Wheel mechanism with variable diameter and tread configuration

Abstract

The application discloses a variable-diameter and variable-wheel-face car wheel mechanism, and belongs to the technical field of mechanical engineering, which comprises two groups of variable-diameter mechanisms arranged symmetrically, is connected through a plurality of groups of connecting mechanisms between the two groups of variable-diameter mechanisms, and is provided with a driving mechanism at the center of the two groups of variable-diameter mechanisms; each of the plurality of groups of connecting mechanisms comprises a connecting node, the periphery of the connecting node is uniformly connected with four connecting rods, the four connecting rods are symmetrically connected with the two groups of variable-diameter mechanisms respectively, one side of the connecting node is further provided with a telescopic rod, and the free end of the telescopic rod is connected with the driving mechanism; the variable-diameter and variable-wheel-face car wheel mechanism provided by the application adopts the variable-diameter mechanism which is coherent and compact, the movement of any part can drive the whole change, the structure is simple, and the stepless variable-diameter of the car wheel between the fully unfolded state and the fully folded state is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechanical engineering technology, and in particular to a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of the automotive industry, people's demand for special vehicle functions is increasing. In certain specific situations, vehicles with specific functions are needed to complete tasks. For example, when performing disaster relief missions in confined spaces or with poor road conditions, there are extremely high requirements for the vehicle's space-handling ability and obstacle-crossing ability in complex terrain. Traditional wheels usually have a fixed diameter. Compared to passenger cars, off-road vehicles, harvesters, and other vehicles have larger wheel diameters. Larger wheel diameters provide better obstacle-crossing capabilities. The tread pattern of traditional wheels is mainly changed by altering the tread pattern to adapt to different road conditions. However, because traditional wheels cannot change their size in different spaces or adjust their tread pattern to adapt to complex road conditions, their passability cannot meet people's needs in certain environments. Therefore, designing a variable-diameter wheel that can change its diameter and tread pattern compared to traditional wheels can effectively ensure good passability in certain specific situations and complex terrains. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape to solve the problems in the background art, such as the poor passability of traditional wheels in special situations due to their fixed diameter and wheel surface shape, and the fact that existing variable diameter wheels generally have a fixed variable diameter and a single road surface shape.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape, including two sets of variable diameter mechanisms symmetrically arranged, the two sets of variable diameter mechanisms being connected by several sets of connecting mechanisms, the connecting mechanisms synchronously driving the variable diameter mechanisms to expand and contract, and a driving mechanism being provided at the center of the two sets of variable diameter mechanisms.

[0005] Each of the several sets of connecting mechanisms includes a connecting node. Four connecting rods are evenly connected to the periphery of the connecting node. The four connecting rods are symmetrically connected to two sets of the diameter-changing mechanisms. A telescopic rod is also provided on one side of the connecting node. The free end of the telescopic rod is connected to the driving mechanism. The telescopic movement of the telescopic rod pushes the connecting node to move linearly in a fixed direction, thereby driving the diameter-changing mechanism to expand and contract.

[0006] Preferably, both sets of the diameter changing mechanism include a plurality of first diameter changing parts and a plurality of second diameter changing parts connected to the first diameter changing parts by a connector, and the second diameter changing parts are disposed on the side of the first diameter changing parts away from the connecting rod.

[0007] Preferably, each set of variable diameter mechanisms has 12 first variable diameter parts and 12 second variable diameter parts, and each first variable diameter part and each second variable diameter part is composed of two parts of equal length. Pulling any one of the parts can cause the whole to expand and contract.

[0008] Preferably, the connector includes protrusions at both ends and the center of the first variable diameter part near the second variable diameter part, and grooves adapted to the protrusions are provided at both ends and the center of the second variable diameter part near the first variable diameter part.

[0009] Preferably, the connection between the first variable diameter part and the second variable diameter part is as follows: the protrusion at the center of the first variable diameter part is connected to the groove at the center of the second variable diameter part, and the protrusions at both ends of the first variable diameter part are respectively connected to the groove at one end of the adjacent second variable diameter part.

