were to be changed, then one or more reaction forces F1 to F4 (see Fig. 2d) that act on the legs would have to cause a different velocity vector. This can occur through the following methods (separately or in combination):

(1) Influencing the drive vector F1 or F2 of the drive legs to compensate for the motor speed vector V: You can - in the situation shown in Fig. 2d - transfer more weight to the right front leg to increase the speed vector F2 and thus counteract the speed vector of the Vsilnik from the side. (In the case of the reverse direction of rotation of the engine, which leads to a speed vector pointing diagonally to the right, a lot of weight should be inversely transferred to the left front leg.) (2) Exerting influence on the braking or towing vector F3 or F4 to compensate for the speed vector Vsiltern: This is achieved by increasing the length of the right hind leg, or by increasing the braking or towing factor of the right hind leg to increase the speed vector F 4 shown in Fig. 2d. (In the case of the reverse direction of rotation of the engine, which leads to a speed vector pointing obliquely to the right, the left hind leg should be inversely modified accordingly.) (3) Increasing the stiffness of the legs on the right (e.g. by increasing the thickness of the legs) to increase the velocity vectors F2 and F4 shown in Fig. 2d.

- 7 (In the case of the reverse direction of rotation of the engine, which leads to a speed vector pointing diagonally to the right, inversely increase the stiffness of the legs on the left side accordingly.) (4) Changing the relative position of the rear legs so that the braking or towing vector indicates same direction as the speed vector. For the speed vector Vsilnik shown in Fig. 2d, the right hind leg must be positioned further forward than the left hind leg. (In the case of the reverse direction of rotation of the engine that leads to the speed vector pointing obliquely to the right, the left hind leg should be inversely positioned further forward than the right hind leg.) [0034] Various preventive measures can be used to prevent or reduce the rollover of the vehicle. danger of tipping over (which is very high in the case of "vibrobots" according to the state of the art).

[0035] The vehicle according to the invention preferably has the lowest possible center of gravity of the block (i.e. center of gravity), see Fig. 2e. In addition, the legs - especially the right row of legs and the left row of legs - should be relatively far apart. According to the invention, the legs or rows of legs are arranged on the side of the vehicle, in particular on the side of the axis of rotation of the engine. Legs or leg rows are attached above the center of gravity in particular to the vehicle body (see Figs. 2c, 2e and 2f), i.e. the bases or leg suspension points are always attached above the center of gravity to the vehicle body (see also Fig. 1). With respect to the axis of rotation of the motor, the legs are attached or suspended from the side and above this axis of rotation (see Figures 2c and 2e). This therefore allows the placement of both the engine and the battery (and in this case the breaker) between the legs. In this way, the center of gravity of the block can be placed very low to the ground to prevent the vehicle from overturning or to reduce the risk of tipping over.

[0036] In addition, various measures can be taken to ensure that the vehicle can raise automatically - provided that it lies on its back or on its side. Because despite the countermeasures to prevent overturning, it may happen that the vehicle will tip over or to the side.

[0037] According to the invention, it is envisaged that the driving torque of the engine will be used to rotate the vehicle and thus put it back again. This is achieved by positioning the center of gravity of the solid (i.e. center of gravity) near or on the axis of rotation (see Fig. 2f). Thanks to this, the vehicle tends to rotate the entire body around this axis. The rotation of the body or vehicle takes place in the opposite direction to the rotation of the engine.

[0038] When the tendency to turn has been achieved due to the present constructive measures, then the outer shape of the vehicle can also be adapted so that the rotation around the axis of rotation of the body or engine only takes place when the vehicle is on the ridge or on the side.

[0039] Thus, a higher point 120 (see Fig. 1) can be placed on the top, i.e. on the back of the vehicle - for example a dorsal fin, plate or fin 902 (see Fig. 7) so that the vehicle cannot lie completely inverted - i.e. rotated 180 °.

In addition, the projections can be positioned on the side of the vehicle - for example dorsal fins, plates or fins 904a, 904b (see Fig. 7), so that the vehicle can more easily turn sideways again to its normal raised position. As a result, it is achieved that a normally horizontally acting force Fh and a normally vertically acting force Fv in the overturned state of the vehicle do not operate parallel to the direction of gravity y. Thus, the force Fh or Fv cause the vehicle to rise again.

[0040] As already mentioned above, the spacing between the legs or the rows of legs should be as wide as possible to prevent overturning as much as possible. In this case, the two rows of legs can increase their spacing - as shown in Figs. 2c and 2e - from above downwards, i.e. the leg suspensions (or bases of the legs) of both rows of legs have a smaller spacing than the ends of the legs (or tips of the legs). Conversely, space 404 should be provided (see Fig. 2e) so that the legs can bend from the side towards the inside. The present space 404, which preferably occurs between the vehicle body and legs, may have the shape of V-shaped recesses, i.e. the vehicle body tapers downwards - as shown in Fig. 2e. This space 404 allows the legs to bend inwardly during elevating rotation to achieve as smooth a transition as possible from the lateral position to a stable raised normal position.

[0041] The vehicle according to the present invention should be moved to resemble live animals, especially a beetle, insect, reptile or other animals.

[0042] To achieve the impression of moving as close as possible to a live animal in the sense of a live animal, the vehicle should tend to wander or roam in a streamer like pattern. Moving only along a single direction will not cause the user or a third person to have the impression of a live animal.

