Retractable blade traction device

Abstract

The invention is a traction device such as a wheel or a track which comprises retractable blades or protrusions which can be put into operation to participate in the traction of the vehicle by their pressure on a fluid or soft ground such as sand, snow, mud or earth, and / or to exploit kinetic energy by the cyclical movement of such a blade or protrusion in such a medium. The main applications are - land vehicles which can adapt their tread to save energy at low speed or widen it or provide it with protruding sculptures when necessary, and travel in mud or sail on water or in water, - and boats for which they replace the propellers and allow them to travel on shallows, Abstract figure: Fig. 3

Description

Title of the invention: Traction device with retractable blades Technical field

[0001] The field of the invention is that of rolling vehicles and wheels for vehicles, which comprise blades generating pressure allowing traction of the vehicle both on hard ground and on soft ground such as a granular or powdery medium, or even on or in a fluid. Technical problem

[0002] No prior art device makes it possible to tow a vehicle with the same wheels or tracks, both on hard ground and on soft ground or on or in a fluid, by automatically adapting its configuration to constantly optimize its mechanical efficiency, the control of its speed, the maintenance of its trajectory, and its comfort. Prior art

[0003] CN114619813A of June 14, 2022 by GAO SHENGYUN [CN] is known, which describes a four-wheeled amphibious vehicle comprising blades which can be periodically deployed and moved into the retracted position, the switching between a land driving mode and a water driving mode being able to be carried out by rotating the angle of a cam. This vehicle cannot automatically switch to land driving mode when encountering a solid obstacle and the blades cannot all be simultaneously in the retracted position, which poses space problems and penalizes mechanical efficiency by internal friction both on land and on water.

[0004] We also know US20090305585A1 of December 10, 2010 by CHIPPAS REILLY LINDA ANN [US] which describes a tracked vehicle comprising blades held in the rest position by a spring, but which can, under the effect of the water current, deploy to ensure aquatic propulsion of the vehicle. The proposed device does not allow speed to be controlled in aquatic mode because its blades retract and therefore become inoperative during an attempt to brake.

[0005] Two documents are known describing means for retracting a blade in the presence of an obstacle: - CN202337178 (U) of July 18, 2012 by YISHI WANG, but the proposed device does not include a means for determining the position of a blade before its contact with an obstacle such as the ground, the retraction of a blade therefore not being able to cause that of other blades approaching the ground, which causes friction, wear and jolts, - and CN107160961A of September 15, 2017 by LAI XIAOLI [CN] and ZHU YANHUA [CN], which anticipates the aforementioned document CN202337178 (U), by describing a vehicle of retractable blades which are controlled by a hydraulic mechanism to adapt to the terrain of shallow water areas, but this document does not provide a means of automatically retracting a blade or preventing it from deploying when an obstacle opposes its deployment.

[0006] There are also many documents describing tire studs and spikes for gripping black ice or ice. These elements are not part of the technical field of the present invention because they cannot generate pressure allowing traction of a vehicle in a fluid or soft ground, Brief description of the drawings

[0007] The invention will be well understood, and other aims, advantages and characteristics thereof will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows, which is illustrated by Figures 1 to 25.

[0008] [Fig-1] is a perspective view of components of a wheel according to the invention and of an assembled wheel. On the left, we see the blades 21, 22 and 23 and following in chevron shapes. On the right, we see that only the blades 24 and 25 are visible, the others remaining enclosed in their housings 210, 220 and 230.

[0009] [Fig.2] is a perspective and sectional view of the wheel of [Fig. 1], in which the axis of rotation of the secondary shaft 40 which determines the position of the blades is not far from the axis of rotation 10 of the wheel, which has the consequence that the blades are all set back from the peripheral envelope, and do not limit the elasticity of the wheel allowing it to absorb the shocks of small obstacles.

[0010] [Fig.3] is also a perspective and sectional view of the wheel of [Fig. 1] and [Fig.2], in which the secondary shaft 40 is offset downwards and forwards (to the left of the figure), which has the effect that the blades located at the front of the wheel give rise, during rotation of the wheel, to a propulsive force directed more downwards than on the device shown in [Fig.l] where this force is directed rearwards.

[0011] [Fig.4] is a perspective view of two wheels 1A whose blades 21 and 22 are flat and slide through the peripheral casing 2. These blades may have sets of winter tire studs on the right. Elastic reminders 31 32 and following push them in the direction going from their retracted position to their deployed position. On the left, the wheel rolls on hard ground and the lower blades are here in the retracted position, while the upper blades are in the deployed position. On the right, the wheel rolls on hard ground and the lower blades are here in a more retracted position. The figure also shows the blade 28 and the elastic reminder 38.

[0012] [Fig.5] is a perspective view of two wheels according to the invention, the housings 210 and following of the blades of which are fixed only to the peripheral envelope of the wheel IA. Like that shown in the previous figure, this device is particularly suitable for airless tires.

[0013] [Fig.6] is a perspective view of blades 21, 22 and following similar to those shown in [Fig.1], each provided with a bearing, respectively 211, 221, 231, 241, 251 and 261 allowing their position to be determined by cooperation with a concave cam visible in [Fig.7].

[0014] [Fig.7] is a perspective view of the mechanism which determines the position of the blades as a function of their position in the rotation cycle of the wheel. Elastic reminders not shown push the blades towards their deployed positions, but this movement is limited by the concave cams 401 and / or 402. On the left, the concave cam 402 places them all at an equal distance from the primary shaft 10, while on the right, the concave cam has pivoted 180 degrees and released the blades so that it is the oblong cam 401 which allows the blades of the lower part of the wheel to be more deployed while those of the upper part are less deployed or not deployed at all.

[0015] [Fig.8] is a perspective view of a vehicle equipped with paddle wheels according to figures 1, 2, 3 or 6. It is equipped with 4 wheels according to the invention and in addition at the front with a device 70 for assisting with obstacle clearance according to patent application FR3048404A3 by Franck Guigan [FR] of September 8, 2017.

[0016] [Fig.9] is a perspective view of two mechanical subassemblies of this vehicle. The one on the left is in hard ground mode and all the blades are in the retracted position, while the one on the right is in water or water mode and the lower blades are in the deployed position. This figure also shows the control 42 which allows the part of the wheel rotation cycle in which the blades are to be deployed to be modified. It acts on a non-visible rack which controls the gears located on each wheel on the same side of the vehicle.

[0017] [Fig. 10] is a perspective view of three wheels 1A whose blades 21, 22 and following are tire sculptures. These blades are - in the retracted position on the left - a position suitable for driving at limited speed - which reduces the surface area of ​​the peripheral envelope actually in contact with the ground when the traction device is rolling on flat, hard ground and allows significant energy savings and a reduction in rolling noise. - in the middle position in the center - a position suitable for high-speed driving - which gives the advantage of good grip, good stability when cornering, a short braking distance and great driving comfort, but results in higher fuel consumption, - and in the deployed position on the right, which allows you to move on snowy or muddy ground.

