Tire and Robot

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a tire and a robot, belonging to the field of tires. The tread of the tire includes a first annular region, a second annular region, and a third annular region, and the third annular region is located between the first annular region and the second annular region; the first annular region and the second annular region respectively have a plurality of grooves, and the grooves are located on both sides of the tread. In the circumferential direction of the tire, the grooves in the first annular region and the grooves in the second annular region are staggered with each other. Since the tread of the tire includes three annular regions, namely the first annular region, the second annular region, and the third annular region, the grooves in the first annular region and the second annular region endow the tire with a certain obstacle-crossing ability, and the third annular region is located between the first annular region and the second annular region. During the rolling of the tire, the third annular region can always be in contact with the ground, so that the robot can run more smoothly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of tires, and particularly to a tire and a robot. Background Art

[0002] A tire is a circular elastic rubber product that is mounted on various vehicles and rolls on the ground. With the development of technology, tires are also often applied to various robot devices, such as floor-sweeping robots.

[0003] The tread of a tire usually has various patterns to increase the friction between the tire and the ground. For devices such as floor-sweeping robots that need to have a certain obstacle-crossing ability, the patterns on the tread are usually staggered grooves, and the grooves are used to facilitate the tire to cross obstacles. The tread of this kind of tire includes two annular regions, and both annular regions have a plurality of grooves. In the circumferential direction of the tire, the grooves in the two annular regions are staggered.

[0004] Although this kind of tire has a certain obstacle-crossing ability, since the grooves in the two annular regions are spaced apart, during the rolling process of the tire, there will be a certain amount of bumps, resulting in unstable operation of the robot. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a tire and a robot, which can enable the robot to operate more smoothly. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] On the one hand, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a tire. The tread of the tire includes a first annular region, a second annular region, and a third annular region. The third annular region is located between the first annular region and the second annular region;

[0007] The first annular region and the second annular region respectively have a plurality of grooves, and the grooves are located on the side of the first annular region away from the third annular region, or on the side of the second annular region away from the third annular region. In the circumferential direction of the tire, the grooves in the first annular region and the grooves in the second annular region are staggered with each other.

[0008] Optionally, the third annular region has a plurality of drainage structures, and the plurality of drainage structures are distributed along the circumferential direction of the tire;

[0009] Each drainage structure includes two drainage grooves that intersect with each other. One end of each of the two drainage grooves in the same drainage structure is connected to the same groove in one of the first annular region and the second annular region, and the other ends are respectively connected to two adjacent grooves in the other of the first annular region and the second annular region in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0010] Optionally, the drain groove is arc-shaped.

[0011] Optionally, the groove has a first side wall, a second side wall, and a third side wall. The first side wall and the second side wall are opposite to each other. The third side wall is connected to the first side wall and the second side wall respectively, and the third side wall is close to the third annular region.

[0012] The end of the drain groove is close to the connection of the first side wall and the third side wall, or close to the connection of the second side wall and the third side wall.

[0013] Optionally, the drain groove is tangent to the first side wall or the second side wall.

[0014] Optionally, the depth of the drain groove is less than the depth of the groove.

[0015] Optionally, the first side wall is an arc convex surface, and the second side wall is an arc concave surface.

[0016] Optionally, the width of the third annular region is greater than the width of the first annular region and greater than the width of the second annular region.

[0017] Optionally, in the circumferential direction of the tire, the maximum length of the groove is less than the maximum distance between adjacent grooves.

[0018] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a robot, including a robot body and a tire. The tire is the tire as described in the first aspect, and the tire is connected to the robot body.

[0019] The beneficial effects brought by the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure at least include:

[0020] Since the tread of the tire includes three annular regions, namely the first annular region, the second annular region, and the third annular region, the grooves located in the first annular region and the second annular region endow the tire with a certain obstacle-crossing ability. The third annular region is located between the first annular region and the second annular region. During the rolling of the tire, the third annular region can always keep in contact with the ground, so that the robot can run more smoothly. Moreover, there is a continuous frictional force between the third annular region and the ground, reducing the possibility of tire slippage and further improving the smoothness of the robot's operation. Description of the Drawings

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic structural view of a tire in the related art;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic structural view of a tire provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic view of the process of a tire provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure passing over an obstacle;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic structural view of a tire provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5 is a side view of a tire provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic structural view of a robot provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Legend Explanation

