Method and arrangement for increasing the contact area of ​​a wheel, wheel, motor vehicle and use

Abstract

Method for increasing the contact area (6) of a wheel (1) with a rim (2) having at least one expandable element (7) in the area of ​​a rim (2) of the wheel (1), wherein the expandable element (7) is brought from a rest state to an expanded state by filling it with a fluid, in which the running surface (10) of the wheel (1) is widened completely, wherein the expandable element (7) is arranged in the rim (2) in such a way that the width of the wheel (1) or of a vehicle equipped therewith is not increased, characterized in that the expandable element (7) comprises a three-dimensional textile support structure.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for increasing the contact area of ​​a wheel, a wheel, a motor vehicle and a use.

[0002] For example, agricultural vehicles often face the problem of insufficient tire contact patch, causing them to sink too deeply into the ground when working in fields. This issue has been exacerbated in recent years by developments such as increased vehicle size, particularly width, which has been extended to the legally permitted maximum, as well as increased vehicle weight. To prevent these vehicles from sinking into the soil, efforts are underway to increase the contact patch of their tires.

[0003] According to current technology, additional wheels, similar to dual wheels, are attached to the existing wheels of the commercial vehicle. However, to move the vehicle on public roads, these additional wheels must be removed, a complex process, to comply with legal requirements regarding maximum vehicle width. Therefore, this solution is only practical for large, contiguous agricultural areas where temporary movement of the vehicle on public roads is unnecessary.

[0004] For example, US 4,603,916 A, DE 33 27 735 A1, and DE 25 01 068 A1 propose mechanical systems for increasing the contact area of ​​wheels. However, these systems share the common features of considerable technical complexity and stability issues, particularly since they are difficult to prevent the ingress of mud and dirt on agricultural land. Furthermore, all systems result in at least a partial increase in vehicle width, even when retracted. German patent application DE 29 40 604 A1 describes a generic device for attachment to a vehicle wheel. Further variations are described in patent applications WO 89 / 00 112 A1, KR 10 2016 0 040 792 A, and GB 2 468 854 A.

[0005] Starting from this premise, the object of the invention is to propose a method for increasing the contact area of ​​a wheel, a wheel, a motor vehicle, and an application that at least partially overcomes the problems of the prior art described above. In particular, the proposed method should provide a simple and quick way to increase the contact area, and should be easy to implement on existing vehicles and have long-term stability.

[0006] Furthermore, the invention is intended to be usable for a wide variety of applications, for example agricultural vehicles (tractors), amphibious, off-road and special vehicles also for desert and polar regions and also for interplanetary applications, especially vehicles.

[0007] These problems are solved by the features of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments of the solution proposed here are specified in the independent claims. It should be noted that the features listed in the dependent claims can be combined with one another in any technologically meaningful way and define further embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, the features specified in the claims are further specified and explained in the description, which also presents further preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0008] This is achieved by a method for increasing the contact area of ​​a wheel, in which an expandable element is brought from a rest state to an expanded state by filling it with a fluid, in which the running surface of the wheel is widened completely.

[0009] The expandable element can be specifically designed to be supplied with a gaseous fluid (especially compressed air) via a fluid supply. For this purpose, the fluid supply and / or the expandable element can include a valve.

[0010] A method proposed here can be carried out in conjunction with wheels known from the prior art. In particular, a suitable wheel has a rim, especially a rigid structure for connection to the vehicle or an axle or hub of the vehicle, and a flexible outer structure, especially a tire. The expandable element is arranged in the rim in the rest state such that the width of the wheel or the vehicle is not increased.

[0011] In the method proposed here, an expandable element arranged in a wheel rim can be brought from a rest state, in which the expandable element may be located in a vehicle rim, to an expanded state by supplying a fluid. In this expanded state, the element widens the entire running surface of the wheel. Thus, the contact area of ​​the wheel can be increased by widening the running surface using the expandable element.

[0012] Vehicles often already have a compressed air supply system, so implementing the proposed method on existing vehicles without significant structural modifications appears feasible. This requires a fluid supply to an expandable element. Advantageously, the proposed method can then be fully automated after actuation of a control element.

[0013] In addition, a device for increasing the contact area of ​​a wheel is proposed. The device can include at least one expandable element and be designed for attachment to a wheel and / or a vehicle. Via a fluid supply, for example from the vehicle, the expandable element can be pressurized and filled with a fluid, thus moving it from a resting state to an expanded state in which the entire contact area of ​​the wheel is widened.