[0018] [Fig. 11] is a perspective view of a traction device of a nature similar to those of [Fig. 10], allowing the carcass to be seen, which comprises sub-assemblies of coaxial 5001, radial 5002 and diagonal 5003 structural cables crossing at a single point 5000, and sets of blades 21 to 24 located on either side of this single point 5000.

[0019] [Fig. 12] is a perspective view of four sets of blades which deploy simultaneously. On the left, the wheel 1A and the six chevron-shaped blades 21 to 26 are shown through transparency, the deployed position of which is determined by the position of the hub 400 which can be slid along the axis of rotation of the wheel to cause them to retract or deploy. The blade 21 is connected to the hub 400 by an articulated arm 2100 and the same is true for the other 5 blades. The three sets on the right represent the positions of the blades for different positions of this hub, and it can be seen that the blades can be completely retracted as illustrated by the set shown furthest to the right.

[0020] [Fig. 13] is a series of 3 views from the same perspective of the same device according to the invention, the chevron-shaped blades of which have no contact and therefore no friction with the wheel 1A, and are each guided by two rollers marked 21A and 21B for the blade 21, 22A and 22B for the blade 22, etc. which are themselves mounted on ball bearings.

[0021] [Fig. 14]] is a series of 2 views from different perspectives illustrating a particular mode of implementation in which the peripheral envelope 1001 of the wheel is not the peripheral envelope 2. The wheel 1A which comprises this peripheral envelope and the blades is stored in the peripheral envelope in the two upper devices, is removed from it in the middle views and the blades are themselves deployed in the two lower devices. Between the two devices shown at the bottom, we see the peripheral envelope 2 from two different perspectives.

[0022] [Fig. 15]] is a perspective view of a device whose set of blades is fixed on one of the sides of a conventional wheel whose peripheral envelope constitutes the peripheral envelope of the device according to the invention. On the right are seen three vehicles equipped with such sets, which show from left to right the lowered blades, centered on the axis of rotation of the wheel and on the right raised.

[0023] [Fig. 16]] is a perspective view and then two variants of the device shown in [Fig. 15], the blades of which are flexible so that they can be folded less when not in use, in order to limit their bulk. On the left, they are in operation, in the low position, while on the right they are not only raised but also folded.

[0024] [Fig. 17]] is a perspective view and then two views in two different sections of the same impeller, which includes a central part 1000 filled with pressurized air. The blades come in pairs 22A and 22B, 23A and 23B, etc.

[0025] [Fig. 18]] is a perspective and sectional view of two wheels whose moving parts called blades are sculptures 21 22 and following which can generate or undergo pressure during their movement in a fluid or soft ground. They have the particularity of comprising an elastically deformable part so that they are compressed so as not to protrude from the tread, when the wheel rolls on hard ground, (on the left) but deploy automatically when the wheel rolls on soft ground (on the right). This deformable part constitutes an elastic return causing a blade to move from its retracted position to its deployed position.

[0026] [Fig. 19]] is a perspective view of two wheels of a design close to that of [Fig. 18], but with an improvement which is that the sculptures are synchronized. A ring 60 rotates freely inside the tire, and is connected to each of the sculptures, so that each angular position of the ring corresponds to an extraction value of all the sculptures.

[0027] [Fig.20] is a perspective view of two autonomous IA wheels according to the invention. Each has only one wheel or track.

[0028] The one on the left is equipped with a chassis 400 which includes two foot supports 401 and 402, and functions like the devices often called single-wheeled gyropods such as that described in document EP1986910A2 by Janik Simeray [FR] (May 31, 2007) and the numerous subsequent documents citing this document. The one on the right includes a rod 300 equipped with a handlebar 301 and two controls 302 and 303. Optionally, a rowing machine 304 fixed to a vehicle allows the transmission to it of the traction force generated by the rotation of the wheel on a ground or in a fluid or soft ground, while allowing the handlebar to determine the direction of the thrust exerted by the device according to the invention on this vehicle.

[0029] [Fig.21] is a perspective and sectional view of a wheel according to the invention. The blades 21, 22 and following, located in the front part (here on the left of each of the illustrations), generate an upward force, while those located in the rear part do not cause water to rise towards the top of the wheel. They could be flat or chevron-shaped or of any other shape, but here they are curved according to the teaching of the great mathematician Poncelet.

[0030] [Fig.22] is a perspective and sectional view of a wheel part according to the invention, in a particular embodiment, rolling in the trigonometric direction. At the top, we see the blades in the rest position, on the left in perspective and on the right in section, at the bottom left they are in the position corresponding to a hard ground, and bottom right to braking. The last three figures show the regulator 200 which ensures the synchronous movement of all the blades.

[0031] [Fig.23] is a perspective view of another part of the wheel according to the invention, which allows to see another form of synchronizer 200 which is here a circular plate comprising curved grooves determining the deployment / retraction movement of the blades 21, 22 23 and following.

[0032] [Fig.24] is a perspective view of a particular implementation of the invention, in which the blades 21 and 22 comprise elements called closed disc portions, respectively 2101, 2102 and 2103 for the blade 21 and 2201, 2202 and 2203 for the blade 22.

[0033] [Fig.25]] is a perspective view of a track according to the invention. The blades 21 22 and following are in the deployed position at the bottom, ensuring traction on soft ground or on or in water, while those at the top are in the retracted position. The blades have the shape of a portion of a cylinder and can rotate around the axis of revolution of this cylinder, which has the effect that the force which can be exerted on a blade has no component perpendicular to this axis, and that this force can contribute neither to deploying nor to retracting it. A weak spring, not shown, pushes each blade to deploy but this deployment is limited by the belts 61 and 62. A weak force, that of the elastic return, is therefore sufficient for the slightest obstacle to push the blade towards its rest position. Statement of the invention

[0034] The invention is a traction device such as a wheel IA or a track IB whose cyclic movement drives or is driven by the movement of a machine called a vehicle relative to its solid or fluid environment, comprising: - an element called peripheral envelope 2, comprising a face called external and a face called internal which is separated from said external face by the thickness of said peripheral envelope, which may comprise an external contact material and a framework commonly called carcass which ensures its solidity and its resistance to the load, said internal face defining a volume called internal of said traction device, - a plurality of cyclic movement elements called blades 21, 22 and following capable of generating a pressure allowing the traction of said vehicle in a fluid or a soft ground such as a granular or powdery medium, one of said blades having several possible positions forming a domain called the displacement domain of said blade, ranging from a position called retracted in which it comprises a part located inside said external face to a position called deployed in which it is located more towards the outside of said external face, - a so-called deployment / retraction means allowing a blade to deploy by moving in a direction from said internal face to said external face, and conversely to retract by moving in the opposite direction, characterized in that - said deployment / retraction means has the effect - when a blade encounters an obstacle - of retracting it if it is deployed and of preventing it from deploying or of limiting its deployment if it is partially or totally deployed, - and that said traction device comprises a means called regulator 200 simultaneously determining said displacement range of a plurality of said blades during the cyclic movement of said traction device, - and that said blades have a plurality of possible positions in said displacement range thus determined. Detailed description of the invention

[0035] To simplify the description, hereinafter rotation of the traction device is referred to as both the rotation of the wheel in the case where this device is a wheel and that of a roller or a sprocket in the case where it is a track.

