An omnidirectional drive wheel
By adopting an omnidirectional drive wheel that combines a continuous ring tire with a drive mechanism, the problems of high cost and large vibration of existing omnidirectional drive wheels are solved, achieving low-cost, high-efficiency omnidirectional movement and stability, thus expanding the application scenarios of robots.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202522632511.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-11-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-12-11
Smart Images

Figure CN224928846U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of robot technology, and in particular to an omnidirectional drive wheel. Background Technology
[0002] Robots can be classified into wheeled, tracked, and legged types based on their drive chassis. Among them, wheeled robots use wheels to make point contact with the ground, and the rolling friction is much less than the sliding friction of tracks. Under the same power, they are 30%-50% faster than tracked robots, and have lower energy consumption and longer range, making them more suitable for fields that require speed, flexibility, and low wear.
[0003] As the application fields of wheeled robots develop, there is a need to increase the mobility of robots. To this end, omnidirectional drive wheels (Mecanum wheels, ball wheels, orthogonal wheels, continuously switching wheels, omnidirectional wheels, etc.) are applied to robots to form wheeled omnidirectional robots, thereby expanding the application scenarios of robots.
[0004] However, existing omnidirectional wheels are more expensive to manufacture. For example, the small rollers / rollers of a Mecanum wheel require high-precision machining, and the cost of an aluminum hub with rubber rollers is 3-5 times that of a traditional tire. At the same time, the torque of the inclined rollers of the Mecanum wheel is used to offset the lateral force, which will generate "internal force loss". As a result, under the same motor power, the net thrust efficiency of the omnidirectional drive wheel is 20%-30% lower than that of the differential drive wheel. Furthermore, the small rollers of the Mecanum wheel are "discontinuously arranged" due to the gaps in the single disc type, and the rollers contact the ground at an angle, which causes high-frequency micro-vibrations when the robot moves.
[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an omnidirectional drive wheel with a simpler structure that can reduce minor vibrations. Summary of the Invention
[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an omnidirectional drive wheel that uses a continuous annular tire and a drive mechanism to achieve both rolling and lateral movement of the drive wheel, thus achieving omnidirectional drive. It also avoids and eliminates the core vibration source of the Mecanum wheel, namely "intermittent impact of multiple components, force fluctuation, and gap vibration," resulting in significantly less vibration during lateral movement.
[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: an omnidirectional drive wheel, including a drive mechanism, a hub, and a tire. The tire is annularly mounted on the hub. The drive mechanism is installed in conjunction with the hub and includes a lateral drive component and a rolling drive component. The lateral drive component is used to drive the tire to roll circumferentially so that the drive wheel moves along the tire's centerline. The rolling drive component is used to drive the hub to rotate and drive the drive wheel to roll.
[0008] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: Understandably, the drive wheel of this utility model mainly includes a hub, a tire, and a drive mechanism. The tire has an overall ring-shaped structure and can be fitted onto the hub to form the main body of the drive wheel. The main body can be a cylindrical structure or a polygonal structure. Currently, in addition to circular wheels, there are also some irregularly shaped wheel structures. All of them can achieve rotation of the main body under the drive of the drive motor to achieve the purpose of movement. The tire can be an overall ring structure formed by a solid tube structure with a certain thickness, or it can be an annular structure formed by a hollow tube structure. Based on its usage scenario, the tire needs to have a certain rigidity, wear resistance, and elasticity. The common material for tires is rubber. In specific applications, steel rims (or other materials) can also be implanted inside the tire to enhance the structural stability of the tire and control the amount of tire deformation. The specific number and wire diameter can be adjusted according to the load of the drive wheel to ensure that the cooperation between the tire and the hub can achieve both the overall rotation of the hub and the rolling of the tire on the hub.
[0009] Based on the relationship between the tire and the wheel hub, when the driving tire rolls along its circumference, the vehicle body equipped with the driving wheel can move laterally, and the rotation of the driving wheel hub can drive the main body to roll, so the vehicle body equipped with the driving wheel can move forward and backward.