[0043] Freedom or randomness of movement can be achieved on the one hand by changing the stiffness of the legs, the material of the legs and / or the inertia of the eccentric mass. If the stiffness of the legs increases, then the bounce rate will be reduced, so that accidental movement will be reduced. Conversely, the vehicle will move in more random directions when the leg stiffness is less - especially the front driving legs compared to the rear legs. In addition to the impact of leg material on leg stiffness, the choice of material has another effect. Because the material of the legs can be chosen to attract dirt to the tips of the legs, so that the vehicle can accidentally turn or move in the other direction due to the changed static friction relative to the ground. The inertia of the eccentric mass also affects the pattern of movement. Because with greater inertia, the vehicle jumps with greater amplitude, thus causing the vehicle to fall in other relative positions relative to the ground.

[0044] Freedom or randomness of movement can, on the other hand, be achieved thanks to the spring nose or front part 108 (see Figures 1 and 5) of the vehicle. Because when the vehicle collides with another object, it is reflected in a random direction. The vehicle does not try to constantly struggle with the obstacle, but changes its direction of movement by reflection and thus can bypass the obstacle.

[0045] No sensors are needed; seemingly intelligent behavior is instead achieved by purely mechanical countermeasures.

[0046] The nose or front part 108 of the vehicle may have springing properties and in particular be made of soft material with a low friction coefficient. Rubber with a durometer value of 65 (or less) can be used to obtain a flexible nose that can be pressed relatively lightly. In addition, the nose or the front part 108 should be made as converging to the tip, so that the nose can be lighter pressed, and thus support the resilient kick, and thus that the tip of the vehicle hits as laterally as possible when encountering an obstacle again. In this way it is possible to change the direction of the vehicle to another direction due to the shape of the nose.

[0047] In addition, the leg characteristics also play a role when encountering an obstacle. Because if the legs are made so that the vehicle rotates slightly around the vertical axis during a collision, then bypassing is achieved faster.

[0048] Ultimately, also the speed of the vehicle is important for bypassing behavior when an obstacle is encountered. The bounce effect is greater at a higher speed, and this increases the likelihood that the vehicle will then come across the obstacle at a different angle and bypass it.

[0049] Figures 3a to 3c show different leg configurations. For all figures, the forward direction is pointing to the right.

[0050] In the upper left view in Fig. 3a, the legs are connected by cross-braces. The cross-braces serve to increase the stiffness of the legs, while the impression of a long leg is preserved. The cross-braces can be positioned anywhere along the leg height. The different position of the cross-braces, especially the right cross-braces relative to the left cross-braces, serves to change the characteristics of the legs without having to change the length of the legs simultaneously. In this way, an alternative opportunity to correct your targeting is created.

[0051] The upper right view of Fig. 3a shows the general embodiment with a plurality of curved legs. At the same time, it should be noted that the middle legs, i.e. all other legs except the two front legs and except the two hind legs, can be made so that they do not touch the ground. In this way, leg production becomes lighter because the middle legs may not be taken into account when setting the motor properties. Only the weight of the middle legs can be used to adjust the movement properties in a given case.

[0052] The bottom (left and right) views of Fig. 3a show additional suspensions or appendages that should give the vehicle an approximate animate impression. When the vehicle is moving, these suspensions or appendages vibrate together. The positioning of the suspensions or appendages can therefore also be used to create the intended movement properties or the intended resonance properties, and to create increased flexibility in the movement properties.

[0053] Further leg configurations are shown in Fig. 3b. The upper (left and right) representations show that the joints of the legs to the body can be in different positions compared to the embodiments that are shown in Fig. 3a. In addition to the differences in external appearance, the higher connection of the legs to the solid y serves to make the legs longer, without raising the center of gravity of the solid (i.e. center of gravity). In contrast, longer legs have reduced stiffness, which, apart from other properties, can lead to increased bounce. The lower representation in Fig. 3b shows an alternative embodiment of the hind legs in which the two legs are connected to each other.

[0054] Further leg configurations are shown in Fig. 3c. The upper left representation shows an embodiment with a minimum number of legs, namely with one hind leg and two front legs. Positioning the hind leg either to the left or to the right acts as a rudder change, so it is used to control the direction of the vehicle. If a rear leg with a lower coefficient of friction is used, then the vehicle speed will be increased as described above.

[0055] The lower left view in Fig. 3c shows an embodiment with three legs, one front leg and two rear legs being provided. The control can be adjusted by hind legs by placing one hind leg in front of the other hind leg.

[0056] The upper right view in Fig. 3c shows a vehicle with clearly changed hind legs that look like grasshopper legs. The hind legs lie with their bottom sides on the ground, so that friction relative to the ground is also reduced. In addition, unevenness and holes in the ground affect the vehicle less. The vehicle can therefore more easily overcome unevenness and holes in the ground.

[0057] The lower right view in Fig. 3c shows a vehicle in which the middle legs are raised relative to the front and rear legs. The middle legs therefore have essentially an aesthetic purpose. However, they also serve to influence rolling behavior. In addition, by means of their weight it is possible to adjust the jumping behavior of the vehicle.

[0058] Figs. 4a and 4b show a toy vehicle or robot toy according to another embodiment of the present invention in which the hind legs are adjustable in height independently of each other. The hind legs can be made of rigid and / or flexible wire or of other suitable material, for example plastic. Adjustable hind legs are provided so that the user can adjust the vehicle's motion characteristics. In particular, it is possible to adjust the direction of movement, for example from a left turn, through a straight line, to a right turn.

[0059] Fig. 7 shows a toy vehicle or robot toy according to another embodiment of the present invention in which additional dorsal fins, plates or fins 902, 904a, 904b are arranged. Dorsal fins, plates or fins may be placed on top 902 and on side 904a, 904b to influence the rolling behavior of the vehicle. Dorsal fins, plates or fins 902, 904a, 904b can in particular be made so that the outer points lie close to or on

- 11 virtual roller. In this way, the vehicle can rotate like a roller when it lies on its back or on its side. In this way, the vehicle can be raised again relatively quickly.

Prepared and verified

Grażyna Palka Patent Attorney