Deformation wheel with reconfigurable wheel-track form

Abstract

A deformable wheel with reconfigurable wheel-track forms relates to the field of mobile robots, realizes rapid switching of a wheel form formed by hub pieces from a circular wheel type structure to a non-circular track type structure through position change of a guide sleeve, and can adapt to complex terrains such as stairs, grassland and sand. The connecting rod mechanism is adopted to drive the hub pieces to move in the radial direction, transverse movement is avoided, meanwhile, the axial size is greatly reduced, and the whole deformation wheel is more compact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mobile robots, and more specifically to a reconfigurable deformable wheel with a track-like shape. Background Technology

[0002] With the aging population, the demand for stair-climbing assistive devices among people with mobility impairments is increasing. Traditional wheelchairs can only travel on flat ground and cannot handle complex terrains such as stairs; existing stair-climbing robots mostly adopt a wheel-track hybrid structure, which suffers from problems such as large weight, low mechanical efficiency, and high cost. Currently, key technologies for wheel-track deformable robots still need further breakthroughs to ensure further improvements in simplicity, practicality, adaptability, and reliability. Therefore, developing a compact, low-cost, and highly adaptable wheel-track reconfigurable deformable wheel for application in stair-climbing robots has significant social and economic value. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the above technologies, this utility model provides a reconfigurable deformable wheel that can efficiently switch between wheel and track configurations and adapt to various terrains.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to overcome its technical problem is:

[0005] A reconfigurable deformable wheel with a track-like configuration includes:

[0006] A wheel axle, the axis of which is set horizontally;

[0007] The axle disc is coaxially connected to the head end of the wheel axle for transmission.

[0008] Several wheel hub pieces, each wheel hub piece having an arc-shaped structure;

[0009] The guide sleeve has a through hole along the axial direction at its center. The tail end of the wheel axle passes through the through hole, and the guide sleeve is coaxially connected to the wheel axle for transmission.

[0010] The guide sleeve drive mechanism is mounted on the vehicle body and is used to drive the guide sleeve to move left and right along the axial direction of the wheel axle;

[0011] Several support rods are provided. The head end of each support rod is hinged to the corresponding hub piece via a pin I. The tail end of the support rod is hinged to the axle disc and connected to the elastic reset mechanism via a linkage mechanism. When the support rod swings towards the axis of the wheel axle, the elastic reset mechanism compresses and stores energy. When the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve to move to the position closest to the axle disc, each elastic reset mechanism drives the support rod to swing outward through the linkage mechanism until each hub piece is arranged around each other in a circumferential direction.

[0012] Furthermore, the aforementioned axle disc and the front end of the wheel axle are connected by a flat key drive.

[0013] Furthermore, the aforementioned guide sleeve is connected to the wheel axle via a guide key.

[0014] Furthermore, the aforementioned guide sleeve drive mechanism includes a retaining ring rotatably mounted on the rear end of the guide sleeve, a motor mounted on the vehicle body, a rotating rod, and a swing rod. The retaining ring is coaxial with the guide sleeve. One end of the rotating rod is connected to the output shaft of the motor, and the other end is hinged to one end of the swing rod via pin VIII. The other end of the swing rod is hinged to the retaining ring via pin IX.

[0015] Furthermore, the wheel hub includes wheel hub I and wheel hub II. Wheel hub I is located at the front end of wheel hub II. Each wheel hub I is evenly spaced along the circumferential direction, and each wheel hub II is evenly spaced along the circumferential direction. A wheel hub II is staggered at the rear end of every two adjacent wheel hub I.

[0016] Furthermore, the aforementioned linkage mechanism includes a driven rocker arm, an actuating link, and a driven connecting rod. The tail end of the driven rocker arm is hinged to the shaft disc via pin II, and its head end is hinged to the support rod via pin VI. The head end of the actuating link is hinged to the middle part of the driven rocker arm via pin III, and the tail end of the actuating link is connected to the corresponding elastic reset mechanism. The tail end of the driven link is hinged to the actuating link via pin IV, and its head end is hinged to the tail end of the support rod via pin VII. The actuating link is parallel to the support rod.

