Omnidirectional vehicle

• US 4,237,990 A
• Filed: 01/02/1979
• Issued: 12/09/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hau T. La
• Original Assignee: Hau T. La
• Inventors: La, Hau T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pekar, John A.
• Application Number:
  US06/000,570
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 180/7 R, 180/7 A, 180/21, 180/6.5, 180/79, 180/210, 180/212, 180/213, 180/214, 301/5 P, 301/5 R
• US Class Current: 180/7.1
• 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 2360/50 Rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/16 Single-axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/40 Special vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/06 with only three wheels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A wheeled vehicle provided with three individually driven wheels rotatable on horizontal axes. The wheels are disposed at the corners of a triangle. The periphery of each wheel is defined by a plurality of rollers rotatable on respective axes which are each at an angle to the axis of the respective wheel. The axes of three rollers, one for each wheel, when each such roller is in its lowermost position, form a triangle. Each roller axis may be at right angles or perpendicular to, or at 45 degrees to, or at some other acute angle to the respective wheel axis, and the triangle may be an equilateral triangle in a typical embodiment of the invention.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, no two of the wheel axes are aligned or parallel to each other. In a typical construction, the wheels are at the corners of an equilateral triangle and the wheel axes intersect at the center of this triangle. The vehicle may be driven over a surface, or it may be inverted and an object with a surface engaged on the wheel rollers may be moved with respect to the stationary "vehicle". Controls for motors driving the wheels of the vehicle are provided to produce rectilinear movement, rotational movement or curvilinear movement of the vehicle over the surface.

Claims

1. A wheeled vehicle comprising a body, three wheels for supporting said body on a surface, each said wheel being attached to said body and rotatable about an axis fixed with respect to said body, each said wheel having a center point at which its said axis intersects the plane of the wheel, the centers of said wheels being disposed at the corners of a first finite triangle defining a first plane, each said wheel comprising a plurality of rollers disposed around its periphery for supportingly engaging said surface, said rollers having rotational axes oriented at a respective angle as measured counterclockwise from said respective wheel axis to said roller axis to the respective wheel axis for each said wheel as projected onto said first plane, said roller axes and said wheels being so oriented that, as taken for the roller of each wheel which is in lower dead center position in engagement with said surface, said roller axes define the sides of a second finite triangle defining a second plane, and means on said body connected to said wheels for driving each said wheel about its said axis.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said angle for each said wheel is between about 30 degrees and 90 degrees.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said angle for each said wheel is substantially 45 degrees.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said angle for each said wheel is substantially 90 degrees.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said angle for each said wheel is an acute angle measured in the same direction from the respective wheel axis.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said angles for two of said wheels are acute angles greater than about 30 degrees and substantially less than 90 degrees and are measured in opposite directions from the respective axes of said two wheels.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said acute angle for each of said two wheels is an angle of the same number of degrees.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said angle for the third of said wheels is substantially 90 degrees.

9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said vehicle is a wheel chair for carrying an invalid in a predetermined position on said body, wherein said two wheels are disposed on a common axis and on respectively opposite sides of said position, and wherein said third wheel is disposed rearwardly of said position on an axis perpendicular to said common axis.

10. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said wheel axes meet at a point.

11. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said second triangle is an equilateral triangle.

12. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said driving means comprises a respective individual separate drive means for each said wheel, and wherein a respective control means is provided for each such separate drive means for controlling the rate and direction of rotation of its respective said drive means.

13. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a respective motor connected to each said wheel and wherein a respective speed control element is connected to each said motor to control the rate and direction of rotation thereof.

14. The combination according to claim 13 wherein a manual control member is connected to said speed control elements, wherein said elements are elongated and have axes forming a control triangle having the same corner angles as the corner angles of said second finite triangle, and wherein said control member comprises three unitarily movable arms respectively operatively coupled to said speed control elements.

15. The combination according to claim 14 wherein said triangles are equilateral triangles.

16. The combination according to claim 13 wherein each said speed control element comprises a respective potentiometer including a linear resistance element and a sliding contact in engagement therewith, wherein the resistance elements of said potentiometers are disposed along the sides of a triangle equiangular with respect to said second finite triangle, and wherein manual control means are coupled to said potentiometers for causing relative sliding movement between said sliding contacts and said resistance elements.

17. The combination according to claim 16 wherein said potentiometers and said control means are mounted on said body.

18. The combination according to claim 17 wherein said vehicle is a passenger carrying vehicle.

19. The combination according to claim 16 wherein said vehicle is a toy vehicle, wherein said speed control elements are disposed remote from said body, and wherein electrical conductive means connect said speed control elements to said driving means.

20. The combination according to claim 1 wherein control means are provided for said driving means for controlling the rate and direction of rotation of said driving means, said control means including an element having a centered position and being manually movable in lateral directions from such centered position, means controllably connected to said element for generating three signals respectively representing displacement of said element in three directions radiating from said centered position, wherein said driving means comprise a respective motor carried by said body drivingly connected to each said wheel, and means for applying each such signal to a respective said motor.

