RESILIENT WHEEL ASSEMBLIES

• US 20120200149A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Rudakevych, Pavlo E., Gossage, Garran M., Ohm, Timothy R., Morey, Christopher L., Meaney, Todd M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,346,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 305/109
• 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 wheel 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 wheel assembly further comprises an 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. The insert may be 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 may be configured to transmit axial forces to the wheel structure. The wheel structure may be configured to absorb radial and axial forces.

Claims

1. A wheel structure for a vehicle, the wheel structure comprising:

a continuous, annular rim;

a hub; and

a plurality of spokes interconnecting the rim and the hub, the spokes comprising at least one slit extending therethrough radially inward from the rim to the hub,

wherein the spokes are configured to absorb radial and axial forces, and

wherein the at least one slit is configured to reduce an axial stiffness of the spokes.

2. The wheel structure of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a remote vehicle.

3. The wheel structure of claim 1, wherein the rim comprises an inner rim, an outer rim, and at least one rib connecting the inner rim and the outer rim.

4. The wheel structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spokes comprise three slits extending therethrough radially inward from the rim to the hub.

5. The wheel structure of claim 1, wherein each spoke of the plurality of spokes comprises three spoke portions, each spoke portion having a different curvature, and wherein the spoke curvature is configured to eliminate inflection points.

6. The wheel structure 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.

7. The wheel structure of claim 6, wherein the at least one slit comprises three slits forming four spoke layers within each spoke.

8. 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.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein molding the wheel structure comprises injection molding the wheel structure.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the spokes comprise three slits, the slits forming four spoke layers within each spoke.

11. A flipper structure for a vehicle, the flipper structure comprising:

an arm having a proximal end and a distal end,

a plurality of legs coupled to the proximal end of the arm; and

an attachment base coupled to the plurality of legs,

wherein the legs and attachment base comprise a four-bar linkage,

wherein the four-bar linkage is configured to allow translation of the arm during impacts and provide rotational stiffness to the arm to lift the remote vehicle.

12. The flipper structure of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is a remote vehicle.

13. The flipper structure of claim 11, wherein the arm comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, a thickness of the arm being tapered between the proximal and the distal end of the arm so that the distal end of the arm is thinner than the proximal end of the arm.

14. The flipper structure of claim 13, wherein the inner surface is configured to slant away from the vehicle to form a space between the arm and the vehicle, the space being configured to prevent the distal end from contacting another portion of the vehicle and prevent debris from getting lodged between the arm and the vehicle, and

wherein the outer surface is configured to be parallel to the vehicle.

15. The flipper structure of claim 11, wherein the arm comprises at least one hole configured to mount an object and/or a payload.

16. The flipper structure of claim 11, wherein the flipper 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.

17. The flipper structure of claim 11, wherein the plurality of legs comprise three legs.

18. An insert for a flipper structure, the insert comprising an annular bushing configured to provide a robust interface between an axle and a flipper structure,

the bushing comprising a bore with a flat surface that tapers outward from a top portion of the bushing to a bottom portion of the bushing,

wherein the flat surface is configured to prevent backlash between the axle and the flipper structure.

19. The insert of claim 18, wherein the flat surface is offset from an axis of the insert by at least about 15 degrees.

20. The insert of claim 19, wherein the flat surface is offset from the axis by about 16 degrees.

21. A wheel assembly for a remote vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:

a wheel structure comprising a plurality of spokes interconnecting a rim and a hub, the spokes comprising at least one slit extending therethrough radially inward from the rim to the hub;

a flipper structure comprising an arm, a plurality of legs, and an attachment base, the plurality of legs and the attachment base comprising a four-bar linkage; and

an 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, the insert being configured to couple the flipper structure to the wheel structure via an axle on the remote vehicle,

wherein the insert is configured to prevent backlash between the axle and the flipper structure,

wherein the flipper structure is configured to transmit axial forces to the wheel structure, and

wherein the wheel structure is configured to absorb radial and axial forces.