[0036] The first objective of the present invention is to provide a wheel or track with a plurality of blades which can be deployed or retracted to automatically adapt it to the environment on or in which the vehicle is moving and to the other conditions of its driving, in the greatest possible variety of conditions, from the hard and non-slippery ground of a road to soft ground such as mud or snow, and even to driving on or in a fluid.

[0037] Three complementary characteristics must be combined to achieve this objective: - the blades must be able to retract or not deploy when an obstacle prevents their deployment, - and the traction device must include a means called regulator 200, making it possible to simultaneously determine the range of movement of a plurality of blades during the cyclic movement of the traction device, and therefore to determine or limit the possible deployment / retraction movements of several of these blades, - and the blades must maintain a plurality of possible positions in the displacement domain thus determined, so that they can retract or not deploy when an obstacle prevents their deployment.

[0038] The first characteristic aims on the one hand to prevent a blade from being damaged by an obstacle, but also to limit the discomfort of jolts and noise in the event that the vehicle rolls on its blades, even if they were flexible, and to regain the road holding of a conventional wheel on hard ground.

[0039] The second, the regulator 200, is essential to optimize mechanical efficiency in all circumstances, and to have the best configuration of the blades to limit their wear and that of their deployment retraction mechanisms.

[0040] The third is also essential to allow the combination of the first two: the function of the regulator does not in fact have the function of determining the position of the blades, but their range of movement, that is to say the set of possible positions that they can occupy in space.

[0041] The simplest solution to achieve the first characteristic is for the blades to deploy under the effect of centrifugal force, and for their deployment to be limited or become impossible when they encounter an obstacle. As with propellers with folding blades, whose rotation is accelerated to open them, the blades can be deployed when the traction device is in or on a fluid or is slipping on soft ground, and given sufficient cyclic movement speed.

[0042] It is also possible to equip the vehicle with a sensor enabling it to perceive part of its environment in 3D and a servo control to control the retraction of one or more of said blades, in order to automatically retract one or more blades or to prevent them from deploying when an obstacle prevents their deployment.

[0043] It is however more advantageous if the means allowing the blades to retract or not to deploy when an obstacle opposes their deployment is an elastic return 31 causing a blade to move from its retracted position to its deployed position. The rest position of a blade, the one in which it is automatically placed under the effect of the elastic return, is therefore the deployed position, but an obstacle overcomes the elastic return and causes it to move into the retracted position.

[0044] The deployment and retraction of a blade are advantageously carried out by sliding or by rotation in all or part of said peripheral envelope. This movement can be linear or curvilinear or rotary. It is advantageous for it to follow a fixed trajectory in the peripheral envelope, that is to say without changing the exit angle of the blade with the external surface of the peripheral envelope, which makes it possible to limit the hole made through the peripheral envelope and the possible entry of foreign bodies into the device.

[0045] To limit friction, the blades are advantageously guided by rollers which can be mounted on ball bearings, as shown in [Fig. 13]. In a simpler version, these ball bearing rollers can be replaced by washers or bearings made of plastic materials with a low coefficient of friction, for example PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene or also called Teflon), POM (Polyoxymethylene also called acetal or Delrin), PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) or UHMWPE (Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene).

[0046] Those skilled in the art know how to provide the traction device with means preventing foreign bodies from slipping between the blades and the fixed parts of the traction device, for example lips made of flexible and waterproof material or brushes. Alternatively, they can provide clearance between the blades and the fixed parts which guide their deployment / retraction, and allow the expulsion of foreign bodies through its side walls.

[0047] [Fig. 13] shows such a solution which consists of leaving a space between the blades and the tread, and providing the device with openings in its side walls to allow mud and other foreign bodies to escape.

[0048] It is advantageous for a blade not to retract under the effect of a force applied to it, giving rise to a component favoring or disfavoring its cyclic movement, in the two directions of movement called forward and reverse, if this component is lower in the so-called forward direction than a first predetermined threshold, and in the so-called reverse direction than a second predetermined threshold. This force is not necessarily parallel to the surface of the raceway. The designer of the device can in fact freely determine the minimum angle of this force relative to the surface of the raceway, taking into account in particular the friction forces resulting from the retraction of the blade, and design the architecture of the device accordingly.

[0049] Those skilled in the art have numerous means available to prevent a blade in the deployed position from moving into the retracted position under the effect of a force tangential to the peripheral envelope applied to it, in the two directions of movement known as forward and reverse: - if the blade retracts and deploys by sliding, the trajectory is perpendicular to the force - if the blade retracts and deploys by rotation, the tangential force does not give rise to a rotational moment applied to it because the force exerted on the deployed part of the blade is aligned with its center of rotation as illustrated by [Fig.20],

[0050] The rotation of the blade caused by a force with a tangential component can also cause it to hit an obstacle which prevents its retraction.

[0051] In order for the vehicle not to be able to roll on its blades, its weight, even when empty, must be sufficient to cause the blades in contact with the ground to retract. A person skilled in the art must also take into account the centrifugal force applied to the blades in order to prevent them from deploying unexpectedly, and it may be necessary if the mass of the blade is too great in relation to the speed of the cyclic movement of the device traction, to provide this device with a means of locking the blades in the retracted position.

[0052] An improvement consists in providing the traction device with a means for adjusting the elastic resistance of this elastic return 31, so that an operator or a computer can adjust it by a control means. This makes it possible, for example, to have a wheel with a smooth tire to save energy when traveling on a dry tarmac road, but to deploy blades when necessary.

[0053] The traction device can be provided with blades of several different types. A blade can have all sorts of possible shapes (not shown), for example a flat surface parallel to the axis of rotation of the traction device, a set of surfaces forming a chevron, a portion of a sphere, depending on the intended use.

[0054] The face of the blades arriving at the surface of a liquid medium or soft ground is advantageously concave to cause the greatest possible resistance and therefore have the best possible traction. This leads to favoring a direction such as forward motion since the face arriving at the surface is not the same in reverse motion.

[0055] The blades may in particular have a rounded shape instead of being radial, like those shown in [Fig.21], known as Poncelet blades which were developed by the mathematician Poncelet and whose efficiency could be up to 80%.

[0056] This [Fig.21] also illustrates the fact that, even without being rounded, the blades are advantageously inclined relative to a radial position when they are deployed, exerting a downward force when they descend in their part located at the front of the traction device, and causing little fluid or loose ground to rise when they rise in the rear part of the device.

[0057] In a version not shown, the blades can tilt after their extraction, or be flexible to tilt automatically in the direction in which, according to their direction of cyclic movement, they exert a downward force when they descend in their part located at the front of the traction device.

