An amphibious vehicle wheel system having a foldable wheel paddle mechanism

By using a foldable propeller mechanism and a motor-controlled combination of disc-shaped grooved cams and a traction rope system, the propeller blades can be deployed and closed. This solves the problem that the amphibious vehicle's load-bearing capacity and rapid maneuverability on land are affected in the existing technology, and realizes efficient navigation and low-cost design of amphibious vehicles.

CN117416158BActive Publication Date: 2026-07-28YANGTZE DELTA REGION INST OF UNIV OF ELECTRONICS SCI & TECH OF CHINE (HUZHOU)
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
YANGTZE DELTA REGION INST OF UNIV OF ELECTRONICS SCI & TECH OF CHINE (HUZHOU)
Filing Date
2023-11-29
Publication Date
2026-07-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

When existing amphibious vehicles have large-area raised strips or retractable propeller structures on the tire surface, it affects the vehicle's load-bearing capacity and rapid maneuverability on land.

Method used

It adopts a foldable propeller mechanism, with the blades closed when traveling on land and open when traveling in water. The opening and closing of the blades are achieved by a combination of disc-shaped grooved cams and traction rope system controlled by a motor, and the same power system is used to achieve travel on land and water.

Benefits of technology

While ensuring land-based driving performance, the power for water navigation is significantly improved, the structure is simplified, costs and weight are reduced, energy loss is avoided, and efficiency is increased.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application discloses an amphibious vehicle wheel system with a foldable wheel paddle mechanism, which comprises a tire, a hub, and a foldable wheel paddle mechanism, wherein the tire is installed on the hub, the foldable wheel paddle mechanism is installed on the side of the hub, and the foldable wheel paddle mechanism faces the side away from the vehicle body; the foldable wheel paddle mechanism comprises a plurality of paddles; the foldable wheel paddle mechanism has a first state and a second state; in the first state, the paddles are closed, and the closed paddles form a plane structure; in the second state, the paddles are opened; the first state is used for land driving, and the second state is used for water driving. The structure of the application enables the amphibious vehicle to adopt the same power driving system for land driving and water navigation, and greatly improves the water navigation power of the amphibious vehicle under the premise of ensuring the land driving performance of the single power system amphibious vehicle.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of amphibious vehicle technology, and particularly relates to an amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] Amphibious vehicles possess the driving capabilities of land vehicles and can also meet the needs of water navigation. They can adapt to complex water and land geographical environments and can be used for scientific research and military operations in wetlands, rainforests, and other river and lake terrains, as well as for disaster relief and rescue during urban flooding and for water retrieval and firefighting during forest fires. They are of great significance to the national economy and people's livelihood.

[0003] Some amphibious vehicles use two power systems, one for land travel and the other for water travel. This method is simple in design and easy to implement; however, the two power systems make the overall structure more complex, increase operating and maintenance costs, and significantly increase the overall weight of the vehicle, resulting in lower energy efficiency.

[0004] Amphibious vehicles using a single power system will have large raised strips on the tire surface or adopt a retractable propeller structure; this method can effectively increase the driving force of amphibious vehicles when navigating in water, but it will affect the vehicle's load-bearing capacity and rapid maneuverability on land. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism, so as to at least solve the problem that the large-area ridges on the surface of the tires of amphibious vehicles or the use of retractable propeller structures affect the vehicle's load-bearing capacity and rapid maneuverability on land.

[0006] The present invention provides an amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism, comprising: a tire, a hub, and a foldable propeller mechanism, wherein the tire is mounted on the hub, the foldable propeller mechanism is mounted on the side of the hub, and the foldable propeller mechanism faces away from the vehicle body;

[0007] The foldable propeller mechanism includes: propeller blades, wherein there are multiple propeller blades;

[0008] The foldable propeller mechanism has: a first state and a second state; in the first state, the propeller blades are closed, and the closed propeller blades form a planar structure; in the second state, the propeller blades are open.

[0009] The first state is used for land travel, and the second state is used for water travel.

[0010] Furthermore, in the second state, the blades are opened from 0 to 90°.

[0011] Furthermore, in the second state, part of the blades open and flip.

[0012] Furthermore, the plurality of blades are evenly distributed along the circumference of the hub, and the blades are hinged to the spokes of the hub.

[0013] Furthermore, the foldable propeller mechanism also includes a blade control device, which is connected to the blade and controls the opening or closing of the blade.

