Passive transformable wheel and robot having the wheel

• US 9,073,587 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seoul National University R&DB Foundation (Seoul National University)
• Original Assignee: Seoul National University R&DB Foundation (Seoul National University)
• Inventors: Kim, Yoo Seok, Chu, Chong Nam, Jung, Gwang Pil, Cho, Kyu Jin, Kim, Haan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): STABLEY, MICHAEL R
• Application Number:
  US14/173,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20140158439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 180/218, 180/8.2, 180/8.3, 180/7.1, 280/5.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/02 convertible, e.g. from road wheel to rail wheel; Wheels specially designed for alternative use on road and rail
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 25/02 Segmented rims, e.g. with segments arranged in sections; Connecting equipment, e.g. hinges; Insertable flange rings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/351 versatility, e.g. usable for different purposes or different arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/028 having wheels and mechanical legs B62D57/024 takes precedence; ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle, wholly or in part B60S9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A passively transformable wheel includes a wheel base including a centrally positioned transmitter rotation shaft and one or more passive leg rotation shafts positioned in the outer periphery; a force transmitter rotatably coupled to an end of the transmitter rotation shaft, the force transmitter including a trigger slide and one or more passive leg joints spaced apart from one another; a trigger leg arranged between the wheel base and the force transmitter and rotatably coupled to the trigger leg rotation shaft, the trigger leg including a trigger joint fitted to the trigger slide; and

• • one or more passive legs arranged between the wheel base and the force transmitter so as not to interfere with the trigger leg and rotatably coupled to the passive leg rotation shafts, the passive legs including one or more passive leg slides engaging with the passive leg joints of the force transmitter.

Claims

1. A passive transformable wheel, comprising:

a wheel base including a centrally positioned transmitter rotation shaft, a trigger leg rotation shaft positioned in an outer periphery of the wheel base and one or more passive leg rotation shafts positioned in the outer periphery of the wheel base;

a force transmitter rotatably coupled to an end of the transmitter rotation shaft, the force transmitter including a trigger slide and one or more passive leg joints spaced apart from one another;

a trigger leg arranged between the wheel base and the force transmitter and rotatably coupled to the trigger leg rotation shaft, the trigger leg including a trigger joint fitted to the trigger slide; and

one or more passive legs arranged between the wheel base and the force transmitter so as not to interfere with the trigger leg and rotatably coupled to the passive leg rotation shafts, the passive legs including one or more passive leg slides engaging with the passive leg joints of the force transmitter,

wherein, when the trigger leg is unfolded by the frictional contact with a road surface, the trigger joint is configured to rotate the force transmitter through the trigger slide of the force transmitter, and upon rotation of the force transmitter, the passive leg joints of the force transmitter are configured to rotate and unfold the passive legs through the passive leg slides of the passive legs.

2. The wheel of claim 1, wherein each of the trigger leg and the passive legs further includes a grip portion coupled to an inner surface and an outer surface thereof.

3. The wheel of claim 1, wherein the passive legs include:

a first passive leg arranged between the wheel base and the force transmitter so as not to interfere with the trigger leg and rotatably coupled to a first passive leg rotation shaft of the wheel base, the first passive leg provided with a first passive leg slide engaging with a first passive leg joint of the force transmitter; and

a second passive leg arranged between the first passive leg and the trigger leg and rotatably coupled to a second passive leg rotation shaft, the second passive leg provided with a second passive leg slide engaging with a second passive leg joint of the force transmitter.

4. The wheel of claim 1, wherein a resilient member for returning the trigger leg and the passive legs unfolded into a legged-wheel shape to an original round shape is coupled to at least one of the trigger leg rotation shaft and the passive leg rotation shafts.

5. The wheel of claim 1, wherein the trigger leg includes:

a link portion linearly extending toward the trigger slide such that the trigger joint is inserted into the trigger slide;

a bent portion unitarily formed with the link portion and coupled to the trigger leg rotation shaft of the wheel base; and

a support portion extending from the bent portion along a contour line of the passively transformable wheel, the trigger joint protruding from a side surface of the link portion of the trigger leg.

6. The wheel of claim 1, wherein each of the passive legs includes:

a link portion linearly extending toward a base portion of each of the passive leg joints such that each of the passive leg slides of the passive legs engages with each of the passive leg joints of the force transmitter;

a bent portion unitarily formed with the link portion and coupled to each of the passive leg rotation shafts of the wheel base; and

a support portion extending from the bent portion along a contour line of the passively transformable wheel, each of the passive leg slides formed into a groove or hole shape on a side surface of the link portion of each of the passive legs.