[0058] The blades may also be telescopic to be longer when deployed, and / or articulated to change shape, for example when deployed.

[0059] Advantageously, a blade comprises at least one portion of closed disc located in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the traction device. This has two advantages: the first is to serve to promote the movement of the traction device in this plane, as does a rudder or the drift of a boat. The second is to prevent the deployment of a blade when the vehicle is rolling on hard ground and a part of this blade is in contact with the ground.

[0060] In a preferred solution, the blades are designed so that, when they are all retracted, the entire end of the blades and their closed disc portions form a continuous raceway. It is then sufficient for a single blade to be retracted by its contact with a hard ground for them all to be retracted, permanently, which saves friction and therefore energy, and reduces wear on the parts.

[0061] The deployment and retraction of a blade may also serve to increase or decrease the surface area of ​​the peripheral envelope of the traction device and / or the circumference of the traction device, as shown in Figures 10 and 11.

[0062] It can also be used to modify the surface condition of the peripheral envelope of said traction device, as shown in [Fig.22] which illustrates a particularly advantageous implementation of the invention in the case where the traction device is a wheel. The blades 21 22 23 and 24 can pivot respectively around the stops 201 202 203 and 204, but their rest position is that shown at the top right. At the bottom left, we see that the pressure of the ground on a single blade has the consequence of making it pivot so that its outer surface aligns with that of the tread. This occurs if the ground is hard, but not when the vehicle is traveling on soft ground, or fresh snow. When the vehicle accelerates, the pressure of the blade on the ground increases. If it brakes, as shown at the bottom right, the blade tilts in the opposite direction.The part of the blade which then emerges from the peripheral envelope may have particular characteristics increasing the braking capacity, and include studs (not shown), which only come out when the blade is significantly extended. Sudden braking can thus cause these studs to come out and immobilize a vehicle on ice.

[0063] Several types of regulators are proposed: those of a first type allow all the blades to be deployed and retracted simultaneously, those of a second type allow the blades to be deployed further in a part of their cycle, those of a third allow the displacement of a blade to be limited during a part of the cycle, for example between two successive contacts with the ground.

[0064] The regulators of the first type may have an outer periphery similar to that of at least a portion of the peripheral casing of the device as shown in [Fig.22]. This type of regulator may be held elastically in a rest position, but may move forward or backward slightly in rotation relative to the peripheral casing to simultaneously modify the position of several blades, here of all the blades.

[0065] This regulator 200 can be in the form of a cable or a strap having the shape of a ring in the case where the traction device is a wheel.

[0066] The traction device according to the invention is thus advantageously provided with a regulator 200 in the form of a strap whose outer periphery is geometrically similar to that of at least a portion of the peripheral envelope of the device, mechanically connected to the blades, which are held elastically in a rest position, but retract or deploy simultaneously when the angular position of the strap relative to the traction device is modified.

[0067] Such a regulator is provided with vanes which are sculptures like those of snow tires. These vanes are connected to the strap by mechanical connections such that their retraction moves the strap in one direction and their extraction in the opposite direction. In the rest position, the vanes are in the deployed position, projecting from the tread, but when the ground is hard, the force exerted by the ground pushes them towards the inside of the tread, which turns the regulator in one direction, and this simultaneously causes the retraction of all the vanes connected to the same regulator.

[0068] Advantageously, a strong acceleration of the torque applied by the motor to the traction device during its contact with the ground causes a movement of the regulator relative to the peripheral envelope, and this advance causes the blades to deploy.

[0069] An improvement consists in that the reverse movement of a regulator relative to the peripheral casing causes the retraction of the blades or the extraction of another part of the blades, which can be designed to increase the braking capacities of the traction device. This second blade can for example be made of a particular rubber and / or include studs. These studs can only come out for a greater retraction of the strap.

[0070] Advantageously, such a regulator has a periphery geometrically similar to that of the peripheral casing of the device, which has the effect that all of the vanes are retracted or deployed simultaneously, and that there is therefore no friction between a regulator and the vanes on the one hand and the rest of the peripheral casing as long as the vehicle is traveling on the same type of terrain without accelerating or braking significantly.

[0071] The device which has just been described, and which is shown in [Fig.22], can be integrated into the design of a wheel or a tire, but can also constitute an accessory which is fixed to an existing wheel, like chains, but with the advantage which is that the blades only come out when the vehicle is traveling on soft ground and retract automatically as soon as the ground becomes hard.

[0072] Regulators of the first type may also be in the form of a disc portion as shown in [Fig.24], which rotates in one direction when the vanes deploy, but turns in the other direction as soon as a single blade touches the ground, which leads to its retraction and that of all the others.

[0073] Regulators of the second type allow a portion of the blades to be more deployed in one part of the cycle, and in a less deployed or retracted position in the rest of the cycle.

[0074] In one of said configurations of the regulator, the vanes are in a more deployed position in a lower part of the traction device to exert a horizontal thrust moving the vehicle horizontally.

[0075] It is also possible, as shown in [Fig. 3], to arrange the blades so that they are in the deployed position in a lower / front part of the traction device. This has two advantages. The first is to give rise during the cyclic movement of the device in forward motion to a force directed more downwards, which can make it possible to get a vehicle out of the mud, to push upwards a vehicle navigating on the water in order to reduce its drag, or even to make it take off and fly in the air. The second is not to generate downwardly oriented force in forward motion by the movement of the blade in the lower / rear part of the traction device, which has no propulsive effect but consumes energy by raising the fluid or the soft ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0076] Several regulators of this second type are proposed.

[0077] A regulator may for example comprise a secondary shaft 40 parallel to the axis of rotation of said traction device, not coincident with said axis of rotation of said traction device, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. When the wheel is motorized by means of a shaft connecting a motor to the wheel, it is difficult to place the hub of the regulator in the axis of rotation of the wheel if this hub does not have a central recess allowing the shaft connecting this motor to the wheel to pass through (or if the hub of the wheel does not have a central recess allowing the secondary shaft to pass through). The hub of the regulator is in this embodiment more bulky and it may also be more expensive to manufacture, in particular if it comprises ball bearings. One solution may consist of placing it on the side of the wheel opposite the chassis of the vehicle as shown in Figures 15 and 16.Advantageously, the motor of a device according to the invention is located in the traction device itself. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, shown in [Fig.20], the wheel no longer has a shaft to connect to the external motor hub, and the hub of the regulator can be located in the axis of rotation of the wheel to determine the position of all the blades, while being located on the side of the wheel connecting it to the chassis of the vehicle. It is also possible to use a wheel without a hub driven by its rim, to obtain the same advantage.

[0078] The regulator may also comprise a cam cooperating with a follower or a pusher, for example one or more fixed cams 401 and 402 as shown in Figures 6 and 7. Those skilled in the art may use both concave and convex cores, or sets of both types to modify the position of the blades during the cycle.

