Omnidirectionally Moving Wheel, Moving Device, Carrying Device, and Massage Device

• US 20080018167A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shinichiro Fuji
• Original Assignee: Shinichiro Fuji
• Inventors: Fuji, Shinichiro
• Application Number:
  US11/793,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018167A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 301/5.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 15/0092 hand-held A61H15/0085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2015/0014 cylinder-like, i.e. rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2015/0028 disc-like, i.e. diameter substantially greater than width
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0165 Damping, vibration related features
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1454 Special bearing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1481 Special movement conversion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1673 Multidimensional rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/003 Multidirectional wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2200/43 Carts
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2310/204 by moulding, e.g. injection moulding, i.e. casting of plastics material
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2310/226 by cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2310/305 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2310/318 by adhesive bonding, e.g. glueing
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/10 Metallic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/32 Plastic compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/324 Comprising polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/50 Rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2380/14 Roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/511 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/84 : Wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2202/67 : Service trolleys, e.g. in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2301/254 : by using roller-shaped wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2301/33 : Wheels provided with protrusions, e.g. anti-slip protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/02 : providing for travelling up or down a flight of stairs chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00

Abstract

An omnidirectionally moving wheel includes multiple rotating bodies and a wheel, wherein each rotating body has a flexibility to be able to bend a rotational axis, is bent to encircle an outer circumference of the wheel in a ring-like shape, and is compressed in a direction of the rotational axis of each rotating body to be disposed on the wheel in a manner to allow rotation centered around each rotating body'"'"'s secured rotational axis extending along a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the wheel.

Claims

1. An omnidirectionally moving wheel comprising multiple rotating bodies and a wheel, wherein each rotating body has a flexibility to be able to bend a rotational axis, is bent to encircle an outer circumference of the wheel in a ring-like shape, and is compressed in a direction of the rotational axis of each rotating body to be disposed on the wheel in a manner to allow rotation centered around each rotating body'"'"'s secured rotational axis extending along a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the wheel.

2. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein each rotating body has resistance to radial bowing and has the flexible rotational axis.

3. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein each rotating body is made of a coil spring covered with an elastic body, and wherein the wheel comprises a rotating body support unit supporting each rotating body in a rotatable manner while securing a position of both ends of each rotating body.

4. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 3, wherein the rotating body is made of the coils spring covered with the elastic body in a cylindrical shape.

5. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein each rotating body is disposed such that an outer side surface thereof joins with an outer side surface of an adjacent rotating body.

6. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 3, comprising multiple core members, the omnidirectionally moving wheel wherein:

each rotating body is made of a cylindrical body;

each core member is inserted into an internal portion of each, rotating body; and

both ends of each rotating body are connected to the rotating body support unit.

7. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein the wheel includes multiple boards filling a gap between the two adjacent rotating bodies.

8. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 3, wherein:

the wheel is made of a wheel body and multiple rotating body support units;

each rotating body is made of a cylindrical body;

each rotating body support unit is secured radially on an outer circumference the wheel body and is disposed between each set of the two adjacent rotating bodies to support each rotating body to allow rotation at an internal end portion thereof.

9. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 3, wherein the rotating body is made of the coil spring covered with the elastic body in a cylindrical shape, and comprises furrows in an internal surface of the cylindrical shape along gaps of the coil spring.

10. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body comprises a surface of the cylindrical shape having, from an end portion to a central portion, a surface continuously bent convexly or a surface in which the central portion is continuously bent convexly and both ends are fattened to form a concave shape.

11. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein each rotating body comprises an anisotropic structure in strength having flexibility and resistance to bowing in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis.

12. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the structure included in the rotating body is made of a bellows that can expand and contract in a direction of the rotational axis.

13. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the structure included in the rotating body is a roughly cylindrical shape and comprises multiple grooves interspersed opposite to the cylindrical diameter, where each groove is disposed to cut radially from an outer circumferential surface of the structure and is disposed to allow space between the adjacent groove in a direction of the rotational axis.

14. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the structure included in the rotating body is made of a coil spring of a modified cross section wire material.

15. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein each rotating body is made by covering a wire material of the structure with an elastic body.

16. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the structure included in the rotating body is made of a spring formed in a shape of a coil spring by cutting work.

17. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the structure included in the rotating body comprises multiple coil springs having the same diameter and pitch disposed to match the central axis in a manner to allow other coil springs to be disposed in the space between the wires of the aforementioned coil springs.

18. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the structure included in the rotating body is made of a coil spring with a large diameter and a coil spring with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the coil spring with a large diameter, where the coil spring with the small diameter is disposed inside of the coil spring with the large diameter.

19. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the structure included in the rotating body includes multiple projections on the outer circumference to stop slipping.

20. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the structure included in the rotating body comprises a plastic coil spring and a plastic film attached in a cylindrical shape on an internal side of the coil spring to cover the gaps thereof.

21. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the structure included in the rotating body is made of a coil spring.

22. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 21, wherein the rotating body is made of the structure and an elastic body having resilience against a ground surface.

23. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 22, wherein the rotating body is made by covering an outer circumference of the structure with the elastic body in a roughly cylindrical shape.

24. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 22, wherein each rotating body is made by covering the structure with the elastic body in a roughly cylindrical shape.

25. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 23, wherein the rotating body includes furrows on an outer surface of the elastic body.

26. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 24, wherein the rotating body includes furrows on at least one of an outer surface or an inner surface of the elastic body.

27. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the rotating body includes a bumpy tread pattern formed on an outer surface of the elastic body.

28. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein:

the rotating body is formed by covering a flexible structure with an elastic body in a roughly cylindrical shape;

the rotating body includes furrows disposed along the gaps in an inner wall of the elastic body; and

the furrows are disposed circumferentially along an outer surface in a spiral pattern.

29. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body comprises a surface having, from an end portion to a central portion, a surface continuously bent convexly or a surface in which the central portion is continuously bent convexly and both ends are fattened to form a concave shape.

30. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body is made of an elastic body having furrows on at least either an outer side or an inner side.

31. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body is a structure made by joining multiple tire-shaped elastic bodies in a direction of the axis of rotation thereof, and, in such a case, an inner circumferential surface of the tire-shaped elastic body is formed to include circular cavities centered around a rotational axis of the tire-shaped elastic body.

32. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein each rotating body is made by joining multiple rings disposed in a parallel manner with space therebetween and covering the outer circumference of each ring with an elastic body in a cylindrical shape.

33. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein the wheel comprises a rotating body support unit for supporting each rotating body at both ends in a rotatable manner.

34. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 33, wherein a core member is inserted into an internal portion of each rotating body, and both ends of each rotating body are connected to the rotating body support unit.

35. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 34, wherein the core member is disposed in a prescribed location at both ends of each rotating body, and includes an intermediate support unit material to support each rotating body in a manner to allow rotation.

36. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 34, wherein the wheel comprises a wheel body with a small diameter located on a central axis and multiple spokes connecting the wheel body to the rotating body support unit.

37. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, including a sealing unit to fill openings at both ends of each rotating body unit.

38. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 11, wherein the rotating body includes a brake, which is mounted on the wheel in a manner to selectively secure or rotate each rotating body.

39. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body includes a brake, which is mounted on the wheel in a manner to selectively secure or rotate each rotating body.

40. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 38, wherein:

the brake comprises multiple brake shoes, a cam ring, and an operation unit;

each brake shoe includes a cam follower and is disposed on an outer circumference of the wheel in a manner allowing movement between a stopped position contacting each rotating body and a released position separated from each rotating body;

the cam ring is disposed on the wheel in a manner allowing rotation around a rotational axis of the wheel, is joined to each cam follower, and has a cam shape that can selectively move the brake shoe between the stopped and released positions according to a degree of rotation in relation to the wheel; and

the operation unit is disposed to be able to rotate the cam ring in relation to the wheel.

41. A moving device, including on a main body the omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1.

42. A carrying device for carrying goods, including on a main body the omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1.

43. A massage device, including on a main body the omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1.

44. A moving device comprising a main body, a pair of secured wheels, and at least one or more omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, the moving device wherein the secured wheels are mounted rotatably to the main body on a secured axial direction and the omnidirectionally moving wheel is rotatably mounted on the main body to support the main body along with the secured wheels.

45. The moving device according to claim 41, wherein a secured wheel and the omnidirectionally moving wheel are disposed at corners of a rectangular body.

46. The moving device according to claim 41, wherein two transfer belts are wrapped around a secured wheel and the omnidirectionally moving wheel to form two pairs thereof.