OMNI-DIRECTIONAL TERRAIN CROSSING MECHANISM

• US 20140238755A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Taiwan University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: National Taiwan University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Chou, Jui-Jen, Yang, Li-Shing, Yang, Cheng-Tse
• Granted Patent: US 9,045,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/00 Amphibious vehicles, i.e. vehicles capable of travelling both on land and on water; Land vehicles capable of travelling under water buoyant wheels B60B ; equipment forming part of, or attachable to vessels, facilitating transport over land B63C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/0007 Arrangement of propulsion or steering means on amphibious vehicles marine propulsion or steering B63H
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/022 consisting of members having both rotational and walking movements
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2035/006 Unmanned surface vessels, e.g. remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 5/02 of paddle wheels, e.g. of stern wheels

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism, including a transformable mechanism with a plurality of claw wheels, in order to be capable of fast moving on the flat ground or in uneven terrain environments. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism includes a first body and a second body. Each of the first body and the second body includes at least one pair of claw wheels. Moreover, the omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism is capable of transforming one pair of first claw wheels of the first body and one pair of second claw wheels of the second body into a pair of complete wheels. Consequently, as compared with the existing mobile machines, the omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism in the present disclosure is capable of moving in various challenging terrain environments.

Claims

1. An omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism, comprising:

a first body having at least one pair of first claw wheels and a plurality of support members; and

a second body coupled to the first body via a folding motor, and having at least one pair of second claw wheels, wherein the first claw wheels of the first body and the second claw wheels of the second body are transformed into a pair of complete wheels by the folding motors.

2. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wheel space between two of the plurality of support members for accommodating one of the first claw wheels and one of the second claw wheels when transforming the first claw wheels and the second claw wheels into the pair of complete wheels.

3. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one auxiliary wheel installed between the first body and the second body.

4. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the first claw wheels comprises a first strengthen axle and a first claw, and one of the second claw wheels comprises a second strengthen axle and a second claw.

5. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the one of the first claw wheels and the one of the second claw wheels are formed as an S-shaped claw wheel or an I-shaped claw wheel, and the one of the first claw wheels or the one of the second claw wheels is rotated by 90°

.

6. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a floating member installed in at least one of the first body and the second body.

7. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a telescopic member installed in at least one of the first body and the second body.

8. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of driving motors driving the at least one pair of first claw wheels and the at least one pair of second claw wheels.

9. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a microprocessor electrically connected to the folding motor and the plurality of driving motors.

10. The omni-directional terrain crossing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an alignment member aligning one of the first claw wheels and one of the second claw wheels to form a complete wheel.