IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,727,689
Granted Patent B2
US 12,727,689 · App. 18/771,642 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Robot and method of controlling the same

Inventors: Donguk Lee (Seoul, KR); Sungsu Park (Seoul, KR)
Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation; BASE AND POWER CITY CORP.
A47G5/02B65H75/4402B65H75/4484
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,727,689
App. No.
18/771,642
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A robot can include a partition wound about a partition rotation axis extending in a first direction, a plurality of body parts surrounding an accommodation space in which the partition is accommodated, and a roller part having a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on at least some of the plurality of body parts.

Claims (58)

1 . A robot comprising:

a partition wound about a partition rotation axis extending in a first direction;

a plurality of body parts surrounding an accommodation space in which the partition is accommodated; and

a roller part having rollers rotatably mounted on at least some of the plurality of body parts,

wherein the roller part includes a roller group that is a pair of the rollers mounted to face each other in each of two adjacent body parts of the plurality of body parts,

wherein the roller part is configured to provide a guide state in which movement of a portion of the partition is guided in a second direction intersecting the first direction while the portion of the partition is located between the pair of the rollers, and

wherein the roller part is configured to extract the partition from the accommodation space or retract the partition into the accommodation space in the second direction through rotation of the pair of the rollers.

2 . The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a vertical moving part configured to move in a vertical direction parallel to the first direction with respect to a given body part of the plurality of body parts, wherein the given body part includes a first area on which the vertical moving part is movably mounted such that a portion of the vertical moving part is accommodated therein.

3 . The robot of claim 2 , wherein, with the vertical moving part at a lowermost side with respect to the given body part, an upper end of the vertical moving part and the given body part have a same height location in the vertical direction.

4 . The robot of claim 2 , wherein the given body part includes a second area connected to the first area and on which a given roller of the rollers is rotatably mounted such that a first partial area of the given roller is accommodated therein, and wherein a second partial area of the given roller protrudes in a connection direction with respect to the second area.

5 . The robot of claim 4 , wherein the second area includes:

a first-second area connected to a first side of the first area; and

a second-second area connected to a second side of the first area, wherein the first side of the first area faces the first-second area in a first connection direction, wherein the second side of the first area faces the second-second area in a second connection direction, and wherein the first connection direction intersects the second connection direction.

6 . The robot of claim 5 , wherein the pair of the rollers includes:

a first roller mounted on the first-second area; and

a second roller mounted on the second-second area, wherein a first-roller portion of the first roller opposite to the first connection direction is accommodated inside the first-second area such that a first-roller side of the first roller protrudes in the first connection direction with respect to the first-second area, and wherein a second-roller portion of the second roller opposite to the second connection direction is accommodated inside the second-second area such that a second-roller side of the second roller protrudes in the second connection direction with respect to the second-second area.

7 . The robot of claim 2 , wherein the given body part further includes a third area configured to define an accommodation-space portion of the accommodation space and extending in the first direction, and wherein the third area includes a recessed area provided to face the partition in a wound state and having a shape recessed in a direction toward the first area.

8 . The robot of claim 7 , wherein a cross section of the recessed area perpendicular to the first direction has a curvature of which a center of the curvature is positioned in the accommodation space.

9 . The robot of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of body parts includes a third area configured to define an accommodation-space portion of the accommodation space and extending in the first direction, and wherein the third area includes a recessed area provided to face the partition in a wound state and having a shape recessed in a direction toward the first area, wherein each center of curvature of a cross section of the recessed area provided in the plurality of body parts correspond to each other.

10 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of body parts include a first body part, a second body part, a third body part, and a fourth body part that are sequentially arranged in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction perpendicular to the first direction,

wherein the roller group includes:

a first roller group that is a first pair of the rollers mounted to face each other in the first body part and the second body part;

a second roller group that is a second pair of the rollers mounted to face each other in the second body part and the third body part;

a third roller group that is a third pair of the rollers mounted to face each other in the third body part and the fourth body part; and

a fourth roller group that is a fourth pair of the rollers mounted to face each other in the fourth body part and the first body part, and

wherein the first roller group, the second roller group, the third roller group, and the fourth roller group are sequentially arranged in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction.