7. The wheel of claim 1, wherein the trigger leg and the passive legs include flat portions respectively formed at a distal end of the trigger leg, on an outer surface of a support portion of the trigger leg and on an outer surface of a support portion of each of the passive legs.

8. A robot having the passive transformable wheel of claim 1, the robot comprising:

a body unit in which a circuit unit for controlling the robot is installed;

a frame unit positioned in front of the body unit and provided with a motor unit for driving the passively transformable wheel; and

a connecting unit for interconnecting the body unit and the frame unit.

9. The robot of claim 8, further comprising:

a shock absorbing unit for absorbing a shock transmitted from the passively transformable wheel toward the body unit.

10. The robot of claim 9, wherein the shock absorbing unit includes:

a shock absorbing shaft coupled to a support plate of the frame unit; and

a shock absorbing member coupled to the shock absorbing shaft so as to resiliently support a wing portion of a motor mount vertically movable along the shock absorbing shaft.

11. The robot of claim 8, wherein the connecting unit includes:

a hinge bracket installed in a support plate of the frame unit;

a hinge projection installed in a plate of the body unit;

a connecting shaft for rotatably interconnecting the hinge bracket and the hinge projection; and

a stopper for supporting the plate of the body unit so that the support plate and the plate can make rotation within a limited angular extent.

12. A passive transformable wheel, comprising:

a wheel base including a centrally positioned transmitter rotation shaft, a trigger leg rotation shaft positioned in an outer periphery of the wheel base and one or more passive leg rotation shafts positioned in the outer periphery of the wheel base;

a force transmitter rotatably coupled to an end of the transmitter rotation shaft, the force transmitter including a trigger slide and one or more passive leg joints spaced apart from one another;

a trigger leg arranged between the wheel base and the force transmitter and rotatably coupled to the trigger leg rotation shaft, the trigger leg including a trigger joint fitted to the trigger slide; and

one or more passive legs arranged between the wheel base and the force transmitter so as not to interfere with the trigger leg and rotatably coupled to the passive leg rotation shafts, the passive legs including one or more passive leg slides engaging with the passive leg joints of the force transmitter,

wherein each of the trigger slide and the passive leg slides includes a first side portion formed of one half portion of an arc corresponding to a moving path of the trigger joint or a moving path of each of the passive leg joints of the force transmitter; and

a second side portion formed of the other half portion of the arc.

13. The wheel of claim 12, wherein the first side portion and the second side portion of each of the trigger slide and the passive leg slides has a curvature identical with a curvature of the arc corresponding to the moving path of the trigger joint or the moving path of each of the passive leg joints of the force transmitter.

14. A passive transformable wheel, comprising:

a plurality of joints and a plurality of slides asymmetrically installed in a trigger leg, a plurality of passive legs and a force transmitter,

wherein one of the joints is provided in the trigger leg, the remaining joints provided in the force transmitter, one of the slides provided in the force transmitter, and the remaining slides respectively provided in the passive legs,

and wherein, when the trigger leg is unfolded by the frictional contact with a road surface, one of the trigger joints is configured to rotate the force transmitter through the slide of the force transmitter, and upon rotation of the force transmitter, the remaining joints of the force transmitter are configured to rotate and unfold the passive legs through the slides of the passive legs.

15. The wheel of claim 14, wherein a resilient member for returning the trigger leg and the passive legs unfolded into a legged-wheel shape to an original round shape is coupled to at least one of a trigger leg rotation shaft to which the trigger leg is coupled and passive leg rotation shafts to which the passive legs are coupled.

16. A robot having the passive transformable wheel of claim 14, the robot comprising:

a body unit in which a circuit unit for controlling the robot is installed;

a frame unit positioned in front of the body unit and provided with a motor unit for driving the passively transformable wheel; and

a connecting unit for interconnecting the body unit and the frame unit.

17. The robot of claim 16, further comprising:

a shock absorbing unit for absorbing a shock transmitted from the passively transformable wheel toward the body unit.

18. The robot of claim 17, wherein the shock absorbing unit includes:

a shock absorbing shaft coupled to a support plate of the frame unit; and

a shock absorbing member coupled to the shock absorbing shaft so as to resiliently support a wing portion of a motor mount vertically movable along the shock absorbing shaft.

19. The robot of claim 16, wherein the connecting unit includes:

a hinge bracket installed in a support plate of the frame unit;

a hinge projection installed in a plate of the body unit;

a connecting shaft for rotatably interconnecting the hinge bracket and the hinge projection; and

a stopper for supporting the plate of the body unit so that the support plate and the plate can make rotation within a limited angular extent.