TERRAIN TRAVERSING DEVICE HAVING A WHEEL WITH MICROHOOKS
First Claim
1. A terrain traversing device, comprises:
- a housing;
at least one microspine wheel assembly comprising a circular planar rotor with one or more microspine hooks arranged on a circumferential edge of said circular planar rotor, each microspine hook mounted on a respective independently flexible suspension that accommodates variable engagement angles between said microspine hook and irregularities on a terrain surface as the at least one microspine wheel assembly rotates in one direction to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain surface;
at least one axle, wherein the at least one microspine wheel assembly are each mounted on a respective axle whereby the circular planar rotor of each microspine wheel assembly is rotatable in one direction, with the respective axle, to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain surface; and
at least one motor housed in the housing and coupled to the at least one axle, the at least one motor configured to rotate the at least one microspine wheel assembly in one direction to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A terrain traversing device is described. The device includes an annular rotor element with a plurality of co-planar microspine hooks arranged on the periphery of the annular rotor element. Each microspine hook has an independently flexible suspension configuration that permits the microspine hook to initially engage an irregularity in a terrain surface at a preset initial engagement angle and subsequently engage the irregularity with a continuously varying engagement angle when the annular rotor element is rotated for urging the terrain traversing device to traverse a terrain surface. Improvements related to the design, fabrication and use of the microspine hooks in the device are also described.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A terrain traversing device, comprises:
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a housing; at least one microspine wheel assembly comprising a circular planar rotor with one or more microspine hooks arranged on a circumferential edge of said circular planar rotor, each microspine hook mounted on a respective independently flexible suspension that accommodates variable engagement angles between said microspine hook and irregularities on a terrain surface as the at least one microspine wheel assembly rotates in one direction to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain surface; at least one axle, wherein the at least one microspine wheel assembly are each mounted on a respective axle whereby the circular planar rotor of each microspine wheel assembly is rotatable in one direction, with the respective axle, to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain surface; and at least one motor housed in the housing and coupled to the at least one axle, the at least one motor configured to rotate the at least one microspine wheel assembly in one direction to urge the terrain traversing device to traverse the terrain surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification