Solarcity Corporation

Tesla, Inc.

Kevin C Chu

Vayardo Lalo Ruiz

Jeremy Dittmer

Benjamin D Sumers

Daniel I Fukuba

Merritt J Jenkins

Jessica Riley

Salomon Trujillo

Wasiq Bokhari

Noe Esparza

Jeremy P Dittmer

Vayardo L Ruiz

The present invention relates to transferring torque between a first unit, which is typically a mobile machine or a robot, and a second unit, which is typically a fixed or stationary machine. The units are arranged such that a drive coupler of the first unit designed for delivering torque about a drive axis can engage the driven coupler, which belongs to the second unit and has a driven axis, along an engagement direction that is nearly perpendicular to the direction of the driven axis. A lateral displacement mechanism in provided is the first unit to achieve a first-order coaxial alignment between the drive and driven axes. Additional measures such as compliance mechanisms are provided for improving engagement, coupling and reducing the level of axial misalignment in the apparatus and methods of the invention.

Torque transfer in laterally engaging drive couplers exhibiting axial misalignment with driven couplers

The present invention relates to a highly-available and fault-tolerant solar tracking system and the process required to manage such a system. A fleet of multiple, redundant mobile robots managed by a task coordinator is deployed to track solar panels in a solar farm in alignment with the sun. Each robot has a control unit for engaging with a coupler connected to one or multiple solar panels and adjusting their orientation, as well as communicating with the task coordinator to receive tasks. The task coordinator senses various events such as robot failure/deterioration, as well as various environmental conditions, and sends tasks reconciled with event types. The system is highly-available and fault-tolerant as it remains operational as long as there is one operational robot. The task coordinator assigns tasks to the mobile robots so as to optimize battery life or other factors, such as, e.g., overall maintenance costs across the fleet.

Solar tracking system employing multiple mobile robots

Techniques for transferring torque between a first unit, such as a mobile machine or a robot, and a second unit, such as a fixed or stationary machine. The units are arranged such that a drive coupler of the first unit designed for delivering torque about a drive axis can engage the driven coupler, which belongs to the second unit and has a driven axis, along an engagement direction that is nearly perpendicular to the direction of the driven axis. A lateral displacement mechanism of the first unit achieves a first-order coaxial alignment between the drive and driven axes. Additional measures are provided for improving engagement, coupling and reducing the level of axial misalignment. Techniques disclosed are tolerant of imprecise alignment between the drive and driven couplers.

Dual-mode torque transfer in laterally engaging drive couplers exhibiting axial misalignment with driven couplers

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Kevin C Chu