[0014] For this purpose, the device can be attached to the wheel, in particular by means of the wheel bolts with which the wheel is attached to the vehicle, and / or to an axle / hub or another attachment point of the vehicle.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment, the expandable element comprises a three-dimensional textile support structure. In a further, unclaimed embodiment, the textile support structure can also be a two-dimensional textile structure, in particular a combination of different textile structures that achieve a desired shape of the expandable element in the expanded state. Known fibers can be used for this purpose, in particular high-strength fibers such as high-tenacity polyester, aramid fibers, or other synthetic fibers based on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

[0016] To ensure the gas tightness of the expandable element, the textile support structure can be embedded in an elastic matrix. The matrix material can at least partially comprise rubber or elastomer to guarantee sufficient elasticity of the expandable element.

[0017] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the expandable element can comprise structural elements. A structural element can be a solid element that may be connected to or part of the expandable element. The structural elements can support the achievement of the desired shape in the expanded state and ensure the absorption and transfer of the operational loads of the expandable element. For example, structural elements can be bonded to the expandable element.

[0018] The structural elements can also facilitate the attachment of the assembly to a wheel and / or vehicle. For example, structural elements can have or be designed as fastening means, such as a hole for a screw (wheel bolt).

[0019] The structural elements can exhibit elastic deformability to ensure that the desired shape is achieved in the expanded state. An example of an advantageous arrangement of structural elements is a ring-shaped element in the area of ​​a wheel rim, to which external struts are articulated. These struts form the running surface of the expandable element in the expanded state and / or provide structural support.

[0020] According to a further advantageous embodiment, structural elements can be arranged on the side of the expandable element facing away from the rim, for example as circular segments that support load absorption and / or transfer.

[0021] The structural elements can be made, for example, from metallic materials, especially light metals, and / or from fiber composite structures. The fiber composite structures can, in particular, include high-strength fibers such as carbon fibers.

[0022] In addition, a wheel for a motor vehicle is proposed, featuring an arrangement described here for increasing the contact area of ​​the wheel. This arrangement can be used with a vehicle, in particular via the same fastening means (e.g., wheel bolts) by which the wheel can be connected to the vehicle.

[0023] According to a further aspect, a motor vehicle is also proposed, comprising at least one wheel as proposed herein, and including an arrangement described herein for increasing the contact area. The motor vehicle may, in particular, include a device for supplying a pressurized fluid, especially a compressed air system, comprising a fluid supply to the arrangement proposed herein for increasing the contact area of ​​a wheel.

[0024] Another aspect that is proposed is the use of an expandable element to increase the contact area of ​​a wheel.

[0025] The details, features, and advantageous configurations discussed in connection with the procedure may also occur in the arrangement, wheel, motor vehicle, and / or use presented here, and vice versa. In this respect, full reference is made to the explanations provided therein for a more detailed characterization of the features.

[0026] This document describes a method and an arrangement for increasing the contact area of ​​a wheel, a wheel, a motor vehicle, and an application, which at least partially solve the problems described with reference to the prior art. In particular, the method and arrangement for increasing the contact area of ​​a wheel, the wheel, the motor vehicle, and the application each contribute to increasing the contact area of ​​the wheel or widening the wheel's tread, thus ensuring trouble-free operation, for example, of agricultural vehicles. An automated implementation of the method proposed here is particularly advantageous, as it significantly reduces the effort required to increase the contact area of ​​the wheels and thus allows for quick and easy temporary operation of the vehicle in public traffic by simply moving the arrangement to its resting state.Furthermore, the proposed arrangement can be easily retrofitted to existing vehicles. A particular advantage is the low weight of this proposed arrangement, which, for example, hardly exacerbates the problem of unwanted sinking of an agricultural vehicle into agricultural terrain compared to state-of-the-art solutions.

[0027] The arrangement proposed here can also be used excellently for amphibious vehicles, whereby the expanded design significantly increases not only the contact area of ​​a wheel but also its buoyancy, thus supporting the buoyancy of a vehicle.

[0028] The invention will now be explained in detail using the figures.

[0029] They represent: Fig. 1: a wheel proposed here with an arrangement proposed here in the resting state, Fig. 2: the wheel during the transition to the expanded state, Fig. 3: the wheel during the transition to the expanded state, and Fig. 4: the wheel in its expanded state.

[0030] Fig. Figure 1 shows, by way of example and schematically, a wheel 1 proposed here, comprising a tire 3 with a tread 10 and a contact area 6 and a rim 2, in which an arrangement 4 proposed here for increasing the contact area 6 of the wheel 1 can be arranged, which is characterized in Fig. 1 is in a resting state. The arrangement 4 can comprise an expandable element 7 with structural elements, for example ring elements 5, which, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, in its resting state, the arrangement 4 can be positioned in a ring-like shape within the rim 2 in an outer area near the tire 3. Particularly advantageously, in its resting state, the arrangement 4 can be arranged completely within the rim 2, thus preventing the width of the wheel 1 from being increased by the arrangement 4 in its resting state.