[0017] Furthermore, the aforementioned elastic reset mechanism includes a plurality of guide holes arranged circumferentially around the through hole in the guide sleeve. The axis of the guide holes is arranged horizontally. A guide rod is inserted into the guide hole. One end of the spring is connected to the tail end of the guide rod, and the other end is connected to the tail end of the guide hole. The head end of the guide rod is hinged to the tail end of the actuator rod through pin V. When the support rod swings towards the axis of the wheel axle, the guide rod slides horizontally inward and compresses the spring.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: by changing the position of the guide sleeve, the vehicle shape composed of each hub piece can be quickly switched from a circular wheel structure to a non-circular track structure, which can adapt to complex terrains such as stairs, grass, and sand. The hub piece is driven to move radially by a linkage mechanism, which will not have lateral movement, and at the same time, the axial dimension is greatly reduced, making the entire deformable wheel more compact. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is the main view of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2AA-direction cross-sectional structure diagram;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the guide sleeve portion of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the present invention applied to a wheelchair;

[0024] Figure 6 A diagram illustrating the process of preparing a wheelchair for climbing stairs.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the state of a wheelchair climbing stairs;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the guide sleeve drive mechanism of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of the rocker arm portion of this utility model;

[0028] In the diagram, 1. Guide sleeve; 2. Hub plate I; 3. Hub plate II; 4. Support rod; 5. Pin I; 6. Shaft disc; 7. Driven rocker arm; 8. Actuating link; 9. Snap ring; 10. Driven link; 11. Guide rod; 12. Spring; 13. Wheel axle; 14. Pin II; 15. Pin III; 16. Pin IV; 17. Pin V; 18. Pin VI; 19. Pin VII; 20. Through hole; 21. Guide hole; 22. Motor; 23. Rotating rod; 24. Rocker arm; 25. Pin VIII; 26. Pin IX. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 To be continued Figure 9 The present invention will be further described below.

[0030] As attached Figure 1 and attached Figure 2As shown, a reconfigurable deformable wheel with a track-like shape includes: an axle 13, whose axis is arranged horizontally; an axle disc 6, coaxially connected to the head end of the axle 13; several hub pieces, each hub piece having an arc-shaped structure; a guide sleeve 1, whose center has a through hole 20 along the axial direction, through which the tail end of the axle 13 passes, and the guide sleeve 1 is coaxially connected to the axle 13; a guide sleeve drive mechanism, mounted on the vehicle body, for driving the guide sleeve 1 to move left and right along the axial direction of the axle 13; and several support rods 4, the head end of each support rod 4 connected by a pin I. 5 is hinged to the corresponding wheel hub piece. The tail end of the support rod 4 is hinged to the axle disc 6 and the elastic reset mechanism through a linkage mechanism. When the support rod 4 swings towards the axis of the wheel axle 13, the elastic reset mechanism compresses and stores energy. When the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve 1 to move to the position closest to the axle disc 6, each elastic reset mechanism drives the support rod 4 to swing outward through the linkage mechanism until each wheel hub piece is arranged in a circular pattern. When the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve 1 to move to the leftmost end, each elastic reset mechanism drives each support rod 4 to swing outward through the linkage mechanism until each wheel hub piece forms a circular wheel state, satisfying the wheel's shape on flat ground. When the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve 1 to move to the rightmost end, and when the wheel travels to climb stairs or cross obstacles, the hub plate at the contact position with the obstacle is squeezed and its drive support rod 4 swings towards the axis of the wheel axle 13. The support rod 4 drives the corresponding elastic reset mechanism to compress through the linkage mechanism, and the wheel changes from round to non-round, realizing the transformation of the wheel from round to tracked, ensuring that the hub plate increases the ground contact area with the obstacle, improving traction and stability, and realizing the function of crossing obstacles.

[0031] As attached Figure 5 This utility model provides a specific embodiment in which it is applied to a wheelchair as a wheelchair wheel, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 6 As shown, when the wheelchair is traveling on a flat road, the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve 1 to move to the leftmost end, at which point the various wheel hub pieces form a circular wheel shape. (See attached diagram.) Figure 7 As shown, when the wheelchair climbs the stairs, the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve 1 to move to the rightmost end. The wheel changes from a circle to a non-circular shape, realizing the transformation of the wheel from a wheel type to a track type. This increases the contact area with the stairs, improves the traction and stability when climbing the stairs, and meets the function of overcoming obstacles.