11 . The robot of claim 10 , wherein a first horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein a second horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, wherein the first body part and the third body part are spaced apart from each other in the first horizontal direction with the partition interposed between the first body part and the third body part, and wherein the second body part and the fourth body part are spaced apart from each other in the second horizontal direction with the partition interposed between the second body part and the fourth body part.

12 . The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a robot driver configured to move the plurality of body parts in a horizontal direction with respect to ground and positioned below the plurality of body parts.

13 . The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a partition driver configured to:

provide the partition rotation axis;

rotate the partition about the partition rotation axis;

extract the partition from the accommodation space in response to the partition driver rotating in a first rotation direction; and

retract the partition into the accommodation space in response to the partition driver rotating in a second rotation direction.

14 . A method of controlling a first robot and a second robot, wherein each of the first robot and the second robot includes:

a partition wound about a partition rotation axis extending in a first direction,

a plurality of body parts surrounding an accommodation space in which the partition is accommodated, and

a roller part having rollers rotatably mounted on at least some of the plurality of body parts, wherein the roller part includes a roller group that is a pair of the rollers mounted to face each other in each of two adjacent body parts of the plurality of body parts, wherein the roller part is configured to provide a guide state in which movement of a portion of the partition is guided in a second direction intersecting the first direction while the portion of the partition is located between the pair of the rollers, and wherein the roller part is configured to extract the partition from the accommodation space or retract the partition into the accommodation space in the second direction through rotation of the pair of the rollers;

wherein the method comprises:

approaching the first robot and the second robot to each other;

extracting a first partition from the first robot toward the second robot after the approaching;

retracting the first partition extracted from the first robot into the second robot; and

fixing the first partition retracted into the second robot to the second robot.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

inputting a space partition request; and

moving the first robot and the second robot away from each other in a state in which the first partition is fixed to the second robot based on the inputting of the space partition request.

16 . A robot comprising:

a partition wound about a partition rotation axis extending in a first direction;

a plurality of body parts surrounding an accommodation space in which the partition is accommodated;

a roller part having rollers rotatably mounted on at least some of the plurality of body parts, wherein the roller part includes a roller group that is a pair of the rollers mounted to face each other in each of two adjacent body parts of the plurality of body parts, and wherein the roller part is configured to guide movement of a portion of the partition in a second direction intersecting the first direction while the portion of the partition is located between the pair of the rollers; and

a robot driver configured to move the plurality of body parts in a horizontal direction with respect to ground and positioned below the plurality of body parts.

17 . The robot of claim 16 , further comprising a partition driver configured to:

provide the partition rotation axis;

rotate the partition about the partition rotation axis;

extract the partition from the accommodation space in response to the partition driver rotating in a first rotation direction; and

retract the partition into the accommodation space in response to the partition driver rotating in a second rotation direction.

18 . The robot of claim 17 , wherein the roller part is configured to extract the partition from the accommodation space or retract the partition into the accommodation space in the second direction through rotation of the pair of the rollers.

19 . The robot of claim 16 , further comprising a vertical moving part configured to move in a vertical direction parallel to the first direction with respect to a given body part of the plurality of body parts, wherein the given body part includes a first area on which the vertical moving part is movably mounted such that a portion of the vertical moving part is accommodated therein.

20 . The robot of claim 16 , wherein a given body part further includes a third area configured to define an accommodation-space portion of the accommodation space and extending in the first direction, and wherein the third area includes a recessed area provided to face the partition in a wound state and having a recessed shape, wherein a cross section of the recessed area perpendicular to the first direction has a curvature of which a center of the curvature is positioned in the accommodation space.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2024
From: LEE, DONGUK; PARK, SUNGSU
To: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY; KIA CORPORATION; BASE AND POWER CITY CORP.
Reel/Frame 067979/0783 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2023-0161401 · Nov 20, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250160545A1 · May 22, 2025
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