Deformable wheel assembly
First Claim
1. A locomotion assembly of a vehicle, the locomotion assembly comprising:
- at least one surface-engaging member associated with a pneumatic actuating arrangement forcing the surface-engaging member to convert between a round configuration of a wheel, in which a side elevation thereof is substantially circular, and a deformed configuration, in which the side elevation is non-circular and in which a larger portion of the surface-engaging member is essentially parallel to a movement surface and in contact with the movement surface, anda frustum-conical structure comprising at least one pair of frustum-conical members, each having a frustum-conical annular surface extending between its relatively narrow and wide ends along a frustum-conical axis, said frustum-conical structure being configured as a support structure for said at least one surface-engaging member while being either coupled to or integral with said at least one surface-engaging member, said frustum-conical structure being reversibly deformable from a biased rounded shape into a deformed frustum-conical shape, in tandem with the conversion of the at least one surface-engaging member from the round configuration to the deformed configuration thereof,each of the frustum-conical members is configured with flexibility and rigidity such that the frustum-conical member is non-extendible in a circumferential dimension and is reversibly deformable from the biased rounded shape corresponding to a frustum-conical shape in which a side elevation of the frustum-conical member is circular into the deformed frustum-conical shape in which the side elevation of the frustum-conical member is non-circular,the frustum-conical members of the pair are arranged in a substantially symmetric manner and are rotatable about a common axis coinciding with frustum-conical axes thereof, each of the frustum-conical members of the pair by the relatively wide end thereof being linked to said at least one surface-engaging member and at least one of the frustum-conical members of the pair by the second relatively narrow end being rotationally fixed to an axle of the vehicle to permit rotation about said common axis.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A locomotion assembly is provided, suitable to be used in a vehicle. The locomotion assembly comprises a frustum-conical structure comprising at least one flexible member having a frustum-conical surface extending between its relatively narrow and wide ends along a frustum-conical axis, the frustum-conical member being reversibly deformable from its biased rounded shape corresponding to a frustum-conical shape in which its side elevation is circular into a deformed frustum-conical shape in which its side elevation is non-circular. The frustum-conical structure may serve for supporting at least one surface-engaging member convertible between a round wheel-like configuration, in which its side elevation is substantially circular, and a deformed configuration, in which its side elevation is non-circular and in which a larger portion of the surface-engaging member is in contact with a movement surface.
27 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A locomotion assembly of a vehicle, the locomotion assembly comprising:
-
at least one surface-engaging member associated with a pneumatic actuating arrangement forcing the surface-engaging member to convert between a round configuration of a wheel, in which a side elevation thereof is substantially circular, and a deformed configuration, in which the side elevation is non-circular and in which a larger portion of the surface-engaging member is essentially parallel to a movement surface and in contact with the movement surface, and a frustum-conical structure comprising at least one pair of frustum-conical members, each having a frustum-conical annular surface extending between its relatively narrow and wide ends along a frustum-conical axis, said frustum-conical structure being configured as a support structure for said at least one surface-engaging member while being either coupled to or integral with said at least one surface-engaging member, said frustum-conical structure being reversibly deformable from a biased rounded shape into a deformed frustum-conical shape, in tandem with the conversion of the at least one surface-engaging member from the round configuration to the deformed configuration thereof, each of the frustum-conical members is configured with flexibility and rigidity such that the frustum-conical member is non-extendible in a circumferential dimension and is reversibly deformable from the biased rounded shape corresponding to a frustum-conical shape in which a side elevation of the frustum-conical member is circular into the deformed frustum-conical shape in which the side elevation of the frustum-conical member is non-circular, the frustum-conical members of the pair are arranged in a substantially symmetric manner and are rotatable about a common axis coinciding with frustum-conical axes thereof, each of the frustum-conical members of the pair by the relatively wide end thereof being linked to said at least one surface-engaging member and at least one of the frustum-conical members of the pair by the second relatively narrow end being rotationally fixed to an axle of the vehicle to permit rotation about said common axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A locomotion assembly of a vehicle, the locomotion assembly comprising:
-
at least one surface-engaging member associated with a pneumatic actuating arrangement forcing the surface-engaging member to convert between a round configuration of a wheel, in which a side elevation thereof is substantially circular, and a deformed configuration, in which the side elevation is non-circular and in which a larger portion of the surface-engaging member is essentially parallel to a movement surface and in contact with the movement surface, the surface-engaging member having a surface-engaging surface with a first rim and a second rim corresponding to a first side and a second side of the locomotion assembly, and a frustum-conical structure coupled to the at least one surface-engaging member for supporting the at least one surface-engaging member and reversibly deformable from a biased rounded shape into a deformed frustum-conical shape, in tandem with the conversion of the at least one surface-engaging member from the round configuration to the deformed configuration thereof, the frustum-conical structure comprising at least one pair of frustum-conical members, each of the frustum-conical members configured with flexibility and rigidity such that the frustum-conical member is non-extendible in a circumferential dimension and is reversibly deformable from the biased rounded shape corresponding to a frustum-conical shape in which a side elevation of the frustum-conical member is circular into the deformed frustum-conical shape in which the side elevation of the frustum-conical member is non-circular, the frustum-conical members of the pair being arranged in a substantially symmetric manner and being rotatable about a common axis coinciding with frustum-conical axes thereof, each of the frustum-conical members of the pair having a first relatively wide end and a second relatively narrow end, the frustum-conical members of the pair being linked by their relatively wide ends to the first and second rims of the surface-engaging surface, and being by their relatively narrow ends rotationally fixed to an axle of the vehicle to permit rotation about said common axis, said frustum-conical structure formed by the at least one pair of the frustum-conical members defining a circular, substantially V-shaped groove formed one at each side of the locomotion assembly, said groove having a first, more peripheral wall constituting a first portion of one frustum-conical member and a second, more central wall constituting a second portion of the other frustum-conical member.
-
-
27. A locomotion assembly of a vehicle, the locomotion assembly comprising:
-
at least one surface-engaging member associated with a pneumatic actuating arrangement forcing the surface-engaging member to convert between a round configuration of a wheel, in which a side elevation thereof is substantially circular, and a deformed configuration, in which the side elevation is non-circular and in which a larger portion of the surface-engaging member is essentially parallel to a movement surface and in contact with the movement surface, and a frustum-conical structure comprising at least one pair of oppositely oriented frustum-conical members, each having a frustum-conical annular surface extending between its relatively narrow and wide ends along a frustum-conical axis, the frustum-conical annular surfaces being oppositely oriented with respect to one another, said frustum-conical structure being configured as a support structure for said at least one surface-engaging member while being integral with said at least one surface-engaging member, said frustum-conical structure being reversibly deformable from a biased rounded shape into a deformed frustum-conical shape, in tandem with the conversion of the at least one surface-engaging member from the round configuration to the deformed configuration thereof, a rigid hub integrally connected to the frustum-conical structure and configured to be directly rotationally fixed to an axle of the vehicle to transfer torque from the vehicle to the location assembly, each of the frustum-conical members is configured with flexibility and rigidity such that the frustum-conical member is non-extendible in a circumferential dimension and is reversibly deformable from the biased rounded shape corresponding to a frustum-conical shape in which a side elevation of the frustum-conical member is circular into the deformed frustum-conical shape in which the side elevation of the frustum-conical member is non-circular, the frustum-conical members of the pair are arranged in a substantially symmetric manner and are rotatable about a common axis coinciding with frustum-conical axes thereof, each of the frustum-conical members of the pair having a first leg that extends from the relatively wide end thereof to the second relatively narrow, the first leg being integrally connected to said at least one surface-engaging member, and a second leg that extends from the second relatively narrow end to the rigid hub, the second leg being integrally connected to the rigid hub.
-
Specification