[0032] As attached Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment of this utility model, the shaft disc 6 and the front end of the wheel axle 13 are connected by a key. The guide sleeve 1 and the wheel axle 13 are connected by a guide key. Both the shaft disc 6 and the guide sleeve 1 are connected to the wheel axle 13 by key, which is simple to install and reliable in operation.

[0033] As attached Figure 8and attached Figure 9 As shown, in one embodiment of this utility model, the guide sleeve drive mechanism includes a retaining ring 9 rotatably mounted on the rear end of the guide sleeve 1, a motor 22 mounted on the vehicle body, a rotating rod 23, and a swing rod 24. The retaining ring 9 is coaxial with the guide sleeve 1. One end of the rotating rod 23 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 22, and the other end is hinged to one end of the swing rod 24 via pin VIII 25. The other end of the swing rod 24 is hinged to the retaining ring 9 via pin IX 26. The motor 22 rotates, thereby driving the rotating rod 23 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. While the rotating rod 23 drives the swing rod 24 to swing, the swing rod 24 drives the retaining ring 9 to move axially. Since the retaining ring 9 is rotatably connected to the guide sleeve 1, the guide sleeve 1 can move left and right along the axial direction of the wheel axle 13.

[0034] In one embodiment of this utility model, the hub plate includes hub plate I 2 and hub plate II 3. Hub plate I 2 is located at the front end of hub plate II 3. The hub plates I 2 are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction, and the hub plates II 3 are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction. The rear ends of every two adjacent hub plates I 2 are staggered with one hub plate II 3. By staggering the hub plates I 2 and hub plates II 3 at the front and rear ends, it can maintain full contact with stairs or obstacles after deformation, greatly improving obstacle crossing ability, meeting the needs of various terrain switching, and improving movement efficiency.

[0035] In one embodiment of this utility model, the linkage mechanism includes a driven rocker arm 7, an actuating link 8, and a driven link 10. The tail end of the driven rocker arm 7 is hinged to the shaft disk 6 via pin II 14, and its head end is hinged to the support rod 4 via pin VI 18. The head end of the actuating link 8 is hinged to the middle part of the driven rocker arm 7 via pin III 15, and the tail end of the actuating link 8 is connected to the corresponding elastic reset mechanism. The tail end of the driven link 10 is hinged to the actuating link 8 via pin IV 16, and its head end is hinged to the tail end of the support rod 4 via pin VII 19. The actuating link 8 is parallel to the support rod 4. When the support rod 4 swings towards the axis of the wheel axle 13, it drives the driven rocker arm 7 and the driven link 10 to swing. The driven link 10 drives the elastic reset mechanism to compress and store energy through the actuating link 8. When the support rod 4 swings outward, the elastic reset mechanism releases energy and drives the driven rocker arm 7 to rotate in the opposite direction to the driven link 10 through the actuator link 8.

[0036] In one embodiment of this utility model, as shown in the appendix Figure 4As shown, the elastic reset mechanism includes several guide holes 21 arranged circumferentially around the through hole 20 in the guide sleeve 1. The axis of the guide holes 21 is arranged horizontally. The guide rod 11 is inserted into the guide hole 21. One end of the spring 12 is connected to the tail end of the guide rod 11, and the other end is connected to the tail end of the guide hole 21. The head end of the guide rod 11 is hinged to the tail end of the actuating link 8 through the pin V 17. When the support rod 4 swings towards the axis of the wheel axle 13, the guide rod 11 slides horizontally inward and compresses the spring 12. (See attached diagram) Figure 3 As shown, when the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve 1 to the leftmost end, each guide rod 11 is inserted into the deepest part of the corresponding guide hole 21. At this time, the spring 12 is in a compressed state, and the guide rod 11 cannot slide inward into the guide hole 21. Therefore, the guide rod 11 drives each support rod 4 to swing outward through the linkage mechanism until each hub piece forms a circular wheel state, which meets the requirements of the wheel traveling quickly on flat ground. When the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve 1 to the rightmost end, the spring 12 is in a free state, that is, the guide rod 11 can slide in the guide hole 21 and compress the spring. When the wheel travels to climb stairs or cross obstacles, the hub piece at the contact position with the obstacle is squeezed and drives the support rod 4 to swing in the direction of the axis of the wheel axle 13. The support rod 4 drives the corresponding guide rod 11 to slide inward in the corresponding guide hole 21 through the linkage mechanism and compress the spring 12, realizing the transformation of the wheel from a circular shape to a tracked shape.