[0010] Preferably, both ends of the connecting rod are spherical, and the outer end of the first variable diameter part near the connecting rod and the connecting node are both provided with circular grooves that fit the spherical shape, and the circular grooves are larger than semicircles.

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

[0012] Therefore, the present invention employs a wheel mechanism with a variable diameter and wheel surface shape as described above, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0013] (1) By using a variable diameter mechanism, the maximum outer diameter in the unfolded state is about 1.8 times the maximum outer diameter in the folded state, and the variable diameter range is large;

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

[0015] (3) The wheel surface shape can be changed to match the diameter to improve the different performance of the wheel. Under the same drive mechanism, the outer wheel surface shape can be changed to an approximate circle when the diameter is small, so as to reduce rolling resistance.

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

[0017] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This 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 This is a schematic diagram of the fully folded state of a wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape according to the present invention.

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

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

[0022] Reference numerals: 1. Variable diameter mechanism; 101. First variable diameter part; 102. Second variable diameter part; 2. Connecting rod; 3. Connecting node; 4. Telescopic rod. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0024] Please see Figure 1A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape includes two sets of variable diameter mechanisms 1 arranged symmetrically. The two sets of variable diameter mechanisms 1 together form the whole wheel. Each set of variable diameter mechanisms 1 includes 12 first variable diameter parts 101 and 12 second variable diameter parts 102 connected to the first variable diameter parts 101 by connecting members. The second variable diameter parts 102 are located on the side of the first variable diameter parts 101 away from the connecting rod 2. The connector includes protrusions at both ends and the center of the first variable diameter part 101 near the second variable diameter part 102. The second variable diameter part 102 has grooves at both ends and the center near the first variable diameter part 101 that fit the protrusions. The protrusions can rotate freely within the grooves. The connection between the first variable diameter part 101 and the second variable diameter part 102 is as follows: the protrusion at the center of the first variable diameter part 101 engages with the groove at the center of the second variable diameter part 102; the protrusions at both ends of the first variable diameter part 101 are respectively connected to the grooves at one end of the adjacent second variable diameter part 102. This connection method forms a closed loop, and dragging either the first variable diameter part 101 will drive the movement of the entire wheel mechanism. Both the first variable diameter part 101 and the second variable diameter part 102 are composed of two parts of equal length. In this embodiment, when the length of the parts of the first variable diameter part 101 and the second variable diameter part 102 is set to 105mm, when in a fully folded state, as... Figure 2 As shown, its maximum outer diameter is approximately 437 mm; when fully unfolded, as... Figure 4 As shown, the maximum outer diameter is approximately 782 mm; the maximum outer diameter in the fully unfolded state is approximately 1.8 times the maximum outer diameter in the fully folded state.

[0025] In this embodiment, the two diameter-changing mechanisms 1 expand or contract synchronously, and the distance between them is fixed. The two diameter-changing mechanisms 1 are connected by a connecting mechanism. The connecting mechanism synchronously drives the diameter-changing mechanisms 1 to expand and contract. Each connecting mechanism includes a connecting node 3. 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 sets of diameter-changing mechanisms 1 in pairs. A telescopic rod 4 is also provided on one side of the connecting node 3. The free end of the telescopic rod 4 is connected to the driving mechanism provided between the two sets of diameter-changing mechanisms 1. The telescopic movement of the telescopic rod 4 drives the connecting node 3 to move linearly in a fixed direction, thereby driving the diameter-changing mechanism 1 to expand and contract.

[0026] Both ends of the connecting rod 2 are spherical. The outer end of the first variable diameter part 101 near the connecting rod 2 and the connecting node 3 are both provided with circular grooves that fit the spherical shape. The circular grooves are larger than semicircles, so that the spherical part at one end of the connecting rod 2 can rotate freely and not fall off after being inserted into the circular grooves. Therefore, the whole assembly contains a total of 6 sets of connecting mechanisms.