[0010] The rolling drive assembly can use an existing drive motor, which is directly connected to the wheel hub. When the drive motor is working, the wheel hub can be rotated, thereby achieving the overall rolling of the drive wheel.
[0011] The lateral drive assembly is used to drive the tire to roll circumferentially. The driving method is mainly frictional rolling, which causes the tire to roll on the rim. The lateral drive assembly can be located on one side or the inside of the tire's circumference. In either case, friction will cause the tire to roll on the rim, thus moving the drive wheel along the tire's centerline. Of course, to ensure that the tire remains on the rim under the action of the lateral drive assembly, necessary limiting components need to be installed on the rim to prevent the tire from separating from the rim.
[0012] Based on the aforementioned drive wheel structure, the tire tread is a continuous buffer layer with uniform thickness. During rolling, any minor unevenness on the ground can be buffered in real-time through the elastic deformation of the tread rubber, covering the entire contact area with no blind spots, and vibration is continuously absorbed. In contrast, the independent rollers of a Mecanum wheel only provide localized buffering, limited to the contact point of a single roller. The gaps between the rollers are buffer blind spots; if a small bump on the ground falls into one of these gaps, it will be directly transmitted to the vehicle body through the hub, unable to be buffered, resulting in direct vibration transmission and high-frequency micro-vibrations. Clearly, the drive wheel of this invention exhibits significantly less vibration during lateral movement, making it particularly suitable for scenarios requiring high stability, such as precision equipment handling and medical robots. Furthermore, the overall structure of the drive wheel is simpler, requiring at most two drive motors to achieve both the roller movement and lateral movement (lateral movement of the vehicle body equipped with the drive wheel), resulting in lower manufacturing and maintenance costs and facilitating wider adoption and use.
[0013] Furthermore, the tire has a ring structure, the rim has a disc structure, and the tire is fitted outside the rim so that the axis of the tire is collinear with the axis of the rim.
[0014] Furthermore, the lateral drive assembly includes a lateral driver and connecting components. The connecting component includes at least three drive gears, each drive gear is rotatably connected to the wheel hub and is evenly distributed in a ring along the inner wall of the tire. Each drive gear is in frictional rolling contact with the inside of the tire. Each drive gear rotates synchronously under the action of a lateral drive so that the tire rolls along its circumference.
[0015] Furthermore, the connecting components also include a central drive shaft and multiple transmission components, the same number as the drive gears. The central drive shaft is rotatably connected to the hub and to the transverse drive. The transmission component is used to connect the central drive shaft and the drive gear so that the rotation of the central drive shaft drives the rotation of the drive gear.
[0016] Furthermore, the transmission components include a worm gear, a first gear, a second gear, and a third gear. The central drive shaft is equipped with a worm gear that meshes with the worm wheel. The first gear rotates coaxially with the worm wheel, the third gear rotates coaxially with the drive gear, and the second gear is located between the first gear and the third gear and meshes with the first gear and the third gear respectively.
[0017] Furthermore, the wheel hub has an annular groove for securing the tire in the circumference, and the wheel hub has a mounting cavity inside. The mounting cavity has multiple communication ports that communicate with the annular groove, the same number as the number of drive gears. Each drive gear is rotatably arranged in the mounting cavity, and the outer part of the drive gear is located in the annular groove and makes frictional contact with the inner wall of the tire.
[0018] Furthermore, it also includes a lateral movement assist component, which comprises two sets of rollers. Each roller assembly includes multiple rollers, each roller is arranged in a ring along the inner wall of the tire in rolling contact with the tire and rotatably connected to the hub, and the axis of each roller is parallel to the axis of the drive gear; The two roller sets are located on both sides of the drive gear along its axis.
