Cat5 Bumper Mounts

[HumblePie]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

We've been talking about switching to a pin like that... I really hope we finally do it this year.

Can you expand on the light green bumper mounts? Is it a piece of C channel with an additional L bracket on top? Was this primarily for additional support vertically, as the bumpers are really only supported along the bottom edge by the frame?

We always try to keep our frame in the center of the bumpers, which has allowed us to use some C-channel sized to fit snugly over the kit frame, without any additional supports. Of course, we've always used nuts and bolts, so it's been a pain to take the bumpers on and off. Fortunately, we've used reversible bumpers the past two years, so that hasn't been a problem!

Bonus points: attach the pins to the bumpers through a small cord (many of those quick release pins have holes pre-drilled specifically for this!) so you don't lose a pin!

I'll attach a closeup for clarity.

The 2 clip pieces are made from the kit channel (the lower one is just cut to length) and the 2 are welded together. This allows for the bumper backing to be fixtured at the desired height and attached to the bumper clip (in place) via wood screws. Depending on bumper height, the clips could also be mounted "upside down" as shown in second illustration. Connecting 2 perpendicular sections of bumper handles the bending moment so that the clips do not have to be centered on the bumper backing (helps save weight by not having structure dedicated to bumper support). And, yes we are considering tethers (non-conductive for sure!).

[Jon Stratis]

Very nice, thanks for the additional clarity! Depending on robot design, you may find your frame naturally in the middle (ish) of the bumpers instead of along one edge. This year, our frame was in the bottom third of our bumpers, but we had a little weight to spare, and put some vertical frame members in the corner as well. This gave us some additional support AND allowed us to build in handles to carry it with

Again, very nice design, thanks for sharing!

[HumblePie]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

Very nice, thanks for the additional clarity! Depending on robot design, you may find your frame naturally in the middle (ish) of the bumpers instead of along one edge. This year, our frame was in the bottom third of our bumpers, but we had a little weight to spare, and put some vertical frame members in the corner as well. This gave us some additional support AND allowed us to build in handles to carry it with

Again, very nice design, thanks for sharing!

I'd be curious to see your 'handle" arrangement. Care to share?

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by HumblePie

I'd be curious to see your 'handle" arrangement. Care to share?

I can't find any good pictures, unfortunately. In the back, we simply ran crossbars (1 inch square stock) over to the main frame of our elevator, several inches above the bumpers, and duct taped half a pool noodle on the bottom for cushion. In the front, we had a similar crossbar setup, but bolted a heavy duty handle to the top. This let use pick up the robot pretty easily form the side.