21. The combination according to claim 20 wherein said element is manually rotatable from a centered rotational position and wherein said signal generating means are responsive to rotational displacement of said element to add a signal component proportional to the rotative displacement of said element from such centered rotational position to each of said three signals.

22. The combination according to claim 20 wherein said means for generating comprises electrical means connected to said element for generating two voltages responsive to respectively perpendicular coordinates of the position of said element with respect to its said centered position and electronic means for converting said two voltages into said three signals.

23. The combination according to claim 22 wherein said element has freedom of movement in a third direction from a predetermined second centered position, means are provided for generating a third voltage responsive to displacement of said element in said third direction from said second centered position, and wherein said electronic means comprises means for adding a function of said third voltage to said three signals.

24. The combination according to claim 23 wherein said third direction is a direction of rotation of said element.

25. The combination according to claim 22 wherein said electrical means comprises two potentiometers comprising respective resistance elements oriented in the directions of said coordinates and a respective sliding contact engaged with each said resistance element, and means coupling said first element to said potentiometers for causing relative movement between said sliding contacts and said resistance elements.

26. The combination according to claim 25 and a third potentiometer comprising an arcuate resistance element and a sliding contact engaged therewith, means coupling said third potentiometer to said first element for causing relative movement between said sliding contact and resistance element thereof in response to rotational movements of said first element to generate a third voltage, said electronic means being connected to said sliding contact of said third potentiometer and comprising means for adding a function of said third voltage to each of said three signals.

27. The combination according to claim 20 wherein said element is manually rotatable, wherein means coupled to said element are provided for generating a fourth signal proportional to rotative displacement of said element from a predetermined position thereof and wherein means are provided for adding said fourth signal to each of said three signals.

28. The combination according to claim 1 wherein two of said wheels axes are at an oblique angle to each other.

29. The combination according to claim 28 wherein two of said wheels are spaced apart on the same axis and wherein the rollers on said two wheels have axes at the same acute angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees but measured in opposite directions from the axes of their respective said wheels.

30. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said driving means comprises a respective variable speed motor for driving each said wheel, wherein a manual control member is provided for manual movement along x and y axes from a centered position, means for generating two signals representing the x and y coordinates of the position of said member with respect to its said centered position, electronic means for generating three triangularly related vectoral signals from said two signals, and means for applying a respective one of said vectoral signals to each of said three motors.

31. The combination according to claim 30 wherein said manual control member is movable on a z axis, from a centered position on said z axis, wherein means are provided for generating a third signal representing the z coordinate of the position of said member from said centered position on said z axis, and means for supplying said third signal to said electronic means for addition to said vectoral signals.

32. The combination according to claim 31 wherein said control member is laterally movable with respect to said x and y axes and is rotationally moveable with respect to said z axis.

33. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a passenger carrying vehicle.

34. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a toy vehicle and wherein a manually operated electrical remote control assembly is provided connected by electrical transmitting means to said vehicle.

35. The combination according to claim 34 wherein said transmitting means comprise electrical conductors.

36. A vehicle comprising a body mounted on three spaced wheels disposed in a finite triangular relationship rotatable on axes defining a first plane and fixed to said body, one of said wheels having an axis of rotation at an angle to the axis of each of the other wheels, each wheel being provided with a plurality of supporting surface engaging rollers disposed around its periphery and connected thereto on respective roller axes, the axes of the rollers of said three wheels taken for a roller of each which is in engagement with said surface intersecting to form another finite triangle in a second plane, said axes of said wheels intersecting at a point located in the space between said wheels, said point when projected onto said second plane being within said other finite triangle.

37. The combination according to claim 36 wherein means are provided for driving said wheels, wherein manual control means are provided for said driving means comprising a unitary laterally movable assembly, three signal generating means coupled to said assembly for generating signals responsive to position of said assembly, said generating means being connected to control said driving means.

38. The combination according to claim 37 wherein said assembly is rotatable and said signal generating means are further responsive to the rotative position of said assembly.

39. The combination according to claim 37 wherein linkage means is connected to said assembly to restrict rotation thereof, wherein a manually rotatable control element is provided connected to an additional respective signal generating means for generating a rotational component signal, and means controllingly connecting said additional signal generating means to driving means.

40. An amusement bumper car for at least two persons comprising a body supported on three wheels rotatable on three angularly spaces axes defining a first plane, each wheel carrying a plurality of rollers peripherally therearound for supporting said wheels on a surface, said rollers having axes defining a second plane which are angularly spaced when projected from said second plane onto said first plane from the axis of the respective wheel, a respective drive motor for each said wheel mounted on said body, a manual control for one said motor adapted to be operated by one such person, and manual control means for the other two motors including a second manual control adapted to be operated by another such person.

41. The bumper car according to claim 40 wherein said manual control means comprises a respective manual control for each of said other two motors each adapted to be operated by a respective such other person.