[0019] Furthermore, two mounting slots are provided around the circumference of the wheel hub. Each mounting slot includes multiple rolling grooves arranged around the circumference of the wheel hub. The number of rolling grooves is the same as the number of rolling wheels and they are installed one by one. Each rolling wheel is located in the corresponding rolling groove and is rotatably connected to the wheel hub and rolls in contact with the tire. Attached Figure Description
[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of this utility model; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an explosion structure; Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the drive wheel of this utility model without the mounting bracket; Figure 4 An exploded structural diagram of the drive wheel of this utility model without the mounting bracket; Figure 5 An exploded structural diagram of the drive wheel of this utility model, excluding the mounting bracket and tire; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a structure for the installation of the second mounting base and connecting components of this utility model. Figure 7 An exploded structural diagram of the first mounting base, the first cover plate, and the roller assembly of this utility model. Figure 8 for Figure 7 A structural diagram from another perspective.
[0021] In the figure: mounting bracket 10, rotation space 11, mounting part 12, hub 20, first cover plate 21, first fixing hole 211, first mounting seat 22, second mounting seat 23, second cover plate 24, mounting cavity 25, connecting cavity 251, semi-cavity structure 252, connecting port 253, positioning post 26, annular groove 27, tire 30, rolling drive assembly 41, lateral drive 42, central drive shaft 421, worm 43, worm wheel 44, transmission seat 45, slot 451, positioning part 452, drive gear 46, third gear 47, second gear 48, first gear 49, rolling wheel 51, mounting shaft 511, rolling groove 52, first pressing hole 521, roller group 510, connecting through groove 520. Detailed Implementation
[0022] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments.
[0023] like Figure 1-8 As shown, an omnidirectional drive wheel includes a drive mechanism, a hub 20, and a tire 30. The tire 30 is annularly mounted on the hub 20. The drive mechanism is installed in conjunction with the hub 20 and includes a lateral drive assembly and a rolling drive assembly 41. The lateral drive assembly is used to drive the tire 30 to roll circumferentially so that the drive wheel moves along the centerline of the tire 30. The rolling drive assembly 41 is used to drive the hub 20 to rotate and drive the drive wheel to roll.
[0024] Understandably, the drive wheel of this utility model mainly includes a hub 20, a tire 30, a drive mechanism, and a mounting bracket 10. The mounting bracket 10 facilitates the installation of the drive mechanism and also facilitates the connection of the entire drive wheel to the vehicle body. In this utility model, the structure mounted on both sides of the hub 20 for mounting the drive mechanism, based on the connection between the drive mechanism and the hub 20, ensures that the connection between the vehicle body and the mounting bracket 10 does not affect the rotation of the hub 20 or the rolling of the tire 30.
[0025] The tire 30 has an overall ring-shaped structure and can be fitted onto the hub 20 to form the main body of the drive wheel. The main body can be cylindrical or polygonal. Currently, in addition to circular wheels, there are also some irregularly shaped wheel structures, all of which can achieve rotation of the main body under the drive of the drive motor to achieve the purpose of movement. In this utility model, the tire 30 has a ring structure, and the hub 20 has a disc structure. The tire 30 is fitted onto the hub 20 so that the axis of the tire 30 is collinear with the axis of the hub 20, making the shape of the drive wheel similar to that of existing circular wheels. Circular wheels travel more smoothly, and the force on the ring-shaped tire 30 during the fitting process with the hub 20 is more balanced, making the layout and installation of the drive mechanism easier.
[0026] The tire 30 can be a ring structure formed by a solid tube with a certain thickness, or it can be a ring structure formed by a hollow tube. Based on its intended use, the tire 30 needs to possess a certain degree of rigidity, wear resistance, and elasticity. The tire 30 is commonly made of rubber. In specific applications, steel rims (or other materials) can be embedded inside the tire 30 to enhance its structural stability and control its deformation. The specific number and wire diameter can be adjusted according to the load on the drive wheel, ensuring that the tire 30 and the rim 20 work together to achieve both the overall rotation of the rim 20 and the rolling of the tire 30 on the rim 20.
[0027] Based on the cooperative relationship between the tire 30 and the wheel hub 20, when the driving tire 30 rolls along its circumference, the vehicle body equipped with the driving wheel can move laterally, and the rotation of the driving wheel hub 20 can drive the main body to roll, so that the vehicle body equipped with the driving wheel can move forward and backward.