[0029] 10, tread 100, robot body

[0030] 11, groove 11a, first side wall 11b, second side wall 11c, third side wall

[0031] 12, drainage structure 121, drainage groove

[0032] 13, bump

[0033] 14, anti-slip protrusion

[0034] 200, tire

[0035] 300, obstacle

[0036] A, first annular region B, second annular region C, third annular region

[0037] E, annular region Detailed Embodiment

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the following will further describe the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meanings as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first", "second", "third" and similar terms used in the description and claims of this patent application of the disclosure do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, terms such as "a" or "an" do not denote a quantity limitation, but mean that there is at least one. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the elements or items appearing before "comprising" or "including" cover the elements or items listed after "comprising" or "including" and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or items. Terms such as "connected" or "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationships may also change accordingly.

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic structural view of a tire in the related art. This tire is for a robot with wheels. As Figure 1 shown, the tread 10 of this tire includes two annular regions D, and each of the two annular regions D has a plurality of grooves 11. The plurality of grooves 11 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the tire, and the grooves 11 in the two annular regions D are staggered with each other in the circumferential direction of the tire.

[0041] During the rolling process of this tire, each annular region D does not continuously contact the ground, but intermittently contacts the ground, and most of the time only one of the two annular regions D contacts the ground. This causes the tire to undulate up and down during continuous rolling, generating bumps and making the operation of the robot less stable.

[0042] Figure 2 is a schematic structural view of a tire provided by an embodiment of the disclosure. This tire can be, but is not limited to, a tire for any one of a floor-sweeping robot, a toy robot, a cargo-carrying robot, etc. In the embodiments of the disclosure, only the tire of a floor-sweeping robot is taken as an example. As Figure 2 shown, the tread 10 of this tire includes a first annular region A, a second annular region B, and a third annular region C, where the third annular region C is located between the first annular region A and the second annular region B.

[0043] The first annular region A and the second annular region B each have a plurality of grooves 11. The grooves 11 are located on the side of the first annular region A away from the third annular region C, or on the side of the second annular region B away from the third annular region C. That is, a part of the grooves 11 is located on one side of the tread 10, and another part of the grooves 11 is located on the other side of the tread 10. In the circumferential direction of the tire, the grooves 11 in the first annular region A and the grooves 11 in the second annular region B are staggered with each other.

[0044] Since the tread of the tire includes three annular regions, namely the first annular region, the second annular region, and the third annular region, the grooves located in the first annular region and the second annular region endow the tire with a certain obstacle-crossing ability. The third annular region is located between the first annular region and the second annular region. During the rolling of the tire, the third annular region can always keep in contact with the ground, enabling the robot to run more smoothly. Moreover, there is a continuous frictional force between the third annular region and the ground, reducing the possibility of the tire slipping and further improving the smoothness of the robot's operation.

[0045] The grooves 11 in the first annular region A are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the tire, the grooves 11 in the second annular region B are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the tire, and the number of grooves 11 in the first annular region A is equal to the number of grooves 11 in the second annular region B, which can make the rolling of the tire smoother and further improve the smoothness of the robot's operation.

[0046] As Figure 2 shown, the width L3 of the third annular region C is greater than the width L1 of the first annular region A and greater than the width L2 of the second annular region B.

[0047] Since the grooves 11 are only distributed in the first annular region A and the second annular region B, during the rolling of the tire, the third annular region C always keeps in contact with the ground and plays a major supporting role. Setting the width L3 of the third annular region C to be larger than the width L1 of the first annular region A and the width L2 of the second annular region B makes the contact area between the third annular region C and the ground always account for a relatively large proportion in the contact areas of the three annular regions with the ground. The weight of the robot is always mainly borne by the third annular region C. During the rolling of the tire, the change in the deformation amount of the third annular region C is relatively small, so the tire rolls more smoothly, enabling the robot to run more smoothly.

[0048] Optionally, the width L1 of the first annular region A is the same as the width L2 of the second annular region B. In this way, during the rolling of the tire, the contact area when the first annular region A contacts the ground is the same as the contact area when the second annular region B contacts the ground, which can make the undulation amplitude of the tire smaller during rolling and the rolling more stable.