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

[0028] When the wheel mechanism in this embodiment is applied in a specific way, it is 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 drive mechanism should be retracted to move the connecting node 3 inward. Since the distance between the two diameter-changing mechanisms 1 is fixed, as the connecting node 3 moves inward, it will pull the four connecting rods 2 to retract. Therefore, the angle between the two connecting rods 2 fixed on the same diameter-changing mechanism 1 will decrease, thereby causing the diameter-changing mechanism 1 to retract. Figure 2 As shown, this is the state when the wheel is fully folded. In this state, the wheel diameter is the smallest, and the outer wheel surface has the sharpest point. This wheel shape allows the wheel to still have a certain obstacle-crossing ability despite its small diameter. Compared to the larger diameter wheel in the unfolded state, the smaller diameter and smaller moment of inertia of the wheel in this state mean that more power can be used to improve the wheel's obstacle-crossing ability with the same drive mechanism.

[0030] When the space traversed by the trolley is large, the telescopic rod 4 connected to the drive mechanism should be extended to move the connecting node 3 outward. As the connecting node 3 moves outward, it will expand the four connecting rods 2, thus increasing the angle between the two connecting rods 2 fixed to the same diameter-changing mechanism 1, thereby causing the diameter-changing mechanism 1 to unfold. Figure 3 As shown, this is the state where the variable diameter mechanism 1 is not fully deployed. The wheel diameter is larger than in the fully folded state, and the outer wheel surface gradually becomes smoother. Figure 4 As shown, when the wheel is fully extended, its diameter reaches its maximum, and the outer surface of the wheel resembles a regular dodecagon. At this point, the overall wheel shape is closest to a circle. This ensures that, in situations where space is unrestricted, a larger wheel diameter allows for better maneuverability while minimizing rolling resistance. Compared to a smaller diameter wheel, a larger diameter wheel has a greater moment of inertia. With a fixed power output from the drive mechanism, lower rolling resistance allows the drive mechanism to provide more power for the wheel's movement.

[0031] Therefore, the present invention adopts a wheel mechanism with a variable diameter and wheel surface shape, which can change its size in different spaces and 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 solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these modifications or equivalent substitutions cannot cause the modified technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape, characterized in that: It includes two sets of symmetrically arranged variable diameter mechanisms, which are connected by several sets of connecting mechanisms, and a driving mechanism is provided at the center of the two sets of variable diameter mechanisms; Each of the several sets of connecting mechanisms includes 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 two sets of the variable diameter mechanism respectively. 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. Both sets of the variable diameter mechanism include a plurality of first variable diameter parts and a plurality of second variable diameter parts connected to the first variable diameter parts by a connector, and the second variable diameter parts are disposed on the side of the first variable diameter parts away from the connecting rod; Each set of diameter changing mechanism has 12 first diameter changing parts and 12 second diameter changing parts, and each first diameter changing part and the second diameter changing part is composed of two parts of equal length. The connector includes protrusions at both ends and the center of the first variable diameter part near the second variable diameter part, and grooves adapted to the protrusions are provided at both ends and the center of the second variable diameter part near the first variable diameter part. Both ends of the connecting rod are spherical. The outer end of the first variable diameter part near the connecting rod and the connecting node are both provided with circular grooves that fit the spherical shape, and the circular grooves are larger than semicircles. The drive mechanism drives the telescopic rod to change the shape of the wheel, and the drive mechanism is also used to provide forward or backward power to the wheel mechanism.

2. The wheel mechanism with variable diameter and wheel surface shape according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection method between the first variable diameter part and the second variable diameter part is as follows: the protrusion at the center of the first variable diameter part is connected to the groove at the center of the second variable diameter part, and the protrusions at both ends of the first variable diameter part are respectively connected to the groove at one end of the adjacent second variable diameter part.

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