[0028] To achieve the rotation of the wheel hub 20, the drive mechanism of this invention includes a rolling drive assembly 41, which is used to rotate the wheel hub 20. Since the wheel hub 20 of this invention adopts a circular structure, the rolling drive assembly 41 uses a drive motor. The drive motor can be a servo motor, stepper motor, or other electrically controllable motor. The drive motor is fixed on the mounting bracket 10, and its output shaft is fixed to and coaxially arranged with the wheel hub 20. Therefore, the operation of the drive motor enables the rotation of the wheel hub 20, thereby achieving the overall rolling of the drive wheel. Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the mounting bracket 10 has a rotational space 11 for engaging the wheel hub 20. The mounting bracket 10 is mounted on the wheel hub 20 and has mounting portions 12 located on both sides of the wheel hub 20. The drive motor is located on one side of the wheel hub 20 and fixed to one of the mounting portions 12. The output shaft of the drive motor is fixedly connected to the wheel hub 20. When the drive wheel needs to move forward or backward, the drive motor operates, which can drive the wheel hub 20 to rotate, thereby driving the drive wheel to be fixed, and the vehicle body equipped with the drive wheel can rotate.
[0029] The lateral drive assembly is used to drive the tire 30 to roll circumferentially. The driving method is mainly frictional rolling, which causes the tire 30 to roll on the hub 20. The lateral drive assembly can be located on one side of the tire 30 ring or on the inside of the tire 30. Both can drive the tire 30 to roll on the hub 20 under the action of friction, thereby moving the drive wheel along the centerline of the tire 30. In this utility model, the frictional drive contact position is located on the inside of the tire 30. Therefore, the lateral drive assembly needs to be located inside the hub 20 and in frictional contact with the tire 30. Specifically, the lateral drive assembly includes a lateral driver 42 and a connecting component. The connecting component includes at least three drive gears 46. Each drive gear 46 is rotatably connected to the hub 20 and is evenly distributed in a ring along the inner wall of the tire 30. Each drive gear 46 is in frictional rolling contact with the inside of the tire 30. Each drive gear 46 rotates synchronously under the action of the lateral driver 42, so that the tire 30 rolls circumferentially.
[0030] Understandably, the lateral drive 42 is equivalent to the rolling drive assembly 41, serving as a power output device. Therefore, the lateral drive 42 is a motor (electrically controlled motor). Based on the presence of the motor, as long as the power of the motor can be transmitted to the tire 30, enabling the tire 30 to roll circumferentially on the hub 20, the lateral drive assembly of this invention also includes a connecting component. The connecting component includes at least three drive gears 46, each drive gear 46 being rotatably mounted to the hub 20 and in frictional contact with the inner wall of the tire 30. Therefore, as long as the power of the lateral drive 42 can be synchronously transmitted to each drive gear 46, the rotation of the drive gears 46 will enable the tire 30 to roll circumferentially. The requirement for the number of drive gears 46 is based on the principle of triangular stability; three drive gears 46 are needed to ensure that the tire 30 can roll circumferentially when all three drive gears 46 rotate simultaneously. Of course, the number of drive gears 46 can also be 5, 6, or other natural numbers. The key is to ensure that during installation, the contact points (surfaces) between the multiple drive gears 46 and the tire 30 are evenly distributed along the inner circumference of the tire 30. This ensures that when multiple drive gears 46 work simultaneously, the friction force transmitted to the tire 30 is more balanced, achieving smooth rolling of the tire 30. Figure 3 , 5 As shown in Figure 6, in this utility model, three drive gears 46 are provided. The axes of the three drive gears 46 are parallel to the tangent of the inner circle sidewall of the tire 30. This ensures that when the drive gears 46 rotate, the friction transmission effect enables the tire 30 to roll along its circumference, thereby realizing the lateral movement of the vehicle body equipped with the drive wheel.
[0031] To ensure that the power of the lateral drive 42 is synchronously distributed to each drive gear 46, the connecting component of this invention also needs to be provided with a transmission component for connecting the lateral drive 42 and each drive gear 46. In this invention, the components for realizing the power transmission of the lateral drive 42 mainly include a central drive shaft 421 and multiple transmission components in the same number as the drive gears 46. The central drive shaft 421 is rotatably connected to the hub 20 and connected to the lateral drive 42. The transmission components are used to connect the central drive shaft 421 and the drive gears 46, so that the rotation of the central drive shaft 421 drives the drive gears 46 to rotate.