[0079] The regulator can advantageously deform elastically and / or have flexible parts. This elasticity can also constitute the so-called elastic return means 31 allowing the retraction of the blades when an obstacle opposes their deployment during the cycle.

[0080] In a version advantageous in many cases, not shown, the regulator 200 may comprise a cable composed of a flexible sheath and an inner cable which slides inside the sheath and operates by traction or compression. This makes it possible to transmit a mechanical movement over a certain distance, while adapting to non-straight paths thanks to its flexibility and has in particular the advantage, in the case of airless tires, of being compatible with the chosen shape of the connections between the hub and the tread.

[0081] To make it possible to limit the movement of a blade during a part of the cycle, for example between two successive contacts with the ground, the regulators of the third type can have the function of damping the movement of a blade relative to the peripheral envelope so that the blade does not have time to move much between two successive contacts with the ground, or of only allowing the movement of the blade during a small part of the cycle in which the instant during which the blade is in contact with the ground is found (versions not shown).

[0082] Such damping is advantageously present on regulators of the first type.

[0083] Several different types of regulators can be combined with each other, the one shown in [Fig. 12] being able for example to slide along the secondary shaft 40, this sliding making it possible to define the average deployment of the blades and the decentering of the secondary shaft 40 making it possible to determine a sector of the cycle in which the blades are more deployed than in another.

[0084] In the case where the regulator consists of a mechanical assembly comprising a secondary shaft 40 connected directly or indirectly to blades by rigid or flexible links, it may be necessary to provide a specific device to synchronize the rotation of the secondary shaft 40 with that of the primary shaft 10. Those skilled in the art have numerous known means at their disposal for obtaining this synchronization.

[0085] The operation of the regulator makes it possible to determine in real time, depending on the conditions encountered and the desired driving mode, which part of the cycle the blades are in the deployed position and which part they are in retracted position, which blades are displaced, and what is the extent of the deployments considered.

[0086] When the device according to the invention is a track, the regulator can elastically push the lower blades towards their deployed position. Advantageously, it simultaneously pushes permanently those at the top towards their retracted position. This can be a simple stop or a rail or even a cable or belts 61 and 62 as shown in [Fig.23].

[0087] The present invention also aims to replace propellers in many cases with retractable paddle wheels, because it is known that in very calm waters, the paddle wheel can have a better efficiency than the propeller, and that this efficiency only decreases in rough waters where the movements of the boat and the waves disturb the blades.

[0088] This disturbance can have two aspects, on the one hand the waves can reach the upper part of the blades and brake the ship. On the other hand, losses by turbulence and shock of the water on the blades can reduce their overall performance. As for the first aspect, this is not possible with retractable blades and for the second, it is advantageous to design blades whose angular position can vary elastically with respect to their original position. This makes it possible to absorb the shock which occurs when a blade encounters the surface of the medium on which or in which it rolls, and to smooth the resistive torque opposed by this medium to all the blades. This results in an improvement in the overall efficiency.

[0089] The peripheral envelope can advantageously be elastically deformable so that the points at which the blades pass through the peripheral envelope can vary, but the angular position of the blades can also be varied around this point at which it passes through the tread. Flexible blades can also be used.

[0090] In addition to the suppression of these disturbances, retractable paddle wheels could benefit from the Magnus effect.

[0091] Finally, it is predictable that, at high speed, only the blades come into contact with the medium on which the wheels roll, especially if they are deployed mainly in the front and lower sector of their cycle. The speed limit of a boat on water then becomes comparable to that of a vehicle rolling on the ground.

[0092] This depends on the intended use of the traction device, for example, climbing and descending stairs leading to a blade architecture different from that most suitable for navigation on soft ground. They may also have different characteristics of elasticity, hardness, compression set, tear strength, operating temperature range, glass transition temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, resistance to weathering, ozone and UV. A blade may also comprise a portion of the peripheral envelope of the traction device. The blades may also include different types of spikes or other means of improving traction on or in a particular medium. These spikes may be deployed from a blade from a certain deployment of the blade in question.

[0093] Advantageously, in the case where the traction device is a wheel, its circumference is a volume of revolution when all the blades are retracted, and / or when all the blades are deployed.

[0094] In a version particularly suitable for vehicles not having a directional wheel, the track or wheel must be able to skid laterally easily. It is advantageous in this case for the outermost end of the blade to be parallel to the axis of rotation of the traction device, as shown in [Fig.4] and [Fig.14]. This does not prevent the rest of the blade in question from having a different shape (not shown).

[0095] Several series of blades of identical or different characteristics can be deployed and retracted by different means controlled by different controls.

[0096] A blade can also change its nature depending on the extent of its deployment. For example, a protrusion can be deployed by a weak deployment, while a greater deployment causes the spikes of the already deployed blade to protrude.

[0097] The present invention is particularly suitable for traction devices comprising a tire or a so-called "airless" track because their elasticity is obtained by multiple elastomer connections which ensure the elastic deformability of the tread. In this case, in which the elasticity is produced at least in part by elastically deformable connections between, on the one hand, the tread, and on the other hand a hub in the case of a wheel or the support wheels in the case of a track, all or part of the assembly formed by a blade and its mechanical connection with said deployment / retraction mechanism is advantageously placed between two of said connections

[0098] These elastomer connections are often inclined relative to an axial plane perpendicular to the tread, either forward or backward, along planes close to each other. Such an inclination of the connections has the advantage of increasing the flexibility of the tire. The blades slide in this case along a median plane between these two planes.

[0099] Advantageously, when moving forward, a blade moves back inclined when it encounters an axial plane perpendicular to the tread can be stored between these links. This also has the effect of facilitating its retraction in the event of encountering an obstacle in forward motion. This is achieved by simply having the sliding direction inclined relative to a plane perpendicular to the tread.

[0100] The present invention is also suitable for tracks made according to the same principle of elastomer connections ensuring good deformability of the tracks, allowing high-speed movement.

[0101] Without departing from the scope of the invention, a wheel according to the invention may be provided with one or more circular flanges allowing it to roll on the ground. The same applies to a track according to the invention which would be provided with an additional track supporting part or most of the weight of the vehicle. Wheels or parts of wheels located between the traction devices according to the invention may be inflated to low pressure or made of very flexible materials to ensure comfortable rolling and effective traction on uneven ground. This also applies to tracks or track links.

[0102] [Fig. 5] illustrates a particularly advantageous implementation. The left wheel has blade deployment / retraction controls (51 for blade 21) while the right wheel does not, the blades being either each positioned according to the resistance of the ground or according to an autonomous deployment / retraction device.

[0103] The advantage provided by the fact that the housings 210 and following of the blades are fixed only to the peripheral envelope or to the peripheral envelope of the wheel IA is important, because in this case, these housings can be rigid and allow deployment with low friction of the blades.

[0104] The retraction of a blade of a wheel in order not to generate in a part of the cycle an undesired force on a fluid or a soft ground implies the presence of a peripheral envelope in which the blade can retract, but this peripheral envelope can be distinct from the peripheral envelope as shown in [Fig. 14]. The peripheral envelope 1001 can be flexible or provided with an elastic covering like a tire (version not shown).

