Wheel mechanism with variable diameter and variable wheel surface form

Abstract

The invention discloses a wheel mechanism with variable diameters and wheel surface forms, and belongs to the technical field of mechanical engineering, the wheel mechanism comprises two groups of reducing mechanisms which are symmetrically arranged, the two groups of reducing mechanisms are connected through a plurality of groups of connecting mechanisms, and the centers of the two groups of reducing mechanisms are provided with driving mechanisms; each connecting mechanism comprises a connecting node, four connecting rods are uniformly connected to the periphery of the connecting node, the four connecting rods are symmetrically connected with the two reducing mechanisms in pairs respectively, a telescopic rod is further arranged on one side of the connecting node, and the free end of the telescopic rod is connected with the driving mechanism; according to the wheel mechanism with the variable diameter and the variable wheel face shape, the adopted diameter changing mechanism is coherent and tight, the movement of any part can drive the whole to change, the structure is simple, and stepless diameter changing of the wheel is achieved between the completely-unfolded state and the completely-folded state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of mechanical engineering, and in particular to a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of the automobile industry, people's demand for special functions of vehicles is increasing. In certain specific situations, vehicles with specific functions are needed to complete tasks. For example, when performing rescue and disaster relief tasks in a narrow space or poor road conditions, there are extremely high requirements for the spatial passability of the car and the ability to overcome obstacles in complex terrain. The diameter of traditional wheels is usually fixed. Compared with cars, the wheel diameters of vehicles such as off-road vehicles and harvesters are larger. The larger wheel diameter can provide better obstacle crossing ability. The change of the wheel surface morphology of traditional wheels mainly depends on the patterns of different tire treads to adapt to the requirements of wheels under different road conditions. However, since traditional wheels cannot change their own size in different spaces, they cannot adjust the wheel surface morphology to adapt to road conditions under complex road conditions. This makes the passability of traditional wheels unable to meet people's needs in some specific environments. For this reason, a variable diameter wheel that can change the diameter and wheel surface morphology compared to traditional wheels is designed to effectively ensure that the wheel has good passability in some specific situations and complex terrains. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape, so as to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned background technology that the traditional wheels have poor passability under special circumstances due to the fixed diameter and wheel tread shape, and the existing variable diameter wheels generally have a fixed diameter size and a single road surface shape.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape, comprising two sets of symmetrically arranged diameter-changing mechanisms, the two sets of diameter-changing mechanisms being connected by a plurality of connecting mechanisms, the connecting mechanisms synchronously driving the diameter-changing mechanisms to expand and contract, and a driving mechanism being arranged at the center of the two sets of diameter-changing mechanisms;

[0005] Several groups of the connecting mechanisms all include a connecting node, and four connecting rods are evenly connected to the periphery of the connecting node. The four connecting rods are symmetrically connected to the two groups of the reducing mechanisms in pairs. A telescopic rod is also provided on one side of the connecting node, and the free end of the telescopic rod is connected to the driving mechanism. The connecting node is pushed to move linearly in a fixed direction through the telescopic movement of the telescopic rod, thereby driving the reducing mechanism to expand and contract.

[0006] Preferably, the two groups of reducing mechanisms each include a plurality of first reducing parts and a plurality of second reducing parts connected to the first reducing parts via connecting members, and the first reducing parts are arranged on a side of the first reducing parts away from the connecting rod.

[0007] Preferably, each group of the first reducing parts and the second reducing parts is provided with 12, and the first reducing parts and the second reducing parts are each composed of two parts of equal length, and the angle between the two parts is 150°, and pulling any one of the parts can drive the whole to expand and contract.

[0008] Preferably, the connecting member includes protruding rods arranged at both ends and the center of the first reducing part on one side close to the second reducing part, and grooves adapted to the protruding rods are arranged at both ends and the center of the second reducing part on one side close to the first reducing part.

[0009] Preferably, the first reducing part and the second reducing part are connected in such a way that the protruding rod at the center of the first reducing part is cooperatively connected with the groove at the center of the second reducing part, and the protruding rods at both ends of the first reducing part are respectively connected with the grooves at one end of the adjacent second reducing part.

[0010] Preferably, both ends of the connecting rod are set to be spherical, and the outer end of the first reducing part close to the connecting rod and the connecting node are provided with a circular groove adapted to the sphere, and the circular groove is larger than the semicircle.