[0032] To achieve the above transmission, the transmission components can be configured in various ways. For example, a bevel gear (No. 1) can be set on the output shaft of the transverse driver 42 (motor), and a bevel gear (No. 2) can be set on the drive gear 46. Then, by using the bevel gear (No. 3) that meshes with the bevel gear on the output shaft and the bevel gear (No. 4) that meshes with the bevel gear set on the drive gear 46, the power of the transverse driver 42 can be transmitted to the drive gear 46.
[0033] The aforementioned transmission component requires multiple bevel gears and needs to achieve spatial transmission in the XYZ directions. Assuming the output shaft is along the Z direction, bevel gears (number 3) and (number 4) need to be connected by a transmission shaft extending along the Y direction to ensure the axis of the drive gear 46 is aligned along the X direction. This type of transmission component is complex, suffers from high efficiency loss, significant wear and precision issues, and is limited by the meshing characteristics of the bevel gears, making it difficult to achieve a balance. Therefore, this invention provides a transmission component with better transmission stability, longer service life, and better wear resistance. Specifically, the transmission component includes a worm gear 44, a first gear 49, a second gear 48, and a third gear 47. A worm 43, which meshes with the worm gear 44, is mounted on the central transmission shaft 421. The first gear 49 rotates coaxially with the worm gear 44, the third gear 47 rotates coaxially with the drive gear 46, and the second gear 48 is located between the first gear 49 and the third gear 47 and meshes with both. Figure 3 , 4 As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the transverse actuator 42 is fixed to the other side of the hub 20 and mounted on another mounting part 12. The central drive shaft 421 is connected to the output shaft of the transverse actuator 42 and is collinear with the center line of the hub 20. Both the central drive shaft 421 and the output shaft of the transverse actuator 42 are rotatably connected to the hub 20 through bearings to ensure that the rolling of the hub 20 does not affect the transverse actuator 42 and the central drive shaft 421. The worm 43 is part of the central drive shaft 421 and is located at the center of the hub 20. Three worm wheels 44 are arranged around the worm 43 and cooperate with the worm 43. The axis of the worm wheels 44 is not perpendicular to the axis of the worm 43. The worm gear 44 is rotatably connected within the hub 20 and coaxially arranged with the first gear 49, ensuring that the rotation of the worm gear 44 drives the rotation of the first gear 49. Theoretically, when the tooth diameters of the first gear 49 and the third gear 47 are large enough, the meshing transmission of the first gear 49 and the third gear 47 can be achieved without the need for the second gear 48. Considering the spatial layout, this utility model provides a second gear 48, which is rotatably arranged within the hub 20 and used to realize the transmission of the first gear 49 and the third gear 47. The drive gear 46 rotates coaxially with the third gear 47, and then the transverse drive 42 works, which can drive the central drive shaft 421 and the worm 43 to rotate, thereby realizing the synchronous rotation of the three worm gears 44. The synchronous rotation of the three worm gears 44, through the corresponding transmission of the first gear 49, the second gear 48, and the third gear 47, can realize the synchronous rotation of the three drive gears 46, thereby realizing the rolling of the tire 30 along its circumference through friction.