[0037] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable deformable wheel with a track-like shape, characterized in that, include: A wheel axle (13) has its axis set in the horizontal direction; The axle disc (6) is coaxially connected to the head end of the wheel axle (13) for transmission. Several wheel hub pieces, each wheel hub piece having an arc-shaped structure; The guide sleeve (1) has a through hole (20) in its center along the axial direction. The tail end of the wheel axle (13) passes through the through hole (20). The guide sleeve (1) and the wheel axle (13) are coaxially connected for transmission. The guide sleeve drive mechanism is installed on the vehicle body and is used to drive the guide sleeve (1) to move left and right along the axis of the wheel axle (13); Several support rods (4) are provided. The head end of each support rod (4) is hinged to the corresponding hub piece through a pin I (5). The tail end of the support rod (4) is hinged to the axle disc (6) and connected to the elastic reset mechanism through a linkage mechanism. When the support rod (4) swings towards the axis of the wheel axle (13), the elastic reset mechanism compresses and stores energy. When the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve (1) to move to the position closest to the axle disc (6), each elastic reset mechanism drives the support rod (4) to swing outward through the linkage mechanism until each hub piece is arranged around each other in the circumferential direction.

2. The reconfigurable deformable wheel with track-like shape according to claim 1, characterized in that: The axle disk (6) and the front end of the wheel axle (13) are connected by a flat key drive.

3. The reconfigurable deformable wheel with track-like shape according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide sleeve (1) and the wheel axle (13) are connected by a guide key.

4. The reconfigurable deformable wheel with track-like shape according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide sleeve drive mechanism includes a retaining ring (9) rotatably mounted on the rear end of the guide sleeve (1), a motor (22) mounted on the vehicle body, a rotating rod (23) and a swing rod (24). The retaining ring (9) is coaxial with the guide sleeve (1). One end of the rotating rod (23) is connected to the output shaft of the motor (22) for transmission, and the other end is hinged to one end of the swing rod (24) through a pin VIII (25). The other end of the swing rod (24) is hinged to the retaining ring (9) through a pin IX (26).

5. The reconfigurable deformable wheel with track-like shape according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wheel hub includes wheel hub I (2) and wheel hub II (3). Wheel hub I (2) is located at the front end of wheel hub II (3). Each wheel hub I (2) is evenly spaced along the circumference, and each wheel hub II (3) is evenly spaced along the circumference. A wheel hub II (3) is staggered at the rear end of every two adjacent wheel hub I (2).

6. The reconfigurable deformable wheel with track-like shape according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linkage mechanism includes a driven rocker arm (7), an actuating link (8), and a driven link (10). The tail end of the driven rocker arm (7) is hinged to the shaft disk (6) via pin II (14), and its head end is hinged to the support rod (4) via pin VI (18). The head end of the actuating link (8) is hinged to the middle part of the driven rocker arm (7) via pin III (15). The tail end of the actuating link (8) is connected to the corresponding elastic reset mechanism. The tail end of the driven link (10) is hinged to the actuating link (8) via pin IV (16), and its head end is hinged to the tail end of the support rod (4) via pin VII (19). The actuating link (8) is parallel to the support rod (4).

7. The reconfigurable deformable wheel with track-like shape according to claim 6, characterized in that: The elastic reset mechanism includes a plurality of guide holes (21) arranged around the through hole (20) in the guide sleeve (1) in a circumferential direction. The axis of the guide hole (21) is arranged in the horizontal direction. The guide rod (11) is inserted into the guide hole (21). One end of the spring (12) is connected to the tail end of the guide rod (11), and the other end is connected to the tail end of the guide hole (21). The head end of the guide rod (11) is hinged to the tail end of the actuator (8) through the pin V (17). When the support rod (4) swings towards the axis of the wheel axle (13), the guide rod (11) slides horizontally inward and compresses the spring (12). When the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve (1) to the position closest to the shaft disc (6), each spring (12) is in a compressed state. When the guide sleeve drive mechanism drives the guide sleeve (1) to the position furthest from the shaft disc (6), each spring (12) is in a free state.

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