Resilient wheels assemblies

• US 10,059,388 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Defense Holdings, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rudakevych, Pavlo E., Gossage, Garran M., Morey, Christopher L., Meaney, Todd M., Ohm, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kotter, Kip T
• Application Number:
  US15/135,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20160311479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/00 Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor injection blow-moulding B29C49/06
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/02 Solid tyres ; Moulds therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/32 Wheels, pinions, pulleys, castors or rollers , Rims inner tubes B29L2023/245; gears B29L2015/003; tyres B29L2030/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2310/204 by moulding, e.g. injection moulding, i.e. casting of plastics material
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2360/32 Plastic compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 5/02 made of synthetic material
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 9/26 comprising resilient spokes
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/08 Endless track units; Parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/088 with means to exclude or remove foreign matter, e.g. sealing means, self-cleaning track links or sprockets, deflector plates or scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/0885 Self-cleaning sprockets
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/12 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of driving sprockets
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/14 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/32 Assembly, disassembly, repair or servicing of endless-track systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/005 Unmanned ground vehicles, i.e. robotic, remote controlled or autonomous, mobile platforms carrying equipment for performing a military or police role, e.g. weapon systems or reconnaissance sensors F41H11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A wheel assembly for a remote vehicle comprises a wheel structure comprising a plurality of spokes interconnecting a rim and a hub. The spokes comprise at least one slit extending therethrough radially inward from the rim to the hub. The assembly also comprises a flipper structure comprising an arm, a plurality of legs, and an attachment base. The plurality of legs and the attachment base comprise a four-bar linkage. The assembly further comprises an insert comprising a bore with a flat surface that tapers outward from a top portion to a bottom portion of the insert. The insert being configured to couple the flipper structure to the wheel structure via an axle on the remote vehicle and prevent backlash between the axle and the flipper structure. The flipper structure being configured to transmit axial forces to the wheel structure. The wheel structure being configured to absorb radial and axial forces.

Claims

1. A method of molding a wheel structure, wherein the wheel structure comprises a plurality of spokes interconnecting a rim and a hub,

wherein the spokes comprise at least one slit extending therethrough radially inward from the rim to the hub, and

wherein the at least one slit forms a plurality of spoke layers within each spoke, the spoke layers being axially offset from one another around the hub,

the method comprising coupling the wheel structure to a flipper structure, the flipper structure including an axle and an insert, wherein coupling the wheel structure to the flipper structure comprises joining the wheel structure to the axle and the insert of the flipper structure, the insert comprising a bore with a flat surface that tapers outward from a top portion of the insert to a bottom portion of the insert.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein molding the wheel structure comprises injection molding the wheel structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the spokes comprise three slits, the slits forming four spoke layers within each spoke.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising forming the rim as a continuous, annular rim.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising configuring the spokes to absorb radial and axial forces.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising configuring the at least one slit to reduce an axial stiffness of the spokes.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising forming the rim as an inner rim, an outer rim, and at least one rib connecting the inner rim and the outer rim.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of spokes comprises three slits extending therethrough radially inward from the rim to the hub.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each spoke of the plurality of spokes comprises three spoke portions, each spoke portion having a different curvature.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising configuring a spoke curvature of each spoke to eliminate inflection points.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one slit comprises three slits forming four spoke layers within each spoke.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one slit forms a plurality of spoke layers within each spoke, the spoke layers being axially offset from one another around the hub.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein molding the wheel structure comprises molding the wheel structure from a polycarbonate resin.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein molding the wheel structure comprises molding the wheel structure from a polyamide resin.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the flipper structure comprises an arm, a plurality of legs, and an attachment base, the plurality of legs and the attachment base comprising a four-bar linkage.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the arm comprises a proximal end and a distal end, and wherein the plurality of legs are coupled to the proximal end of the arm and the attachment base is coupled to the plurality of legs.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the arm comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, a thickness of the arm being tapered between the proximal end and the distal end of the arm so that the distal end of the arm is thinner than the proximal end of the arm.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the arm comprises a V-shaped cross-section extending along a longitudinal axis of the flipper structure between the proximate end of the arm and the distal end of the arm.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the four-bar linkage is configured to allow translation of the arm during impacts and provide rotational stiffness to the arm.