[0034] To facilitate the installation of connecting components within the wheel hub 20, such as Figure 3 , 4As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the hub 20 has a split structure, consisting of a detachable first mounting seat 22 and a second mounting seat 23 along its axial direction. Both the first mounting seat 22 and the second mounting seat 23 resemble a disc structure. Multiple positioning posts 26 are provided between the first mounting seat 22 and the second mounting seat 23 to ensure that the first mounting seat 22 and the second mounting seat 23, when connected, form a disc-shaped hub 20. To facilitate the installation of connecting components, the first mounting seat 22 and the second mounting seat 23 are each provided with a semi-cavity structure 252. Each semi-cavity structure 252 has at least three chambers. Two semi-cavity structures 252 are joined to form at least three connecting cavities 251 for installing connecting components. Each connecting cavity 251 is used to install a corresponding transmission component. The transmission component also has a transmission seat 45, which has two positioning parts 452. The two positioning parts 452 are respectively positioned and inserted into the slots 451 of the first mounting seat 22 and the second mounting seat 23 to ensure that the transmission seat 45 can also be smoothly installed in the corresponding mounting cavity 25. The split-type wheel hub 20 not only facilitates the installation of connecting components, but also ensures that the entire wheel hub 20 has sufficient load-bearing capacity, avoiding the problem of insufficient load-bearing capacity that exists in a single cavity structure.
[0035] To ensure that the tire 30 is properly fitted onto the rim 20 and does not separate from the rim 20 during rolling, a corresponding locking structure needs to be provided around the rim 20 to ensure that the tire 30 does not separate from the rim 20 and to facilitate frictional contact between the drive gear 46 and the tire 30. Specifically, the rim 20 has an annular groove 27 around its circumference for locking the tire 30. The rim 20 has a mounting cavity 25 inside, and the mounting cavity 25 has multiple communication openings 253, the same number as the number of drive gears 46, that communicate with the annular groove 27. Each drive gear 46 is rotatably disposed within the mounting cavity 25, and the outer portion of the drive gear 46 is located within the annular groove 27 and makes frictional contact with the inner wall of the tire 30. Since the rim 20 is a split structure, the annular groove 27 is actually partially located on the first mounting seat 22 and partially located on the second mounting seat 23. Only after the first mounting seat 22 and the second mounting seat 23 are spliced and fixed together can the complete annular groove 27 be obtained. The cross-section of the annular groove 27 is similar to a semi-circular structure, ensuring that the tire 30 can be embedded and facilitating the rolling of the tire 30 along its circumference. Figure 5 , 6 As shown, the mounting cavity 25 consists of three interconnected connecting cavities 251. Each connecting cavity 251 has a connecting port 253 that communicates with the annular groove 27. According to the layout of the drive gear 46, the outer periphery of the drive gear 46 is slightly located within the annular groove 27 (i.e., slightly protruding from the bottom of the annular groove 27). Then, the tire 30, which is engaged in the annular groove 27, can roll under the action of the drive gear 46.
[0036] The first mounting base 22 and the second mounting base 23 have basically the same structure. Therefore, the central drive shaft 421 can be rotatably connected to the first mounting base 22 or the second mounting base 23, and the other second mounting base 23 or the first mounting base 22 can be coaxially fixed to the output shaft of the rolling drive assembly 41 (drive motor). In this utility model, the second mounting base 23 is rotatably connected to the central drive shaft 421, and the first mounting base 22 is connected to the rolling drive assembly 41.
[0037] Of course, to ensure that the tire 30 remains on the hub 20 under the action of the lateral drive assembly, necessary limiting components need to be provided on the hub 20 to ensure that the tire 30 does not separate from the hub 20. Therefore, this utility model also includes a lateral movement auxiliary assembly, which includes two roller groups 510. Each roller group 510 includes multiple rolling wheels 51, each rolling wheel 51 being arranged in a ring along the inner wall of the tire 30, rolling in contact with the tire 30 and rotatably connected to the hub 20. The axis of each rolling wheel 51 is parallel to the axis of the drive gear 46; the two roller groups 510 are respectively located on both sides of the drive gear 46 along its axis. Figure 3 , 4 As shown in Figure 5, the two roller sets 510 are respectively arranged close to the two side walls of the groove opening of the annular groove 27. Each roller set 510 has multiple rolling wheels 51 arranged in a ring along the annular direction of the annular groove 27. The multiple rolling wheels 51 can facilitate the rolling of the tire 30.