[0049] Optionally, the outer diameter of the tire is 65 mm to 70 mm, and the width of the tire is 15 mm to 18 mm. The outer diameter of the tire, the width L1 of the first annular region A, the width L2 of the second annular region B, and the width L3 of the third annular region C are set according to specific usage scenarios so that the device can operate smoothly. Exemplarily, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the outer diameter of the tire is 68 mm, the width of the tire is 17 mm, the width L1 of the first annular region A and the width L2 of the second annular region B are both 5 mm, and the width L3 of the third annular region C is 7 mm.

[0050] As Figure 2 shown, the third annular region C has a plurality of drainage structures 12, and the plurality of drainage structures 12 are distributed along the circumferential direction of the tire.

[0051] When the tire rolls into the accumulated water, as the tire gradually approaches the ground, the drainage structure 12 can make the accumulated water between the tread 10 and the ground flow to both sides of the tire, so that the tread 10 can smoothly contact the ground. And after the tire rolls over the accumulated water, the accumulated water sticking to the tread 10 can quickly flow away through the drainage structure 12, avoiding the accumulated water from affecting the contact between the tread 10 and the ground and avoiding the tire from slipping due to the accumulated water.

[0052] As Figure 2 shown, each drainage structure 12 includes two drainage grooves 121 that intersect with each other. One end of each of the two drainage grooves 121 in the same drainage structure 12 is connected to the same groove 11 in one of the first annular region A and the second annular region B, and the other ends of each are respectively connected to two adjacent grooves 11 in the other of the first annular region A and the second annular region B in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0053] In a part of the drainage structures 12, one end of each of the two drainage grooves 121 in the same drainage structure 12 is connected to the same groove 11 in the first annular region A, and the other ends of each are respectively connected to two adjacent grooves 11 in the second annular region B in a one-to-one correspondence. In another part of the drainage structures 12, one end of each of the two drainage grooves 121 in the same drainage structure 12 is connected to the same groove 11 in the second annular region B, and the other ends of each are respectively connected to two adjacent grooves 11 in the first annular region A in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0054] When the tire rolls into the accumulated water, as the tire gradually approaches the ground, the accumulated water between the tread 10 and the ground can flow along the drainage grooves 121 to the grooves 11, so that the third annular region C contacts the ground. By arranging the drainage grooves 121 in a cross manner, the density of the arrangement of the drainage grooves 121 can be increased, further facilitating drainage.

[0055] As Figure 2As shown, a plurality of drainage structures 12 are uniformly arranged along the circumferential direction of the tire, which can facilitate the drainage of different areas of the tread 10. Moreover, the drainage groove 121 is also a depression on the tread 10, which also has a certain impact on the contact area between the tread 10 and the ground. By arranging the drainage structures 12 uniformly, the change in the contact area between the tread 10 and the ground during the rolling of the tire can be reduced, making the rolling of the tire more stable and conducive to the stable operation of the robot.

[0056] Optionally, the drainage groove 121 is arc-shaped. The arc-shaped drainage groove 121 can cover a larger range, and the flow of accumulated water in the drainage groove 121 is also smoother, enabling rapid drainage.

[0057] As Figure 2 shown, the groove 11 has a first side wall 11a, a second side wall 11b, and a third side wall 11c. The first side wall 11a and the second side wall 11b are opposite to each other, the third side wall 11c is connected to the first side wall 11a and the second side wall 11b respectively, and the third side wall 11c is close to the third annular region C.

[0058] The end of the drainage groove 121 is close to the connection between the first side wall 11a and the third side wall 11c, or close to the connection between the second side wall 11b and the third side wall 11c.

[0059] By setting the end of the drainage groove 121 at the connection between the first side wall 11a and the third side wall 11c or the connection between the second side wall 11b and the third side wall 11c, the coverage range of each drainage structure 12 is relatively large and the same, which can promote the rapid drainage of the tire and make the water stains on the surface of the third annular region C flow quickly into the groove 11.

[0060] As Figure 2 shown, the drainage groove 121 is tangent to the first side wall 11a or the second side wall 11b of the groove 11.

[0061] Since the drainage groove 121 is tangent to the side wall of the groove 11, after the accumulated water on the tread 10 flows into the groove 11 along the drainage groove 121, it is easier to flow along the side wall of the groove 11 to both sides of the tire.

[0062] As Figure 2 shown, the first side wall 11a of the groove 11 is an arc-shaped convex surface, and the second side wall 11b of the groove 11 is an arc-shaped concave surface.

