Retractable paddle traction device

Abstract

The invention is a vehicle traction device comprising retractable vanes or any protrusions of a tire (hereinafter referred to interchangeably as vanes) that can be used to assist in vehicle traction by their pressure on a fluid or granular medium such as sand, snow, mud, or loose soil, and / or to harness kinetic energy by the rotation of such a vane in a fluid or granular medium. The main applications are land vehicles that can adapt their tread pattern to conserve energy at low speeds or widen it or equip it with prominent treads when necessary, and also travel through mud or on or in water, such as a motor vehicle, a boat capable of navigating shallow waters, a submarine, or an aircraft capable of landing on a beach or on water.

Description

Title of the invention: Traction device with retractable paddles technical field

[0001] The invention is a vehicle traction device comprising vanes or any outgrowths of a tire – hereinafter referred to interchangeably as vanes – which can be put into service - to participate in the traction of the vehicle by their pressure on a fluid or on a granular medium such as sand, snow, mud or loose soil, - and / or to exploit kinetic energy by the rotation of such a blade in a fluid or a granular medium. Previous technique

[0002] CN107962922A of April 27, 2018, by CUI JIE et al., is known, describing a track equipped with a plurality of paddles arranged on the outer end faces of the tracks and which provide traction for an amphibious vehicle in water. These paddles are permanently perpendicular to the outer faces of the tracks, so that they are not well suited to the movement of the vehicle on hard ground and slow the vehicle in their upper part when they encounter water.

[0003] We know of CN108422821 (A) of August 21, 2018 by SUN SHILIANG which describes a similar device and presents the same drawback.

[0004] We know of CN110733305 (A) of January 31, 2020 by WANG XINGBO et al. which describes a blade comprising a plurality of flexible blades ensuring the traction of a vehicle in water, but which is poorly suited to the circulation of a vehicle on a hard ground.

[0005] We know of US 10259280 (B 1) of April 16, 2019 by ROE RICHARD DARIN [US] which describes a vehicle equipped with wheels allowing it to roll on a ground, which have on their lateral part paddles to ensure the traction of the vehicle on water, but the efficiency of the drive on water of this device is low.

[0006] CN114619813A of June 14, 2022, from GAO ​​SHENGYUN [CN] is known, describing a four-wheeled amphibious vehicle with paddles that can be periodically deployed and retracted, the switch between a land driving mode and an aquatic driving mode being achieved by rotating the angle of a cam. This vehicle cannot automatically switch to land driving mode upon encountering a solid obstacle, and the paddles cannot all be in the retracted position simultaneously, which poses space constraints.

[0007] Patent WO2007079045A2 of July 12, 2007, by MUNSHAUR TODD [US] and VAN OSDELL STEVEN [US], describes an amphibious vehicle equipped with floating amphibious traction wheels. The wheels have a number of foldable pockets arranged around the wheel surface and oriented in the direction of wheel rotation. This vehicle cannot operate in a fluid while reversing, whereas reverse propulsion is the most effective braking method for boats. Furthermore, these pockets gradually fill with debris encountered by the vehicle, such as sand or soil, and thus lose their effectiveness.

[0008] Numerous documents describing tire studs and spikes are known. These elements cannot be considered as blades because they cannot generate or withstand significant pressure when moving through a fluid or granular medium. Technical problem

[0009] The main objective pursued by the present invention is to enable a vehicle to switch from a configuration allowing for quality energy-saving driving, as is possible with smooth and narrow wheels or tracks rolling on a smooth and non-slip surface, to other configurations adapted for driving on mud, snow or ice, or even for aquatic, subaquatic or even aerial traction.

[0010] The problem is complex because the design of the traction device must have all of the following characteristics: 1 - the tread must be able to include blades that contribute to the traction of the vehicle by their pressure on a fluid or a granular medium; 2 - These blades must be able to retract inside a protective casing, hereinafter referred to as the peripheral casing, which can also act as a tread, - when they encounter an obstacle such as a fairly hard surface that could damage them, - and when they could oppose the flow of the fluid or granular medium in which or on which the vehicle is moving; 3 - they must not limit the elasticity of the tread; 4 - they must be able, on command from a person or a computer, - to move from one position to another in a progressive or abrupt manner, - to brake the vehicle and to make it roll in reverse in all circumstances, - to extract it from a granular medium and raise it above the surface of a fluid to limit its drag, while being compatible with the road holding of conventional tires; 5 - and, in certain use cases, their deployment must not increase the bulk of the traction device, nor radially in its upper part for to be able to use the device according to the invention without having to modify the bodywork of an existing vehicle, nor laterally so as not to increase its width.