[0038] To facilitate the rolling and installation of each rolling wheel 51, this utility model has two mounting groove groups circumferentially formed on the hub 20. Each mounting groove group includes multiple rolling grooves 52 arranged circumferentially around the hub 20. The number of rolling grooves 52 is the same as the number of rolling wheels 51, and they are installed one-to-one. Each rolling wheel 51 is located in the corresponding rolling groove 52, rotatably connected to the hub 20, and rolls in contact with the tire 30. Figure 3 , 4As shown in Figure 5, two mounting slot groups are respectively set on the first mounting base 22 and the second mounting base 23. To facilitate the rotation of the rolling wheel 51, the first mounting base 22 is provided with a plurality of rolling grooves 52 evenly distributed along its circumference. Similarly, the second mounting base 23 is provided with a plurality of rolling grooves 52 evenly distributed along its circumference. The rolling grooves 52 on the first mounting base 22 and the corresponding rolling grooves 52 on the second mounting base 23 are connected to form a connecting through groove 520. The connecting through groove 520 has a sidewall with a low center and high ends forming an arc structure to accommodate the annular groove 27 structure. Theoretically, the rolling grooves 52 do not need to be through grooves; however, for ease of processing, the rolling grooves 52 are also designed as through grooves. The setting of the rolling grooves 52 enables the rolling wheel 51 to rotate on the hub 20. The installation of the multiple rolling wheels 51 on the first mounting base 22 is the same as that on the second mounting base 23. To facilitate the demonstration of the installation of the rolling wheel 51 on the hub 20, as shown... Figure 3 , 4 As shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, taking the installation method of multiple rolling wheels 51 on the first mounting base 22 as an example, each rolling wheel 51 is rotatably mounted on the mounting shaft 511 via a bearing. A first cover plate 21 (a second cover plate 24 cooperates with the second mounting base 23) is provided on the side of the first mounting base 22 away from the second mounting base 23. The first cover plate 21 has a disc-shaped structure and a notch communicating with multiple rolling grooves 52. Multiple first fixing holes 211 (second fixing holes cooperate with the second mounting base 23) are provided on the inner side of the first cover plate 21. The first mounting base 22 has... Multiple first pressing holes 521 (the second pressing holes are those that cooperate with the second mounting base 23) are connected to the first cover plate 21 and the first mounting base 22. Each first fixing hole 211 cooperates with the corresponding first pressing hole 521 to lock and fix one end of the mounting shaft 511. The multiple first fixing holes 211 (twice the number of mounting shafts 511) and the multiple first pressing holes 521 (twice the number of mounting shafts 511) correspond one-to-one, which can fix both ends of each mounting shaft 511, thereby realizing the rotation setting of multiple rolling wheels 51 on the hub 20.
[0039] Based on the drive wheel structure of this invention, the tire 30 has a continuous buffer layer with uniform thickness. During rolling, any minor unevenness on the ground can be buffered in real time through the elastic deformation of the tread rubber, covering the entire contact area with no blind spots, and vibration is continuously absorbed. In contrast, the independent rollers of a Mecanum wheel can only achieve localized buffering, limited to the contact point of a single roller. The gaps between the rollers are buffer blind spots; if a minor bump on the ground falls into one of these gaps, it will be directly transmitted to the vehicle body through the hub 20 without being buffered, resulting in direct vibration transmission and thus generating high-frequency micro-vibrations. Clearly, the drive wheel of this invention experiences significantly less vibration during lateral movement, making it particularly suitable for scenarios requiring high stability, such as precision equipment handling and medical robots. Furthermore, the overall structure of the drive wheel is simpler, requiring only two drive motors to achieve both the roller movement and lateral movement (lateral movement of the vehicle body equipped with the drive wheel), resulting in lower manufacturing and maintenance costs and facilitating wider adoption and use.
[0040] The lateral drive 42 and the rolling drive assembly 41 can operate simultaneously or selectively, as long as it is ensured that the drive wheels function normally when both are driven synchronously in actual use. Furthermore, the vehicle (robot) equipped with these drive wheels can also utilize differential control (or be equipped with a steering motor) to achieve steering, ensuring the normal operation of the vehicle. Based on these drive wheels, there is lateral movement (for the vehicle body). During vehicle movement, different control methods (differential control and / or lateral movement control) on multiple drive wheels can reduce turning wear, enable turning correction, and expand rotation control methods, thereby broadening the application scenarios of the vehicle (robot).