[0014] Furthermore,

[0015] The control device includes: a motor, a combined disc-shaped grooved cam, a connector, a linear guide device, and a threaded rod;

[0016] The combined disc-shaped grooved cam is composed of an upper semi-circular grooved cam and a lower semi-circular grooved cam;

[0017] The lower semi-circular groove cam is connected to the motor through the connector and the threaded rod;

[0018] The motor is fixed on the upper semi-circular groove cam;

[0019] The upper semicircular groove cam and the lower semicircular groove cam are connected by the connector and the linear guide device.

[0020] Furthermore, the combined disc-shaped grooved cam is connected to the blade via a traction rope, and a slider is fixed at one end of the traction rope connected to the combined disc-shaped grooved cam. The slider is installed in the groove of the combined disc-shaped grooved cam.

[0021] An elastic member is installed at the hinge of the blade and the spokes, and the elastic member provides an elastic force to open the blade.

[0022] The traction force generated by the traction rope is used to adjust the angle between the blade and the hub.

[0023] Furthermore, the position of the upper semicircular groove cam is fixed, and the central axis of the upper semicircular groove coincides with the central axis of the wheel hub; the position of the lower semicircular groove cam is adjusted by the motor-driven threaded rod.

[0024] Furthermore, the combined disc-shaped groove cam is located inside the wheel hub, and the upper semi-circular groove cam is fixed to the brake base plate through an edge connecting hole.

[0025] Furthermore, the elastic member is a torsion spring; the blade is fan-shaped.

[0026] On land, the foldable propeller mechanism is folded, and the amphibious vehicle relies on tires for propulsion. When the amphibious vehicle enters water, the blades of the foldable propeller mechanism unfold, propelling the vehicle through water propulsion. This structure allows the amphibious vehicle to use the same power drive system for both land and water travel. This invention significantly improves the water propulsion capability of amphibious vehicles while maintaining their land-based driving performance with a single power system. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 These are isometric views of embodiments of the present invention during land travel and water navigation, respectively;

[0028] Figure 2 These are front, left, and rear views of the foldable propeller mechanism in a folded state during land driving, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 The images show the front, left, and rear views of the foldable propeller mechanism in its unfolded state during navigation in water, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] 11. Tire; 12. Wheel hub; 21. Paddle blade; 22. Upper semi-circular groove cam; 23. Lower semi-circular groove cam; 24. Connector; 25. Linear guide device; 26. Motor; 27. Threaded rod; 28. Slider; 29. ​​Elastic component; 30. Traction rope. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] This embodiment features an amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes: a tire 11, a hub 12, and a foldable propeller mechanism. The tire 11 is mounted on the hub 12, and the foldable propeller mechanism is mounted on the side of the hub 12, with the foldable propeller mechanism facing away from the vehicle body.

[0035] The foldable propeller mechanism includes: propeller blades 21, wherein there are multiple propeller blades 21;

[0036] The foldable propeller mechanism has: a first state and a second state; in the first state, the propeller blade 21 is closed, and the closed propeller blade 21 forms a planar structure on the side facing outward; in the second state, the propeller blade 21 is open;

[0037] The first state is used for land travel, and the second state is used for water travel.

[0038] Specifically, in the second state, the blade 21 opens at an angle of 0-90°.

[0039] Multiple blades 21 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the hub 12, and the blades 21 are hinged to the spokes of the hub 12.

[0040] The foldable propeller mechanism further includes a control device for the propeller blade 21, which is connected to the propeller blade 21 and controls the opening or closing of the propeller blade 21.

[0041] When the amphibious wheel system of the present invention is traveling on land, the foldable propeller mechanism is in a folded state, and the amphibious vehicle travels by relying on the tires 11; when traveling in water, the blades of the foldable propeller mechanism are unfolded, and the vehicle is propelled by the blades paddling through the water.

[0042] The foldable propeller mechanism of this invention allows the amphibious vehicle to use the same power drive system when driving on land and in water, which greatly reduces the structural burden of the amphibious vehicle and lowers the cost. At the same time, it significantly improves the water navigation power while ensuring the land driving performance of the amphibious vehicle with a single power system.

[0043] Optionally, in the second state, a portion of the blades 21 are opened and flipped.

[0044] Specifically, when traveling on water, the upper part of the propeller blade 21 is folded, and only the lower part of the propeller blade 21 is unfolded for navigation.