[0011] Preferably, the driving mechanism drives the telescopic rod to change the shape of the wheel, and the driving mechanism is also used to provide forward or backward power for the wheel mechanism.

[0012] Therefore, the present invention adopts the above-mentioned wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0013] (1) Through the use of a diameter-changing mechanism, the maximum outer ring diameter in the unfolded state is approximately 1.8 times the maximum outer ring diameter in the folded state, and the diameter-changing range is relatively large;

[0014] (2) The wheel can hover at any diameter within the maximum and minimum diameter range, and can achieve stepless diameter change between the fully unfolded state and the fully folded state;

[0015] (3) The wheel surface shape can be changed in accordance with the diameter change to improve the different performances of the wheel. Under the same driving mechanism, the outer wheel surface shape can be changed to a nearly circular shape when the diameter is small, so as to reduce the rolling resistance;

[0016] (4) The variable diameter mechanism used is tightly connected. The movement of any part can drive the overall change. It has a simple structure and strong continuity.

[0017] The technical solution of the present invention is further described in detail below through the accompanying drawings and embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape according to the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a fully folded state of a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a semi-expanded state of a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a fully deployed state of a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure numerals: 1, diameter-changing mechanism; 101, first diameter-changing part; 102, second diameter-changing part; 2, connecting rod; 3, connecting node; 4, telescopic rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention claimed for protection, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] See also Figure 1A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape includes two symmetrically arranged groups of reducing mechanisms 1, the two groups of reducing mechanisms 1 as a whole serve as the entire wheel, each group of reducing mechanisms 1 and the two groups of reducing mechanisms 1 include 12 first reducing parts 101 and 12 second reducing parts 102 connected to the first reducing parts 101 through connecting parts, and the first reducing parts 101 are arranged on the side of the first reducing parts 101 away from the connecting rod 2. The connecting part includes a protruding rod arranged at both ends and the center of the first reducing part 101 close to the second reducing part 102, and a groove matching the protruding rod is arranged at both ends and the center of the second reducing part 102 close to the first reducing part 101; the protruding rod can rotate freely in the groove, and the connection method between the first reducing part 101 and the second reducing part 102 is: the protruding rod at the center of the first reducing part 101 is matched with the groove at the center of the second reducing part 102, and the protruding rods at both ends of the first reducing part 101 are respectively connected to the groove at one end of the second reducing part 102 adjacent to it; according to this connection method, a closed loop can be formed, and dragging any first reducing part 101 can drive the movement of the entire wheel mechanism. The first reducing part 101 and the second reducing part 102 are both composed of two parts of equal length, and the angle between the two parts is 150°. In this embodiment, when the length of the first reducing part 101 and the second reducing part 102 is set to 105mm, when in a fully folded state, such as Figure 2 As shown, its maximum outer diameter is about 437mm; when fully expanded, Figure 4 As shown, the maximum outer ring diameter is approximately 782 mm; the maximum outer ring diameter in the fully unfolded state is approximately 1.8 times the maximum outer ring diameter in the fully folded state.

[0025] The two diameter-changing mechanisms 1 included in this embodiment are expanded or contracted synchronously, and the distance between them is fixed. The two diameter-changing mechanisms 1 are connected by a connecting mechanism, and the connecting mechanism synchronously drives the diameter-changing mechanisms 1 to expand and contract. The connecting mechanisms include a connecting node 3, and four connecting rods 2 are evenly connected to the periphery of the connecting node 3. The four connecting rods 2 are symmetrically connected to the two groups of diameter-changing mechanisms 1 in pairs. A telescopic rod 4 is also provided on one side of the connecting node 3, and the free end of the telescopic rod 4 is connected to a driving mechanism arranged between the two groups of diameter-changing mechanisms 1. The telescopic movement of the telescopic rod 4 is used to promote the linear movement of the connecting node 3 in a fixed direction, thereby driving the diameter-changing mechanism 1 to expand and contract.

[0026] Both ends of the connecting rod 2 are set to be spherical, and the outer end of the first reducing part 101 close to the connecting rod 2 and the connecting node 3 are provided with circular grooves adapted to the sphere, and the circular groove is larger than the semicircle, so that the sphere at one end of the connecting rod 2 can rotate freely and will not fall off after being inserted into the circular groove. Therefore, the whole includes 6 sets of connecting mechanisms.

[0027] In addition to providing telescopic movement, the driving mechanism also has its own rotational movement, which is transmitted to the entire wheel through the connection of the telescopic rod 4, providing the wheel with forward or backward power.

