Patents by Inventor Erik E. Steltz

Erik E. Steltz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8875816
    Abstract: A lightweight mobile robot includes a chassis less than 500 pounds and two independent tracked drives including a drive wheel assembly, four or more independently suspended bogie assemblies, an idler wheel assembly, a compliant front shoe fixedly coupled to an independently suspended bogie assembly positioned adjacent the idler wheel assembly, and a compliant elastomer track entraining the drive wheel, road wheels, idler wheel assembly and compliant front shoe. The bogie assembly includes a serpentine suspension arm having a corresponding road wheel rotatably mounted at a distal end thereof, the bogie arm swingable through a range entirely beneath the chassis. The serpentine suspension arm provides clearance for adjacent road wheels to swing past one another without making contact with any portion of the adjacent bogie assembly. The compliant elastomer track has center guides and peripheral drive features protruding therefrom for engaging the drive wheel, road wheels, and idler wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Erik E. Steltz, Jeffrey L. Weeks, Lee Sword, Annan Michael Mozeika