Vehicle having a high clearing capability

• US 10,071,609 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Original Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Inventors: Estier, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Knutson, Jacob D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arce, Marlon A
• Application Number:
  US15/124,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20170015168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/045 between wheels on different axles on the same side of the vehicle, i.e. the left or the right side
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/422 Driving wheels or live axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/44 steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/22 Rotary Damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/23 Friction Damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/419 Gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/8302 Mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/07 Off-road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 5/02 mounted on a single pivoted arm , e.g. the arm being rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 5/06 the arms turning on a common pivot , e.g. being rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/04 with two other wheels which are coaxial
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/1509 with different steering modes, e.g. crab-steering, or steering specially adapted for reversing of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle which includes at least four wheels and a base. Said wheels are attached in pairs at the base via connections and form a bogie consisting of a pair of wheels. Said bogies are rotatably hinged onto the base such that the pivot point of the path of the wheels is not physically present and said pivot point is located under the rotational axis of the wheels when the bogie is horizontal. The rotation of a bogie is transmitted by a transmission means to the other bogie such that the slant of each bogie in relation to the base forms an angle of identical but opposite value.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a great clearance capacity, comprising:

four wheels; and

a base,

wherein the wheels are fixed in pairs to the base by bars and form a bogie per pair of wheels,

wherein the bogies are being articulated in terms of rotation to the base so that a pivot location of a trajectory of the wheels when articulated is located under a first rotation axis of the wheels of the bogie when the bogie is horizontal, and

wherein the rotation of one bogie is transmitted by a transmission device to the other bogie in such a manner that an inclination angle of one of the bogies with respect to the base is imparted to the other of the bogies with an identical value but opposite direction.

2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission device includes a differential.

3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission device includes a shock absorber.

4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission device includes a preload device.

5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the preload device includes an adjustable spring.

6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein each wheel is driven individually.

7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the wheels is configured to rotate about a second rotation axis which is perpendicular to the first rotation axis thereof.

8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein rotational axes of the wheels of a bogie are configured to be aligned in a same plane that is parallel to a horizontal extension of the base.

9. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein rotational axes of the wheels of a bogie are configured to be aligned in two different and parallel planes that are parallel to a horizontal extension of the base.

10. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein a wheel of a bogie is in a same plane as a wheel of the other bogie.

11. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the two bogies are aligned relative to each other or are offset relative to each other.

12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the wheels of the bogie is replaced by a pair of wheels.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a controller for remote controlling the vehicle.