[0045] The embodiments of the present invention effectively avoid energy cancellation between blades 21 in different motion directions, resulting in higher efficiency.

[0046] Optionally, the control device includes: a motor 26, a combined disc-shaped grooved cam, a connector 24, a linear guide device 25, and a threaded rod 27;

[0047] The combined disc-shaped grooved cam is composed of an upper semi-circular grooved cam 22 and a lower semi-circular grooved cam 23.

[0048] The lower semi-circular groove cam 23 is connected to the motor 26 through the connector 24 and the threaded rod 27;

[0049] The motor 26 is fixed to the upper semi-circular groove cam 22;

[0050] The upper and lower semi-circular groove cams 23 are connected by the connector 24 and the linear guide device 25.

[0051] Specifically, the upper semicircular groove cam 22 is connected to the brake backing plate in the amphibious vehicle to maintain its fixed position relative to the vehicle chassis, and the central axis of its semicircular groove coincides with the central axis of the wheel hub 12; the position of the lower semicircular groove cam 23 can be adjusted by the motor 26 driving the threaded rod 27, thereby adjusting the overall shape of the groove cam.

[0052] The present invention provides a structure in which the upper semicircular groove cam 22 is fixed and the position of the lower semicircular groove cam 23 is adjusted by the motor 26 driving the threaded rod 27, thereby driving the blade 21 connected to the lower semicircular groove cam 23 to open or close, which facilitates the control of the blade 21.

[0053] Optionally, the combined disc-shaped grooved cam is connected to the blade 21 via a traction rope 30. One end of the traction rope 30 connected to the combined disc-shaped grooved cam is fixed with a slider 28, which is installed in the groove of the combined disc-shaped grooved cam.

[0054] An elastic member 29 is installed at the hinge of the blade 21 and the spokes, and the elastic member 29 provides elastic force to open the blade 21.

[0055] The traction force generated by the traction rope 30 is used to adjust the angle between the blade 21 and the hub 12.

[0056] Specifically, the elastic member 29 provides elastic force to push the blade 21 to unfold; the traction rope 30 is used to connect the blade 21 and the slider 28. When the slider 28 moves in the combined disc groove cam, the traction force generated by the traction rope 30 can be used to adjust the angle between the blade 21 and the surface of the hub 12.

[0057] The present invention employs the combined disc-shaped grooved cam, and controls the structure of the blade 21 through the traction rope 30 and the elastic component 29, making the foldable wheel and paddle mechanism simple in structure and light in weight, simplifying the structure of the amphibious vehicle and reducing costs.

[0058] Optionally, the elastic member 29 is a torsion spring, and the shape of the blade 21 can be changed according to requirements. In this embodiment, a fan-shaped plate is preferred.

[0059] In use: When traveling on land, the lower semi-circular groove cam 23 is at its highest point under the control of the motor 26. The groove cam is circular in shape, and all sliders 28 move within the circular groove. The traction ropes 30 of all propeller blades 21 generate maximum traction force, keeping all propeller blades 21 in a closed state. When the amphibious vehicle enters or is about to enter the water, the control motor 26 moves the lower semi-circular groove cam 23 to its lowest point. The shape of the groove cam changes to a combination of two semi-circular grooves and two linear grooves. At this time, the traction ropes 30 corresponding to the sliders 28 in the upper semi-circular groove maintain maximum traction force, allowing them to... The corresponding blades 21 remain closed (e.g., 21G, 21H, 21I, 21J, 21K, 21L). Due to the radial sliding of the sliders 28 (e.g., 28C / 28E) corresponding to the two linear grooves and the lower semicircular groove, the corresponding blades 21 (e.g., 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E) unfold at different angles under the action of the elastic member 29. Blades 21A and 21E, which are closer to the dividing line of the upper and lower semicircular groove cams 23, have the smallest opening angle, while the bottommost blade 21C has the largest unfolding angle of 90 degrees, presenting the largest paddling surface during the paddling process.

[0060] Example 2

[0061] This embodiment features an amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism. The difference from Embodiment 1 is that the elastic member 29 is used to close the propeller blade 21, and the tension of the traction rope 30 is used to unfold the propeller blade 21.