[0063] Taking the first annular region A as an example, in the first annular region A, if the bottom surface of the groove 11 is used as a reference, the part between two adjacent grooves 11 is equivalent to a convex block 13. Since the first side wall 11a of the groove 11 is an arc-shaped convex surface and the second side wall 11b of the groove 11 is an arc-shaped concave surface, the convex block 13 has a certain curvature. Figure 3It is a schematic diagram of the process of a tire crossing an obstacle provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 In Figure I in Figure 3 , it shows the process of the tire attempting to cross a directly facing obstacle, and Figure II shows the process of the tire attempting to cross an inclined obstacle. The obstacle in the figure is a rectangular wooden board with a certain thickness located in front of the tire, and the arrows in the figure indicate the direction of tire rolling. In the related art, the side wall of the groove 11 is a plane. When crossing a directly facing obstacle, it is relatively easy, but it is difficult to cross an inclined obstacle, and it can only cross an inclined obstacle with a relatively low height. The tire in the embodiment of the present disclosure can not only cross a directly facing obstacle with a certain height, but the convex block 13 with a certain arc makes it easier for the tire to cross an inclined obstacle. In actual production, there are much more inclined obstacles than directly facing obstacles. Therefore, compared with the tire in the related art, the tire in the embodiment of the present disclosure has a stronger obstacle-crossing ability and is more adaptable to the environment.

[0064] As Figure 2 shown, there are also rounded corners 13a on both sides of the tire. The rounded corners 13a located at the side of the tire can not only reduce the local stress, but also make it easier for the edge of the tire to roll over the obstacle, improving the obstacle-crossing ability of the tire.

[0065] Optionally, in the circumferential direction of the tire, the maximum length d of the groove 11 is less than the maximum distance D between adjacent grooves 11.

[0066] The maximum length d of the groove 11 refers to the maximum distance between the first side wall 11a and the second side wall 11b of the groove 11. The maximum distance D between adjacent grooves 11 refers to the maximum distance between the two side walls that are relatively close to each other among two adjacent grooves 11, that is, the maximum distance between the two side walls of the convex block 13.

[0067] During the rolling of the tire, neither the first annular region A nor the second annular region B is continuously in contact with the ground. And since the grooves 11 in the first annular region A and the grooves 11 in the second annular region B are interlaced with each other, when the first annular region A is in contact with the ground, the second annular region B may or may not be in contact with the ground. The maximum length d of the groove 11 is set to be smaller than the maximum distance D between adjacent grooves 11, so that when the first annular region A has not completely separated from the ground, the second annular region B has already come into contact with the ground, and when the second annular region B has not completely separated from the ground, the first annular region A has already come into contact with the ground, avoiding the situation where neither the first annular region A nor the second annular region B is in contact with the ground and all the weight of the robot is applied to the third annular region C, resulting in a large deformation of the third annular region C. During the rolling of the tire, the degree of deformation change of the third annular region C is smaller, and the rolling of the tire is more stable, which is more beneficial to the stable operation of the robot. Moreover, since a part of the pressure is borne by the first annular region A and the second annular region B, the wear of the third annular region C can also be reduced, and the service life of the tire can be extended.

[0068] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the maximum distance D between adjacent grooves 11 is not greater than the width L1 of the first annular region A and the width L2 of the second annular region B. Exemplarily, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the maximum length d of the groove 11 is 4.7 mm, and the maximum distance D between adjacent grooves 11 is 4.8 mm.

[0069] Figure 4 is a schematic structural view of a tire provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. As Figure 4 shown, the depth of the drainage groove 121 is less than the depth of the groove 11.

[0070] The function of the groove 11 is to endow the tire with a certain obstacle-crossing ability, facilitating the tire to roll over obstacles. If the depth is too small, it will affect the obstacle-crossing ability of the tire. The drainage groove 121 is for facilitating the drainage of the tread 10. Setting too large a depth does not significantly improve the drainage ability of the tire, but instead reduces the strength of the tire, and it is easier to get stuck with foreign objects such as stones. The foreign objects stuck in the drainage groove 121 will scratch the tire during the rolling of the tire, shortening the service life of the tire.

[0071] Figure 5 is a side view of a tire provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. As Figure 5 shown, the depth h of the drainage groove 121 is 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the depth H of the groove 11. Exemplarily, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the depth H of the groove 11 is 2.7 mm, and the depth h of the drainage groove 121 is 1.2 mm.

[0072] As Figure 4As shown, the area of the tread 10 outside the grooves 11 and the drainage grooves 121 also has a plurality of anti-slip protrusions 14.

