Wheeled platforms
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wheeled platform 100 is disclosed, which is characterized by high mobility and reliability, and which can be used in a wide range of applications including transport and robotic devices. The wheeled platform 100 has fore and aft body portions 130, 132, each body portion 130, 132 having first and second sides 106, 108. Overlapping wheels 112, 114, 116, 118 are rotatably attached to the first side 106 and overlapping wheels 120, 122, 124, 126 are rotatably attached to the second side 108. The fore body portion 130 can be connected to the aft body portion 132 via an articulation element 133.
89 Citations
73 Claims
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1-56. -56. (canceled)
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57. A wheeled structure comprising:
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a body having at least first and second side portions; a first end wheel, an intermediate wheel, and a second end wheel rotatably attached to the first and second side portions, respectively, the intermediate wheel having a wider track than the first end wheel and the second end wheel; a tail element pivotally coupled to a portion of the body, the tail element being pivotally coupled to a portion of the body via an articulation element; and a drive module coupled to the tail element to control the movement of the tail element between a first, stowed position and a second position where said tail element can make selective contact with a level ground plane, wherein the first end, intermediate, and second end wheels are arrayed with a selected degree of rocker of the wheels coupled to the body, to enable the wheeled structure to turn-in-place, wherein the intermediate wheel is configured to contact the level ground plane, and the first and second end wheels are configured to selectively contact or be adjacent to the level ground plane, and wherein the tail element is configured to contact a first step of a stairway and lift the first end wheel to attain the first step. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A wheeled structure comprising:
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a body having at least first and second side portions and having a profile in a center plane, the profile comprising a top-of-body profile; first and second sets of wheels rotatably attached to the first and second side portions, respectively; an element pivotally coupled to a portion of the body, the element being pivotally coupled to the body by a pivot and substantially conforming to and substantially within the top-of-body profile when in a stowed position; and a drive module coupled to the element to control the movement of the element between a first, stowed position and a second position where said element can make selective contact with a ground plane, wherein the drive module is operable to control, in a continuously variable manner, the angle and position of the element relative to the body, so that the element can assist in enabling the wheeled structure to traverse steep or difficult terrain; wherein the first and second sets of wheels each comprise at least front and rear wheels; and wherein the element, when in the stowed position, is disposed substantially entirely within a wheeled structure profile defined by a plane substantially tangent to a topmost point of the front and rear wheels and within a perimeter defined by the front and rear wheels. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71)
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72. A wheeled structure comprising:
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a body having at least first and second side portions and having a profile in a center plane; first and second sets of wheels rotatably attached to the first and second side portions, respectively; a tail element pivotally coupled to a portion of the body, the tail element being pivotally coupled to the body via an articulation element and substantially conforming to the body profile when in a stowed position; and a drive module coupled to the tail element to control the movement of the tail element between a first, stowed position and a second position where said tail element can make selective contact with a ground plane, wherein the drive module controls the angle and position of the tail element relative to the body; wherein there is no overlap between adjacent wheels of the first and second sets of wheels; wherein the wheels of the first and second sets of wheels, respectively, are aligned in a row; wherein each of the first and second sets of wheels is comprised of at least a first end wheel, an intermediate wheel, and a second end wheel, and wherein the intermediate wheel is configured to contact the ground plane, and the first and second end wheels are configured to selectively contact or be adjacent to the ground plane; and wherein the intermediate wheel has a wider track than the first end wheel and the second end wheel; and wherein the tail element is configured to contact a first step of a stairway and lift a forward-most wheel of either of the first or second sets of wheels to attain the first step.
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73. A wheeled structure comprising:
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a body having at least first and second side portions; a first end wheel, an intermediate wheel, and a second end wheel rotatably attached to the first and second side portions, respectively, the intermediate wheel having a wider track than the first end wheel and the second end wheel; wherein each first end wheel, intermediate wheel, and second end wheel is arrayed with a selected degree of rocker of the wheels coupled to the body, wherein the intermediate wheel is always in contact with the level ground plane, and the first and second end wheels are selectively in contact with or adjacent to the level ground plane to enable the wheeled structure to turn-in-place, enhance stability, and to reduce friction losses on smooth terrain; a tail element pivotally coupled to a portion of the body, the tail element being pivotally coupled to the body via an articulation element and substantially conforming to a body profile when in a stowed position; and a drive module coupled to the tail element to control the movement of the tail element between a first, stowed position and a second position where said tail element can make selective contact with a ground plane, wherein the drive module controls an angle and a position of the tail element relative to the body; wherein the tail element is configured to contact a first step of a stairway and lift the first end wheel to attain the first step.
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Specification