WHEEL, AND FRICTION DRIVE DEVICE AND OMNI-DIRECTIONAL VEHICLE USING THE SAME

• US 20110233989A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Masao, Koyama, Taiji, Kobashi, Shinichiro, Gomi, Hiroshi, Takenaka, Toru, Hirano, Makoto, Izumi, Hideharu, Kuwabara, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,827,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 301/5.23
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/003 Multidirectional wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/125 with helical projections on radial outer surface translating rotation of wheel into movement along the direction of the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2200/47 Physical activity equipment, e.g. leisure or sports articles
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/10 Metallic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/1434 of polygonal cross section, e.g. triangular or rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/1444 of rectangular cross section
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/32 Plastic compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/348 Resins
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/131 Vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/133 Noise
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/211 Soiling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/40 Special vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 1/00 Unicycles
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/40 Rider propelled cycles with auxiliary electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/70 power-driven at single endless flexible member, e.g. chain, between cycle crankshaft and wheel axle, the motor engaging the endless flexible member

Abstract

In a wheel for use in an omni-directional vehicle, gravel and other foreign matters are prevented from being trapped between free rollers forming the wheel, and traveling vibrations and noises are minimized at the same time. The wheel includes an annular member and a plurality of free rollers each rotatably supported by the annular member around a corresponding tangential line of the annular member, and a gap member is placed between each adjacent pair of the free rollers to fill a gap defined between the free rollers.

Claims

1. A wheel including an annular member and a plurality of free rollers each rotatably supported by the annular member around a corresponding tangential line of the annular member, characterized by that:

a gap member is placed between an adjacent pair of the free rollers to fill a gap defined between the free rollers.

2. The wheel according to claim 1, wherein the gap member is given with a wedge shape tapering toward a central axial line of the wheel, and is configured to be moveable in a same direction as a rotational movement of the free rollers at least in a part of the gap member facing a road surface.

3. The wheel according to claim 1, wherein the gap member is given with a wedge shape complementary to the gap defined between the free rollers, and secured to the annular member in a rotational fast manner.

4. The wheel according to claim 1, wherein the gap member includes a plurality of vane members extending radially from the annular member.

5. The wheel according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of flanged inner sleeves are fitted on the annular member in a rotationally fast manner so that a radial flange provided on each flange is interposed between an adjacent pair of free rollers, each gap member being mounted on the corresponding radial flange.

6. A friction drive device, comprising:

a wheel as defined in claim 1;

a pair of rotatable members rotatably supported on either side of the wheel around a central axial line of the annular member; and

a plurality of drive rollers arranged on each rotatable member along a circle concentric to a rotational center of the rotatable member such that each drive roller is rotatable around a rotational center line in a skewed relationship to the rotational center line of the rotatable member, and engages an outer circumferential surface of the corresponding free roller.

7. A friction drive device, comprising:

a wheel as defined in claim 1;

a wheel supporting rotatable member rotatably supported on one side of the wheel around a central axial line of the annular member and supporting the annular member of the wheel;

a rotatable member rotatably supported on another side of the wheel around the central axial line of the annular member; and

a plurality of drive rollers arranged on each rotatable member along a circle concentric to a rotational center of the rotatable member such that each drive roller is rotatable around a rotational center line in a skewed relationship to the rotational center line of the rotatable member, and engages an outer circumferential surface of the corresponding free roller.

8. An omni-directional vehicle including the friction drive device according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle is configured to travel by the wheel.