[0031] The wheel 1 can, for example, be a drive wheel of an agricultural vehicle, in particular a tractor. The agricultural vehicle can have a device for supplying a pressurized fluid, in particular a compressed air system, comprising a fluid supply to the arrangement 4 proposed here, in particular to the expandable element 7. The fluid supply can be a compressed air line that can supply compressed air to the expandable element 7 via an opening. In particular, a valve, especially a controllable valve, can be arranged in the opening, which, in the expanded state or even during the process of bringing the element into the expanded state, prevents compressed air from escaping the expandable element and can be opened to allow compressed air to escape from the expanded state and the element to return to its resting state.Advantageously, the agricultural vehicle can be moved in public traffic areas with one or two of the arrangements 4 proposed here, since arrangement 4 does not widen the vehicle when at rest.

[0032] The arrangement 4 can be attached to the agricultural vehicle via wheel bolts (not shown here).

[0033] Fig. 2 shows the wheel from Fig. 1 during the execution of a method proposed herein. The expandable element 7 is pressurized by a gaseous fluid and expands. During this process, the arrangement 4 can emerge from the rim 2 of the wheel 1, with outer struts 8 becoming visible as further structural elements that support the expandable element 7 in forming a defined, round, tire-shaped form.

[0034] Fig. Figure 3 shows the wheel 1 with further advanced expansion of the expandable element 7. The outer struts 8 and the ring elements 5 as structural elements ensure the formation of a tire shape of the expandable element 7 during expansion.

[0035] Fig. Figure 4 shows the wheel 1 with a fully expanded arrangement 4, which completely widens the tread of the tire 3 and extends its contact area 6 by a contact area of ​​the expandable element 9. The outer struts 8 form a tread and can give it a structure that supports traction. Reference symbol list 1 wheel 2 rim 3 tires 4 Arrangement 5 ring elements 6 Footprint 7 expandable element 8 outer struts 9. Footprint of expandable element

Claims

Method for increasing the contact area (6) of a wheel (1) with a rim (2) having at least one expandable element (7) in the area of ​​a rim (2) of the wheel (1), wherein the expandable element (7) is brought from a rest state to an expanded state by filling it with a fluid, in which the running surface (10) of the wheel (1) is widened completely, wherein the expandable element (7) is arranged in the rim (2) in such a way that the width of the wheel (1) or of a vehicle equipped therewith is not increased, characterized in that the expandable element (7) comprises a three-dimensional textile support structure. Method according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is air and compressed air is supplied for filling the at least one expandable element (7). Arrangement (4) for increasing the contact area (6) of a wheel (1), comprising at least one expandable element (7), designed for attachment to a wheel (1) and / or a vehicle, and a fluid supply, wherein the at least one expandable element (7) is gas-tight and is designed to be brought into an expanded state by filling it with a fluid via the fluid supply, in which the running surface (10) of the wheel (1) is fully widened, wherein the expandable element (7) is arranged in the rim (2) in the rest state such that the width of the wheel (1) or of a vehicle equipped therewith is not increased, characterized in that the expandable element (7) comprises a three-dimensional textile support structure. Arrangement (4) according to claim 3, wherein the expandable element (7) comprises structural elements. Arrangement (4) according to claim 4, wherein the structural elements consist at least partially of fiber-reinforced plastic. Arrangement (4) according to one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the structural elements comprise at least one ring element (5) and / or at least one outer strut (8), wherein the at least one ring element (5) can be positioned in a ring-like manner in the rim 2 in an outer area near a tire (3) of the wheel (1) in the rest state of the arrangement (4), and the at least one outer strut (8) extend over the tread surfaces of the expandable element in the expanded state of the arrangement (4) and give it a tire-like shape in the expanded state. Wheel (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising an arrangement (4) according to one of claims 3 to 6 . motor vehicle comprising at least one wheel (1) according to claim 7. Use of a fluid-expandable element (7) for increasing the contact area (6) of a wheel (1) of a motor vehicle, wherein the expandable element (7) is designed for attachment to the wheel (1) and / or a motor vehicle, wherein the expandable element (7) is gas-tight and is designed to be brought into an expanded state by filling it with a fluid via the fluid supply, in which the running surface (10) of a wheel (1) is widened completely, wherein the expandable element (7) is arranged in a rim (2) in the rest state such that the width of the wheel (1) or of a vehicle equipped therewith is not increased, and wherein the expandable element (7) comprises a three-dimensional textile support structure.

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