[0105] The principle illustrated by [Fig. 14] also shows how a device according to the invention can be embedded in the bodywork of a vehicle so as to only come out when it is put into service, in the same way that it comes out here from the tread.

[0106] The device according to the invention thus makes it possible to propel a land vehicle whose wheels are completely submerged, a submarine, or even a land vehicle or a boat which becomes a submarine. This also makes it possible to use wheels according to the invention with existing vehicles undergoing only a slight transformation, by preventing the blades from striking the wheel arch in the bodywork. This can be achieved by numerous means available to those skilled in the art, for example a stop secured to the vehicle chassis preventing the blades from deploying in the upper part of the peripheral casing 2.

[0107] A traction device according to the invention may be an accessory of a conventional wheel or track. This device according to the invention may be removable, and only be installed when necessary, for example when the vehicle is stuck in the mud or has to cross a river. The peripheral casing is in this case the peripheral casing of a conventional wheel or track and the set of blades is an accessory fixed on one of its sides as shown in [Fig. 15].

[0108] Advantageously, a plurality of sets of blades are fixed on a plurality of wheels on the same side of a vehicle, and are connected by a connecting element which constitutes the fixed part of each of the traction devices considered (version not shown).

[0109] A blade may be rigid or flexible, and may advantageously be folded and stored in a position limiting the bulk of the vehicle and the proximity of the blades to the surface on which the vehicle is traveling, as illustrated in [Fig. 16]

[0110] A device according to the invention may also comprise one or more parts comprising blades, and one or more parts which are conventional tires, which makes it possible to benefit from the advantages of the invention and the lightness of the inflated tires. [Fig. 17] illustrates this implementation and shows a wheel provided with a space 1000 inflated by pressurized air.

[0111] A conventional track may comprise blades organized like those of a wheel according to the invention, the track constituting the peripheral envelope of the device. The sets of blades may also be arranged next to the track or in the same volume if the track is provided with holes allowing the passage of the blades. Each set of blades may be provided with a wheel, and these wheels may each constitute one of the track rollers (not shown).

[0112] A traction device according to the invention can also be presented as a track fixed on the periphery of a conventional wheel, or of several such wheels, or of an existing track (not shown).

[0113] Advantageously, the deployment of a blade does not deform said peripheral envelope. A blade can pass through the peripheral envelope as shown in the figures.

[0114] To maintain the material continuity of the peripheral envelope and its sealing, or for other reasons, it can also be located inside the external surface of said tread and deform it without passing through it by pressing on its internal surface when it passes into the deployed position. It can also be embedded in this retracted tread without passing through it and move away from it towards the outside of the traction device in the deployed position. These versions are not shown.

[0115] The travel of a blade may be greater than that causing it to move from the retracted position to the deployed position, both towards the inside of the peripheral envelope to reach a so-called extreme retraction position, and towards the outside to reach a so-called extreme deployment position.

[0116] The assembly consisting of a blade and its deployment / retraction mechanism may, in one of its possible positions, be located partly in the so-called internal volume of said traction device.

[0117] The position of extreme retraction may for example correspond to all the blades being placed in a position in which they are not integral in cyclic movement with the peripheral envelope.

[0118] The extreme deployment position can for example cause the blade's crampons to come out.

[0119] A very important improvement consists in that a part of the blades can be more deployed in one part of the cycle, and in a less deployed or retracted position in the rest of the cycle.

[0120] The deployment and retraction of the blades can be carried out in many different ways without departing from the scope of the present invention by independent means, mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic, or by magnets or electromechanical means which can be independent. These means can be coordinated by a single means, but it is simpler to provide the device with a so-called regulator means 200, making it possible to determine sets of possible positions of the blades. A set of possible positions is hereinafter referred to as a configuration of said regulator.

[0121] This regulator is advantageously a purely mechanical mechanism, excluding any use of hydraulic or pneumatic technologies, to benefit from the simplicity and reliability of such mechanisms, reduced maintenance and low cost, but this is not obligatory.

[0122] This regulator can mechanically connect, directly or indirectly, the vehicle with a plurality of blades. Such regulators are shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 17 and 22.

[0123] Different types of regulator are proposed which can produce cyclic movements of the blades.

[0124] A gyroscope or any other known means can be used to know the position of the device in space in order to determine what is the position in the cycle of a blade, but in a simplified version, the regulator can be mechanically linked to the vehicle, and use the latter as a reference in order to determine what is the position in the cycle of a blade. The vehicle therefore comprises in the latter case the fixed part of the regulator which does not rotate with said traction device, and optionally a means for modifying the configuration of said regulator and / or means for adjusting the elastic resistance of said elastic return 31.

[0125] The vehicle may also include a means for controlling one and / or the other of these modification and adjustment means, which may be operated by a person or by a computer. The person or computer in question may be placed on the vehicle or outside, for example using remote control means, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0126] A resilient means may be provided so that, when a blade has been placed in its extreme retraction, retracted, deployed or extreme deployment position, it remains in equilibrium there. In either of these two cases, the regulator or other mechanical means may have the function of placing a blade in one or other of these equilibrium positions. An advantage of this solution is to be able to maintain all the blades in a stable position during the entire cyclic movement of the traction device, without friction between the blade and another part of the traction device.

[0127] For example, fixed magnets or electromagnets may be used to move or hold the blades in the retracted position in a portion of the traction device, and other magnets or electromagnets may be used to move the blades to the extended position on command. These magnets or electromagnets may be located at unique locations along the cycle. Magnets may be moved to be active or inactive or reversed to have opposite effects. A single electromagnet may be sufficient to move the blades from the retracted position to the extended position or vice versa.

[0128] Depending on the configuration of the regulator, the blades can be for example: - either all in the retracted position, - or all in the deployed position, - or those which are in one part of the cycle in the deployed position, and those which are in another part of the cycle in the less deployed or retracted position.

[0129] Regardless of the type of regulator chosen, it is possible to move the blades located at the bottom of the traction device to their deployed position to ensure traction of the vehicle, and conversely to move those located at the top to their retracted or extreme retraction position. This has the advantage of limiting the size of the device and above all of not offering resistance to the advancement of a vehicle equipped with a wheel or a track according to the invention when it moves on the water or in the water. This differentiates the device according to the invention from old paddle wheels whose upper part could hit waves which opposed the advancement of the boat, and this makes it possible to use a wheel which is totally submerged. This also makes it possible not to spend energy to raise the water in the rear part of the paddle wheel as was the case with these devices of the prior art.

[0130] A particularly advantageous implementation is illustrated in [Fig.20]. The device according to the invention shown on the left is a constituent of a Segway. It is provided with a chassis 400 which includes two foot supports and can operate like vehicles often called monowheels. Such vehicles are described in document EP1986910A2 by Janik Simeray [FR] of May 31, 2007 and the numerous subsequent documents citing this document.