[0011] The search for a solution led to a plurality of innovations based on a common inventive concept, making it possible to achieve the objectives pursued while respecting all the characteristics mentioned above. The subject matter of this application thus relates to solutions corresponding to the various use cases of the invention, which could not be adequately covered by a single claim. Brief description of the drawings

[0012] The invention will be well understood, and other objects, advantages and features thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the description which follows, which is illustrated by figures 1 to 16.

[0013] [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.

[0014] [Fig.2] is a perspective and cross-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 close to the axis of rotation 10 of the wheel, with the result that the blades are all set back from the peripheral casing, and do not limit the elasticity of the wheel allowing it to absorb the shocks of small obstacles.

[0015] [Fig. 3] is also a perspective and cross-sectional view of the wheel of [Fig. 1] and of [Fig.2], in which the secondary shaft 40 is offset downwards and forwards (left of the figure), which has the effect that the blades located at the front of the wheel give rise, during the rotation of the wheel, to a propulsive force directed more downwards than on the device shown in [Fig.1] where this force is directed backwards.

[0016] [Fig.4] is a perspective view of two IA wheels whose blades 21 and 22 are The blades are flat and slide through the peripheral casing 2. These blades may include winter tire stud assemblies on the right. Elastic springs 31, 32, and following push them in the direction from their retracted to their deployed position. On the left, the wheel rolls on hard ground, and the lower blades are 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 in a less retracted position. If this wheel were rolling on mud or fresh snow, the lower blades would be in the deployed position, and the upper ones would be in the retracted position.

[0017] [Fig. 5] is a perspective view of two wheels according to the invention, of which the Housing units 210 and above have blades fixed only to the peripheral envelope of the AI ​​wheel. Like the one shown in the previous figure, this device is particularly suited to airless tires.

[0018] [Fig.6] is a perspective view of blades 21 22 and following similar to those shown in [Fig.1], each equipped with a bearing, respectively 211 221 and following allowing their position to be determined by cooperation with a concave cam visible in [Fig.7].

[0019] [Fig. 7] is a perspective view of the mechanism that determines the position of the blades according to their position in the rotation cycle of the wheel. Elastic return springs (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 such that it is the oblong-shaped cam 401 that allows the blades in the lower part of the wheel to be more deployed while those in the upper part are less deployed or not deployed at all.

[0020] [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 of an obstacle crossing aid device 70 according to patent application FR3048404A3 of Franck Guigan [FR] of September 8, 2017.

[0021] [Fig.9] is a perspective view of two mechanical sub-assemblies of this vehicle. The one on the left is in hard ground driving mode and all the blades are in the retracted position, while the one on the right is in water driving mode and the lower blades are in the deployed position.

[0022] [Fig. 10] is a perspective view of three IA wheels, the blades 21, 22 and following of which are tire treads. These blades are - in retracted position on the left - a position suitable for limited speed traffic - which reduces the surface area of ​​the tread actually in contact with the ground when the traction device is rolling on a flat, hard surface and allows for significant energy savings and a reduction in rolling noise. - in a mid-center position - a position suitable for high-speed driving - which offers the advantage of good grip, good stability in corners, short braking distances and great driving comfort, but results in higher fuel consumption. - and in the deployed position on the right, which allows movement on snowy or muddy ground.

[0023] [Fig. 11] is a perspective view of a traction device similar in nature to those of [Fig. 10], showing the frame, which comprises sub-assemblies of coaxial 5001, radial 5002 and diagonal 5003 structural cables. intersecting at a single point 5000, and sets of blades 21 to 24 located on either side of this single point 5000.

[0024] [Fig. 12] is a perspective view of four sets of blades that deploy simultaneously. On the left, the wheel IA and the six chevron-shaped blades 21 to 26 are visible through the transparent material. Their deployed position is determined by the position of the hub 400, which can be slid along the wheel's axis of rotation to cause them to retract or extend. Blade 21 is connected to the hub 400 by an articulated arm 2100, as are the other five blades. The three sets on the right represent the blade positions for different hub positions, and it can be seen that the blades can be completely retracted, as illustrated by the rightmost set.