[0073] Exemplarily, the anti-slip protrusions 14 are in the shape of a prism, a cylinder or a hemisphere.

[0074] The anti-slip protrusions 14 can not only increase the friction between the tread 10 and the ground, but also when the tread 10 presses against the ground during the rolling of the tire, the air between the tread 10 and the ground can be discharged from between the anti-slip protrusions 14, preventing the air from separating a part of the area of the tread 10 from the ground and causing the contact area between the tread 10 and the ground to decrease and slip.

[0075] The anti-slip protrusions 14 are evenly distributed in the area of the tread 10 outside the grooves 11 and the drainage grooves 121, enabling the tire to form good contact with the ground during the rolling process of the tire and preventing the tire from slipping.

[0076] Optionally, the tire is made of rubber, such as natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, polyisoprene rubber and other rubber materials, ensuring that the tire has sufficient elasticity.

[0077] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a robot provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The robot can be, but is not limited to, a sweeping robot, a toy robot, a cargo-carrying robot. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, only a sweeping robot is taken as an example. As Figure 6 shown, the robot includes a robot body 100 and a tire 200, and the tire 200 is any one of the tires 200 as Figures 2 to 5 shown, and the tire 200 is connected to the robot body 100.

[0078] By providing any one of the tires as Figures 2 to 5 shown in the robot, since the tread of the tire includes three annular regions, namely a first annular region, a second annular region and a third annular region, the grooves located in the first annular region and the second annular region enable the tire to have a certain obstacle-crossing ability, while the third annular region is located between the first annular region and the second annular region. During the rolling process of the tire, the third annular region can always keep in contact with the ground, so that the robot can run more smoothly. Moreover, there is a continuous friction force between the third annular region and the ground, reducing the possibility of the tire slipping and further improving the smoothness of the robot's operation.

[0079] The above are only optional embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A tire, characterized in that, The tread (10) of the tire includes a first annular region (A), a second annular region (B), and a third annular region (C), and the third annular region (C) is located between the first annular region (A) and the second annular region (B); The first annular region (A) and the second annular region (B) each have a plurality of grooves (11), and the grooves (11) are located on a side of the first annular region (A) away from the third annular region (C), or on a side of the second annular region (B) away from the third annular region (C). In the circumferential direction of the tire, the grooves (11) in the first annular region (A) and the grooves (11) in the second annular region (B) are staggered with each other; The grooves (11) in the first annular region (A) are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the tire, and the grooves (11) in the second annular region (B) are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the tire; The third annular region (C) has a plurality of drainage structures (12), and the plurality of drainage structures (12) are distributed in the circumferential direction of the tire; Each drainage structure (12) includes two drainage grooves (121) that intersect each other. One end of each of the two drainage grooves (121) in the same drainage structure (12) is connected to the same groove (11) in one of the first annular region (A) and the second annular region (B), and the other ends of each are respectively connected to two adjacent grooves (11) in the other of the first annular region (A) and the second annular region (B) in a one-to-one correspondence; 2. The tire according to claim 1, wherein, The drainage groove (121) is arc-shaped.

3. The tire according to claim 1, characterized in that, The groove (11) has a first side wall (11a), a second side wall (11b), and a third side wall (11c). The first side wall (11a) and the second side wall (11b) are opposite to each other, and the third side wall (11c) is connected to the first side wall (11a) and the second side wall (11b) respectively. The third side wall (11c) is close to the third annular region (C); The end of the drainage groove (121) is close to the connection between the first side wall (11a) and the third side wall (11c), or close to the connection between the second side wall (11b) and the third side wall (11c).

4. The tire according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drainage groove (121) is tangent to the first side wall (11a) or the second side wall (11b).

5. The tire according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The depth of the drainage groove (121) is less than the depth of the groove (11).

6. The tire according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The first side wall (11a) is an arc-shaped convex surface, and the second side wall (11b) is an arc-shaped concave surface.

7. The tire according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The width of the third annular region (C) is greater than the width of the first annular region (A) and greater than the width of the second annular region (B).

8. The tire according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, In the circumferential direction of the tire, the maximum length (d) of the groove (11) is less than the maximum distance (D) between adjacent grooves (11).

9. A robot, characterized in that, It includes a robot body (100) and a tire (200). The tire (200) is the tire (200) described in any one of claims 1 to 8, and the tire (200) is connected to the robot body (100).

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