[0131] The one shown on the right allows a swimmer or a floating device to be pulled on the water or in the water by the wheel IA. The direction is determined by the inclination of the handlebar 301 to one side or the other. The controls 302 and 303 make it possible to control the speed of the cyclic movement of the device and the configuration of the blades. For safety, as soon as the handles are released, the motor stops and the assembly floats. The orientation of the traction can be freely chosen: forward, upward or downward. Instead of having a control means to determine the configuration of the blades, the user can simply tilt the traction device forward or backward. Simple handles attached to the device shown on the left (not shown) can in this case allow a swimmer to perform this maneuver.

[0132] This autonomous wheel device is advantageously equipped with control means similar to those of Segways. It can be remote-controlled or even managed by a computer, which can use artificial intelligence. In the latter cases, it can be commanded to follow the pilot when he no longer needs to be pulled by the Segway. A simple rope can then be enough to pull a person or a land or water vehicle. To tow a heavy vehicle, such devices can be combined in series or in parallel.

[0133] The reverse gear change may involve the manual or even automatic reversal of the part of the cycle of the traction device in which the blades are in the deployed position, by means that a person skilled in the art can easily design.

[0134] The two advantages which have just been described can also be obtained by another means which consists of permanently tilting the blades relative to the perpendicular to the rolling path, towards the rear when the vehicle is moving forward.

[0135] It is also advantageous, for the same reason, that the blades 21 22 and following located in the front part (to the left of each of the illustrations of [Fig.21]) are inclined in such a way that they generate an upwardly oriented force, while those located in the rear part do not cause water to rise towards the top of the wheel. This is easier to achieve with curved blades as shown in this [Fig.21],

[0136] Similarly, the regulator 200 can also place the vanes in a different position, placing them in the deployed position in their rear part, so that they give generation of a more upwardly directed force in the case where their cyclical movement is driven by the movement of the fluid on which or in which they rotate, which can allow the non-driven wheels of a vehicle to be raised above water or mud, which can be the case for all the wheels of a vehicle which is towed or propelled by a sail or a kite.

[0137] A device according to the invention can thus serve as a wind turbine or a hydro turbine.

[0138] The blades advantageously have an internal structure made of rigid but flexible materials, and are easily removable so that they can be replaced quickly.

[0139] To allow a large number of blades to deploy simultaneously, the deployment of one of them can cause the deployment of another blade and its retraction can cause the retraction of another blade. Those skilled in the art know many means for achieving this result, whether the objective is to drive a neighboring or distant blade.

[0140] This makes it possible to simplify a regulator, but also makes it possible, in the implementation illustrated by [Fig.19], to retract all the sculptures 21 22 and following as soon as only one, the one in contact with hard ground, is pushed by the ground into the retracted position. Similarly, it is sufficient for one or more sculptures in contact with the ground to encounter soft ground such as powdery snow, for all the sculptures to move into the deployed position. This is how, without any complicated mechanism, a tire moves from a summer configuration to a winter configuration and vice versa.

[0141] [Fig. 19] thus illustrates a particularly advantageous product: a tire that automatically transforms into a snow tire as soon as the ground becomes soft, but which resumes its classic structure when it returns to a dry road. A very important advantage is that, once the configuration of the sculptures has been modified, there is no longer any friction and no longer any wear during the cyclical movement of the traction device.

[0142] The spring that pushes all of the sculptures into their deployed position can be arranged in multiple possible locations. There can be a spring between each sculpture and the base of its location in the tread, or a single spring or several springs rotating the ring 60 so that all of the sculptures are deployed. A control such as those described in [Fig. 12] makes it possible to force the deployment or retraction of the sculptures.

[0143] [Fig. 18] represents a simplified version of the implementation shown in [Fig. 19]. It has the advantage of being simpler, but on dry roads, the sculptures constantly oscillate between the retracted position and the deployed position, which generates friction and therefore wear.

[0144] Those skilled in the art can obviously combine several devices such as those described above, in order to be able to deploy or retract different types of blades, sculptures or other elements. The controls for these devices can be separate or coupled.

[0145] It is advantageous to be able to modify the nature of a blade depending on the extent of its deployment. For example, the deployment of a tire tread pattern may, if it is greater, cause the studs of the tread pattern in question to protrude. More generally, the deployment of a blade may thus cause, in part of this deployment movement, the deployment of another blade of the blade in question, in one or more different directions. Those skilled in the art have many known means for achieving this, and this may make it possible to deploy blades with a larger surface area than that of the blade in question when it is in the retracted position. Different parts of a blade may also deploy in different directions to provide a larger bearing surface on the medium in or on which the vehicle is moving (versions not shown).

[0146] Wide tires or tracks have the advantage of good grip, good cornering stability, short braking distance and driving comfort. It is therefore advantageous that the deployment of a vane can lead to an increase in the tread area.

[0147] To achieve energy savings, since a wide tread leads to higher fuel consumption, it is also advantageous that the retraction of a blade can lead to a reduction in the surface area of ​​the tread.

[0148] In one of its so-called energy-saving configurations, the surface area of ​​the peripheral envelope may be less than half of its value in another so-called maximum efficiency configuration.

[0149] [Fig. 10] shows a means of varying said external face of the tread, by illustrating three different configurations, obtained by a simple change in the distance of the blades from the axis of rotation of the wheel, which shows that the same tire can be used in many different cases of use. It should be noted that the device according to the invention makes it possible not only to reduce the surface area of ​​the peripheral envelope but also to increase it.

[0150] [Fig. 11] shows a particular tire carcass, particularly adapted to the present invention. It comprises sub-assemblies of coaxial 5001, radial 5002 and diagonal 5003 structural cables crossing at a single point 5000, and sets of blades 21 to 24 located on either side of this single point 5000.

[0151] It is advantageous that, in a first stage of their deployment, the blades are deployed simultaneously.

[0152] A weak deployment of the blades can thus simultaneously concern all the blades of the device, while a greater deployment only concerns a part of them.

[0153] The control of the optimal configuration can be ensured by a user, but also in real time by a computer taking into account the speed and trajectory of the vehicle, its load and the state of the environment on or in which it is moving. The traction device then advantageously comprises sensors making it possible to evaluate these parameters.

[0154] In the so-called energy-saving configuration, the surface of the peripheral envelope may not have a positive or negative sculpture (also called a groove) of more than 0.5% of the total height of the traction device.

[0155] In this so-called energy-saving configuration, the peripheral envelope advantageously comprises one or more continuous or discontinuous rings coaxial with said peripheral envelope, each with a width less than that of said peripheral envelope.

[0156] The regulator may advantageously be constructed from a material or have an architecture that allows it to undergo elastic deformation. This has the effect that, in the event that the force causing a blade to move from one position to another exceeds a certain threshold, the regulator may deform to cease producing the expected effect, and therefore refrain from causing deterioration of the blade in question or of the regulator.

