Self-traveling robotic vehicle with inclinable propulsion units
First Claim
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1. A vehicle with inclinable tracks comprising:
- (a) a vehicle body;
(b) a plurality of propulsion units (3) assembled to said vehicle body to support and propel said vehicle, each propulsion unit having a generally elongate shape with a longitudinal axis (12) and comprising;
(i) a rack (4) resting on the ground and driven in a closed loop around the propulsion unit in a plane containing said longitudinal axis to move the propulsion unit relative to the ground;
(ii) track guide members (6, 7, 9,
10) to guide a propulsion movement of said track;
(iii) a drive sprocket wheel (6) to drive said propulsion movement of said track so as to bring about propulsion;
(iv) a swing-arm (18) carrying said guide members and said drive sprocket wheel (6);
(v) securing means for attaching the swing-arm (8) to said vehicle body (2) comprising an articulation (16) enabling inclination of said swing-arm relative to the body by rotation about a transverse articulation axis (5);
(vi) propulsion drive means (22,
23) and propulsion brakes (21) corresponding to said propulsion units for respectively driving and limiting the rotation of said drive sprocket wheel (6) of said propulsion units;
(vii) inclination drive means and an inclination brake (38, 37, 222A,
210) corresponding to said propulsion units for respectively driving and braking inclination of said swing-arm of said propulsion units; and
(viii) control means (102,
13) supplying control signals to said propulsion drive means and inclination drive means and brakes and including central control means (102) carried by said vehicle body to supply coordination signals adapted to coordinate support and propulsion actions of said propulsion units; and
,(c) said vehicle further comprising inclination assistance means (130) which operate whenever said inclination drive means (38,
37) corresponding to a propulsion unit (3) are commanded to cause an inclination movement of said swing arm having a rotation direction, said inclination assistance means then operating to turn said drive sprocket wheel (6) corresponding to said propulsion unit in a rotation direction opposite to a rotation direction of said inclination of said swing-arm (18) of said propulsion unit.
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Abstract
The invention concerns a vehicle (1) with inclinable tracks in which an inclination movement of a propulsion unit (3) about its articulation axis (5) is assisted by reverse propulsion movement of the track (4) of the propulsion unit.
The invention is applicable to the nuclear industry in particular.
105 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A vehicle with inclinable tracks comprising:
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(a) a vehicle body; (b) a plurality of propulsion units (3) assembled to said vehicle body to support and propel said vehicle, each propulsion unit having a generally elongate shape with a longitudinal axis (12) and comprising; (i) a rack (4) resting on the ground and driven in a closed loop around the propulsion unit in a plane containing said longitudinal axis to move the propulsion unit relative to the ground; (ii) track guide members (6, 7, 9,
10) to guide a propulsion movement of said track;(iii) a drive sprocket wheel (6) to drive said propulsion movement of said track so as to bring about propulsion; (iv) a swing-arm (18) carrying said guide members and said drive sprocket wheel (6); (v) securing means for attaching the swing-arm (8) to said vehicle body (2) comprising an articulation (16) enabling inclination of said swing-arm relative to the body by rotation about a transverse articulation axis (5); (vi) propulsion drive means (22,
23) and propulsion brakes (21) corresponding to said propulsion units for respectively driving and limiting the rotation of said drive sprocket wheel (6) of said propulsion units;(vii) inclination drive means and an inclination brake (38, 37, 222A,
210) corresponding to said propulsion units for respectively driving and braking inclination of said swing-arm of said propulsion units; and(viii) control means (102,
13) supplying control signals to said propulsion drive means and inclination drive means and brakes and including central control means (102) carried by said vehicle body to supply coordination signals adapted to coordinate support and propulsion actions of said propulsion units; and
,(c) said vehicle further comprising inclination assistance means (130) which operate whenever said inclination drive means (38,
37) corresponding to a propulsion unit (3) are commanded to cause an inclination movement of said swing arm having a rotation direction, said inclination assistance means then operating to turn said drive sprocket wheel (6) corresponding to said propulsion unit in a rotation direction opposite to a rotation direction of said inclination of said swing-arm (18) of said propulsion unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a vehicle with inclinable tracks wherein inclination of said tracks (4) are assisted by reverse propulsion movement of said tracks comprising:
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(a) a vehicle body; (b) elongated propulsion units for carrying said vehicle body having a longitudinal and a transverse direction, each of said propulsion units comprising; (i) a track guided by said propulsion unit in a closed loop in a longitudinal plane of said propulsion unit, a part of said track resting on the ground for carrying said propulsion unit; (ii) a propulsion drive means (21,
22) for driving a propulsion movement of said track;(iii) a propulsion control means (132) for controlling said propulsion drive means; (iv) an articulation (16) for enabling an inclination movement of said propulsion unit relative to said vehicle body about a transverse articulation axis (5) of said propulsion unit; (v) an inclination drive means (36a,
38) driving said inclination movement; and(vi) an inclination control means (134) for controlling said inclination drive means; (c) the improvement wherein said vehicle further comprises inclination assist means (130) controlled by said inclination control means and cooperating with said propulsion control means for said propulsion drive means to drive said track in a rotation direction opposite to said inclination movement.
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Specification