[0062] Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the traction rope 30 is led out from the outer space of the annular groove. Therefore, when the lower semicircular groove cam 23 is at its lowest point, the traction rope 30 is released, and the elastic force of the elastic member 29 is used to open the blade 21. In Embodiment 2, the traction rope 30 is led out from the inner space enclosed by the annular groove. Therefore, when the lower semicircular groove cam 23 is at its lowest point, the traction rope 30 is pulled, and the pulling force of the traction rope 30 is used to overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 29 and open the blade 21.

[0063] Example 3

[0064] This embodiment features an amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism. The difference between this embodiment and the two embodiments mentioned above is that it uses a rectangular propeller blade 21, and the plane of the propeller blade 21 is always perpendicular to the end face of the hub 12.

[0065] Specifically, the blade 21 is hinged to the spokes, and the axial direction of the hinge structure is perpendicular to the axial direction of the hinge structure in the aforementioned embodiment; in the first state, the blade 21 can be housed in the hollow structure between the two spokes; in the second state, the upper part of the blade 21 is closed, and the lower part of the blade 21 is opened outward at different angles.

[0066] Compared to the wheel system of a land-based vehicle, this invention adds only a foldable propeller mechanism, resulting in a simple structure and minimal weight increase. This allows the amphibious vehicle to perform the same maneuverability as a land-based vehicle when on land. When traveling on water, the upper part of the propeller blades 21 is folded, with only the lower part of the propeller blades 21 deployed for navigation. This effectively avoids energy cancellation between the propeller blades 21 in different directions of motion, resulting in higher efficiency.

[0067] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that after reading this application specification, they can still modify or make equivalent substitutions to the specific implementation of the present invention, but these modifications or changes do not depart from the protection scope of the pending claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism, characterized in that, include: Tire, hub, and foldable propeller mechanism, wherein the tire is mounted on the hub and the foldable propeller mechanism is mounted on the side of the hub, the foldable propeller mechanism facing away from the vehicle body; The foldable propeller mechanism includes: propeller blades, wherein there are multiple propeller blades; The foldable propeller mechanism has: a first state and a second state; in the first state, the propeller blades are closed, and the closed propeller blades form a planar structure; in the second state, the propeller blades are open. The first state is used for land travel, and the second state is used for water travel; The foldable propeller mechanism further includes: a blade control device, which is connected to the blade and controls the opening or closing of the blade; The control device includes: a motor, a combined disc-shaped grooved cam, a connector, a linear guide device, and a threaded rod; The combined disc-shaped grooved cam is composed of an upper semi-circular grooved cam and a lower semi-circular grooved cam; The lower semi-circular groove cam is connected to the motor through the connector and the threaded rod; The motor is fixed on the upper semi-circular groove cam; The upper semicircular groove cam and the lower semicircular groove cam are connected by the connector and the linear guide device. The combined disc-shaped grooved cam is connected to the blade via a traction rope. A slider is fixed at one end of the traction rope connected to the combined disc-shaped grooved cam, and the slider is installed in the groove of the combined disc-shaped grooved cam. An elastic member is installed at the hinge of the blade and the spokes, and the elastic member provides an elastic force to open the blade. The traction force generated by the traction rope is used to adjust the angle between the blade and the hub. When driving on land, the lower semicircular groove cam is at its highest point under the control of the motor. The upper and lower semicircular groove cams form a circle, and the sliders move within the circular grooves. The traction rope generates maximum traction force, keeping all blades in a closed state. When the amphibious vehicle enters or is about to enter the water, the control motor moves the lower semicircular groove cam to its lowest point. The groove cam is a combination of two semicircular grooves and two linear grooves. Under the action of the elastic component, the blades closer to the boundary line between the upper and lower semicircular groove cams have the smallest opening angle, while the lowest blade has the largest unfolding angle of 90 degrees, presenting the largest paddling surface during the paddling process.

2. The amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the second state, the blades are opened from 0 to 90°.

3. The amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the second state, some of the blades open and flip.

4. The amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple blades are evenly distributed along the circumference of the hub, and the blades are hinged to the spokes of the hub.

5. An amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper semicircular groove cam is fixed in position, and its upper semicircular groove center axis coincides with the hub center axis; the position of the lower semicircular groove cam is adjusted by the motor-driven threaded rod.

6. An amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The combined disc-shaped grooved cam is located inside the wheel hub, and the upper semi-circular grooved cam is fixed to the brake base plate through an edge connecting hole.

7. An amphibious wheel system with a foldable propeller mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic component is a torsion spring; the blade is fan-shaped.