[0157] In a particular implementation, the wheels or tracks constituting the traction device according to the invention may be less dense than water in order to contribute to the buoyancy of the vehicle when it is rolling on water. They may even provide its buoyancy on their own.

[0158] A mechanical means not shown may be provided so that certain blades automatically move to the deployed position when the force exerted by the traction device on the chassis of the vehicle is less than a predetermined value. This makes it possible, for example, to automatically move the blades to the deployed position when the vehicle is floating on water since the force exerted by the traction device on the chassis of the vehicle is then reduced.

[0159] In a particular version not shown, the blades are not permanently connected to the wheel or the track. A so-called selector device has the effect - either in a first configuration of making the blades pass into a retracted position without being driven by the wheel or the track, - or in a second configuration of making them pass into the deployed position, in which they are driven with the wheel or the track, by moving away from the plane tangent to the periphery of the tread. A complementary device allows in this case the blades which will pass towards the top of the wheel or track to pass into the retracted position.

[0160] The invention is also a machine such as a vehicle or a means of exploiting kinetic energy provided with a traction device like those described above. Such a vehicle advantageously comprises the part of the regulator which does not rotate with the traction device, and / or a means of modifying the configuration of the regulator and / or a means of adjusting the elastic resistance of the elastic return 31, and / or a means of controlling these two adjustment or modification means

[0161] In a particularly advantageous version illustrated by [Fig.8], the vehicle is equipped with a so-called obstacle clearance assistance device 70 connected directly or indirectly to the chassis of the vehicle by a mechanical connection such that it lifts the vehicle when it encounters an obstacle by moving from a retracted position in which it is not in contact with the solid or liquid support on which the vehicle rests, to a deployed position in which it ensures the support of the vehicle with the obstacle in question. This obstacle can be solid as well as a wave or an overpressure of the fluid on which the vehicle is moving. All the obstacle clearance assistance devices described in the applicant's patent application FR3048404A3 of September 8, 2017 can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0162] The invention is also a means of exploiting kinetic energy consisting of a wheel or track according to the invention, propelled by the current of a fluid or a gas.

[0163] The use of the invention to exploit the kinetic energy of a fluid makes it possible, for example, to recharge the batteries of a boat or a submarine when stationary. For example, it is possible to produce boats and submarines which never need to be recharged with electricity because they automatically stop and drop their anchor as soon as their electricity reserve is too low, and then set off again when the generation of electric current by the current of the fluid or other means allows them to have regained a sufficient electric charge.

[0164] Boats can have means of producing electricity (wave, tidal, wind or solar for example) and come ashore to discharge this electricity into the network, without having to install cables between their electricity production location and the land.

[0165] The invention can also make it possible to turn the wheels of an aircraft before landing by using the movement of the air caused by its speed, so that they turn sufficiently quickly before touching the ground, which makes it possible to save the rubber usually lost during landing. It should be noted that, unlike other methods envisaged in the prior art, this one is light and does not increase the size of the landing gear. The blades can in particular be very thin and arranged between the cables forming the carcass of the tire, which are particularly necessary during braking.

[0166] The invention is also the method of maneuvering a machine such as a vehicle or a means of exploiting kinetic energy provided with a traction device according to the invention, by a human operator or a computer, the maneuvering of the vehicle comprising a step of modifying its configuration by a means of controlling a means of modifying this configuration and / or a step of adjusting the elastic resistance of the elastic return 31 by the means of controlling the means of adjusting this resistance.

[0167] Applications

[0168] The present invention applies to all land vehicles, from bicycles to trucks and passenger vehicles, to save energy and / or allow automatic adaptation to traffic conditions.

[0169] The most surprising applications are land vehicles that can travel on roads as well as on uneven or muddy ground and sail on water or in some versions take off and land vertically and fly in all directions, as a large or small boat, a submarine sailing in the water or rolling on the bottom, or an aircraft, all of which vehicles can land on a beach and cross shallows without damage.

[0170] These vehicles can be used for leisure or work, rescue, public works but also for military combat.

[0171] They can be piloted by humans, whether passengers or not, using remote control means, or by computers.

[0172] An important interest is also to make navigable many rivers which are not currently so.

[0173] A particular application is the propulsion of people on snow or on the surface of water, as well as in water, these people being able or not to be equipped with an accessory such as skis or a surfboard.

[0174] All land, water or air vehicles are concerned, including fast vehicles when the main objective is to save energy and adapt the structure of the peripheral envelope in real time according to the conditions encountered and the driving style.

[0175] The main vehicles likely to benefit from the version of the invention in which some blades are deployed and others are not are as follows: - motor vehicles of all types, and in particular amphibious or all-terrain vehicles, military land drones, certain assault tanks, artillery or missile launchers, and more generally military equipment which must be able to be transported autonomously from one point to another, - cargo or passenger transport vessels, regardless of their size and weight, and in particular fishing boats on rivers or ponds, or in marshes, tenders for pleasure boats, leisure barges and barges, - public works or agricultural machinery which must cross wet or muddy or snowy areas, - and remote-controlled vehicles for recreational use such as toys.

[0176] The invention makes it possible to replace boat propellers with devices whose efficiency can be high at all speeds, and which are both safer, more environmentally friendly and without danger of destruction in the event of shallow water or encountering floating obstacles.

Claims

1. Claims Traction device such as a wheel (IA) or a track (IB) whose cyclical movement drives or is driven by the movement of a machine called a vehicle relative to its solid or fluid environment, comprising - an element called peripheral envelope 2, comprising a so-called external face and a so-called internal face which is separated from said external face by the thickness of said peripheral envelope, which may comprise an external contact material and a framework commonly called carcass which ensures its solidity and its resistance to the load, said internal face defining a so-called internal volume of said traction device, - a plurality of cyclic movement elements called blades (21, 22 and following) capable of generating a pressure allowing the traction of said vehicle in a fluid or soft ground such as a granular or powdery medium, one of said blades having several possible positions forming a domain called the displacement domain of said blade, ranging from a so-called retracted position in which it comprises a part located inside said external face to a so-called deployed position in which it is located further towards the outside of said external face, - a so-called deployment / retraction means allowing a blade to deploy by moving in a direction from said internal face to said external face, and conversely to retract by moving in the opposite direction, - said deployment / retraction means having the effect - when a blade encounters an obstacle - of retracting it if it is deployed and of preventing it from deploying or of limiting its deployment if it is partially or totally deployed, characterized in that - said deployment / retraction means has the effect - when a blade encounters an obstacle - of retracting it if it is deployed and of preventing it from deploying or of limiting its deployment if it is partially or totally deployed, - and that said traction device comprises a means called regulator 200 simultaneously determining said displacement range of a

2. plurality of said blades during the cyclic movement of said traction device, - and that said blades have a plurality of possible positions in said displacement range thus determined. Traction device according to claim 1 characterized in that the means allowing the blades to deploy is the centrifugal force which is applied to it during its cyclic movement.

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