[0041] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.
[0042] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this utility model is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. In addition, the terms "first," "second," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0043] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that it can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of this invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within this invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. An omnidirectional drive wheel, characterized in that: It includes a drive mechanism, a hub (20) and a tire (30). The tire (30) is a ring structure fitted on the hub (20). The drive mechanism is installed in conjunction with the hub (20) and includes a lateral drive assembly and a rolling drive assembly (41). The lateral drive assembly is used to drive the tire (30) to roll along its circumference so that the drive wheel moves along the center line of the tire (30). The rolling drive assembly (41) is used to drive the hub (20) to rotate and drive the drive wheel to roll.
2. The omnidirectional drive wheel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tire (30) has a circular structure, and the hub (20) has a disc structure. The tire (30) is fitted outside the hub (20) so that the axis of the tire (30) is collinear with the axis of the hub (20).
3. The omnidirectional drive wheel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The lateral drive assembly includes a lateral driver (42) and a connecting component. The connecting component includes at least three drive gears (46), each drive gear (46) is rotatably connected to the hub (20) and is evenly distributed in a ring along the inner wall of the tire (30). Each drive gear (46) is in frictional rolling contact with the inside of the tire (30). Each drive gear (46) rotates synchronously under the action of the lateral drive (42) so that the tire (30) rolls along its circumference.
4. The omnidirectional drive wheel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting components also include a central drive shaft (421) and multiple transmission components in the same number as the drive gears (46). The central drive shaft (421) is rotatably connected to the hub (20) and connected to the transverse drive (42). The transmission component is used to connect the central drive shaft (421) and the drive gear (46) so that the central drive shaft (421) rotates and drives the drive gear (46) to rotate.
5. The omnidirectional drive wheel according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transmission components include a worm gear (44), a first gear (49), a second gear (48), and a third gear (47). The central drive shaft (421) is provided with a worm (43) that cooperates with the worm wheel (44). The first gear (49) rotates coaxially with the worm wheel (44), the third gear (47) rotates coaxially with the drive gear (46), and the second gear (48) is located between the first gear (49) and the third gear (47) and meshes with the first gear (49) and the third gear (47) respectively.
6. The omnidirectional drive wheel according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a lateral movement assist component, which comprises two sets of rollers (510). Each roller assembly (510) includes multiple rollers (51), each roller (51) is arranged in a ring along the inner wall of the tire (30) and rolls in contact with the tire (30) and is rotatably connected to the hub (20). The axis of each roller (51) is parallel to the axis of the drive gear (46). The two roller sets (510) are located on both sides of the drive gear (46) along its axis.
7. The omnidirectional drive wheel according to claim 6, characterized in that: Two mounting slots are provided around the circumference of the hub (20). Each mounting slot includes multiple rolling grooves (52) arranged around the circumference of the hub (20). The number of rolling grooves (52) is the same as the number of rolling wheels (51) and they are installed one by one. Each rolling wheel (51) is located in the corresponding rolling groove (52) and is rotatably connected to the hub (20) and rolls in contact with the tire (30).
8. The omnidirectional drive wheel according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: It also includes a lateral movement assist component, which comprises two sets of rollers (510). Each roller assembly (510) includes multiple rollers (51), each roller (51) is arranged in a ring along the inner wall of the tire (30) and rolls in contact with the tire (30) and is rotatably connected to the hub (20). The axis of each roller (51) is parallel to the axis of the drive gear (46). The two roller sets (510) are located on both sides of the drive gear (46) along its axis.
9. The omnidirectional drive wheel according to claim 8, characterized in that: Two mounting slots are provided around the circumference of the hub (20). Each mounting slot includes multiple rolling grooves (52) arranged around the circumference of the hub (20). The number of rolling grooves (52) is the same as the number of rolling wheels (51) and they are installed one by one. Each rolling wheel (51) is located in the corresponding rolling groove (52) and is rotatably connected to the hub (20) and rolls in contact with the tire (30).