[0028] When the wheel mechanism in this embodiment is used in a specific application, it is specifically as follows:

[0029] When the space that the trolley can pass through is small and the terrain is complex, the telescopic rod 4 connected to the driving mechanism should be retracted to drive the connection node 3 to move inward. Since the distance between the two diameter-changing mechanisms 1 is fixed, the inward movement of the connection node 3 will pull the four connecting rods 2 to retract, so the angle between the two connecting rods 2 fixed on the same diameter-changing mechanism 1 will decrease, thereby driving the diameter-changing mechanism 1 to retract. Figure 2 As shown, the wheel is in a fully folded state, in which the wheel diameter is the smallest and the outer wheel surface presents the sharpest tip. This wheel shape will enable the wheel to still have a certain obstacle surmounting ability even when the diameter is smaller. Compared with the wheel with a larger diameter in the unfolded state, the wheel diameter in this state is smaller and the wheel's rotational inertia is smaller. Under the same driving mechanism, more power can be used to improve the wheel's obstacle surmounting ability.

[0030] When the space that the trolley passes through is large, the telescopic rod 4 connected to the driving mechanism should be extended to drive the connection node 3 to move outward. When the connection node 3 moves outward, the four connecting rods 2 will be stretched out, so that the angle between the two connecting rods 2 fixed on the same diameter reducing mechanism 1 will become larger, thereby driving the expansion of the diameter reducing mechanism 1. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the diameter-changing mechanism 1 is not fully unfolded, the wheel diameter is larger than that in the fully folded state, and the outer wheel surface gradually becomes smoother. Figure 4 As shown in the figure, when the wheel is fully unfolded, the wheel diameter becomes the largest, and the outer wheel surface of the wheel presents a regular dodecagon. At this time, the overall wheel surface shape is closest to a circle, which also ensures that the wheel diameter can be increased to obtain better passability when space is not restricted, while minimizing the rolling resistance of the wheel. Compared with wheels with smaller diameters, wheels with larger diameters have greater rotational inertia. When the power output by the drive mechanism is constant, the smaller rolling resistance allows the drive mechanism to provide more power for the movement of the wheel.

[0031] Therefore, the present invention adopts the above-mentioned wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape, which can change its own size in different spaces and can effectively ensure that the wheel has good passability in some specific situations and complex terrains.

[0032] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify or replace the technical solution of the present invention with equivalents, and these modifications or equivalent replacements cannot cause the modified technical solution to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape, characterized in that: It comprises two groups of symmetrically arranged diameter-changing mechanisms, the two groups of diameter-changing mechanisms are connected by a plurality of groups of connecting mechanisms, and a driving mechanism is arranged at the center of the two groups of diameter-changing mechanisms; Several groups of the connecting mechanisms all include a connecting node, and four connecting rods are evenly connected to the periphery of the connecting node. The four connecting rods are symmetrically connected to the two groups of the reducing mechanisms in pairs. A telescopic rod is also provided on one side of the connecting node, and the free end of the telescopic rod is connected to the driving mechanism.

2. A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two groups of the reducing mechanisms each include a plurality of first reducing parts and a plurality of second reducing parts connected to the first reducing parts via connecting members, and the first reducing parts are arranged on a side of the first reducing parts away from the connecting rod.

3. A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each group of the first reducing parts and the second reducing parts is provided with 12 pieces, and the first reducing parts and the second reducing parts are each composed of two parts of equal length, and the angle between the two parts is 150°.

4. A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting member includes protruding rods arranged at both ends and the center of the first reducing part close to the second reducing part, and grooves adapted to the protruding rods are arranged at both ends and the center of the second reducing part close to the first reducing part.

5. A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first reducing part and the second reducing part are connected in the following manner: the protruding rod at the center of the first reducing part is matched with the groove at the center of the second reducing part, and the protruding rods at both ends of the first reducing part are respectively connected with the grooves at one end of the adjacent second reducing part.

6. A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape according to claim 2, characterized in that: Both ends of the connecting rod are set to be spherical, and the outer end of the first diameter reducing part close to the connecting rod and the connecting node are both provided with a circular groove adapted to the sphere, and the circular groove is larger than the semicircle.

7. A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel tread shape according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism drives the telescopic rod to change the shape of the wheel, and the driving mechanism is also used to provide the wheel mechanism with forward or backward power.

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