[0025] [Fig. 13] is a series of 3 views under the same perspective of the same device according to the invention, whose chevron blades have no contact and therefore no friction with the wheel IA, and are each guided by two rollers marked 21A and 21B for blade 21, 22A and 22B for blade 22, etc. which are themselves mounted on ball bearings.

[0026] [Fig. 14] is a series of 2 views from different perspectives illustrating a particular embodiment in which the tread 1001 of the wheel is not the peripheral casing 2. The wheel IA, which includes this peripheral casing and the blades, is stored within the tread in the two upper views, extended from it in the middle views, and the blades themselves are deployed in the two lower views. The peripheral casing 2 is seen between the two lower views.

[0027] [Fig. 15] is a perspective view of two AI autonomous wheels according to the invention. The one on the left has a chassis 400 comprising two foot supports 401 and 402, and functions like devices often referred to as monowheels, such as the one described in Jannik Simeray's [FR] EP1986910A2 (May 31, 2007) and the numerous subsequent documents citing this document. The one on the right has a stem 300 equipped with a handlebar 301 and two controls 302 and 303. Optionally, a rowlock 304 attached to a vehicle allows the traction force generated by the rotation of the wheel on a surface or in a fluid or granular medium to be transmitted to it.

[0028] [Fig. 16] is a perspective view of a track according to the invention. The paddles 21, 22 and following are in the deployed position at the bottom, providing traction on soft ground or on or in water, while those at the top are in the retracted position. The elastic return springs are not shown, but two belts 61 and 62 can be seen forcing the paddles located in the upper part of the track IB to move into the retracted position. Description of the invention

[0029] The invention is a traction device for a vehicle such as a wheel IA or a track IB comprising - an element called peripheral envelope 2, comprising an external face and an internal face which is separated from said external surface by the thickness of said peripheral envelope, which may include a material in contact with the ground and a framework commonly called carcass which ensures its solidity and resistance to load, said internal surface defining an internal volume of said traction device, - a plurality of blades 21, 22 and following, capable of generating or experiencing pressure during their movement in a fluid or granular medium, - and a so-called deployment / retraction mechanism allowing a blade to deploy from a so-called retracted position to a so-called deployed position by moving in a direction from said inner face to said outer face, and vice versa, it being specified that said peripheral envelope can also constitute said tread not equipped with blades, and that above and below, deployment and retraction are understood to mean movements of a blade going respectively in the direction from the retracted position to the deployed position and in the opposite direction.

[0030] This traction device can be characterized in that the deployment of a blade results in an increase in the surface area of ​​the tread of said traction device, that is to say the surface actually in contact with the ground when the traction device rolls on a flat and hard ground.

[0031] It can also be characterized in that 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, and that all the blades can be simultaneously in the same less retracted position.

[0032] It may also comprise a wheel IA or a track IB, the elasticity of which is produced 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, and be characterized in that all or part of the assembly formed by a blade and its mechanical connection with said deployment / retraction mechanism is placed between two of said connections when it is in the retracted position. Detailed description of the invention

[0033] The principle of the present invention is to equip a wheel or track with a plurality of blades which can be deployed on command by a control means to automatically adapt to the medium on which or in which the vehicle is moving, a blade thus placing itself, for example, in a so-called retracted position when the vehicle is resting on solid ground such as a road, and in a so-called deployed when the vehicle is moving on soft ground such as mud or snow, or on slippery ground such as ice or black ice, or in or on the surface of a fluid. This also allows travel on uneven surfaces such as rough ground or shallows, and navigation on rivers or streams considered unnavigable, or in unfamiliar maritime areas.

[0034] In order to benefit from the advantages linked to the presence of the peripheral envelope, a blade is advantageously located in its retracted position inside the so-called internal volume of the traction device, and is therefore located neither next to the device according to the invention, nor between two devices according to the invention.

[0035] The deployment and retraction of a blade is advantageously achieved by sliding within all or part of said peripheral envelope. This sliding can be linear, curvilinear, or rotary. One of the advantages is that the sliding follows a fixed path within the peripheral envelope, that is, without changing the angle at which the blade exits the peripheral envelope relative to its outer surface.

[0036] In this document, we distinguish the peripheral envelope defined above from the tread, which is that is to say the surface actually in contact with the ground when the traction device rolls on a flat and hard ground.

[0037] 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).

[0038] Those skilled in the art know how to equip the traction device with means to prevent foreign bodies from slipping between the vanes and the fixed parts of the traction device, for example, lips made of a flexible and watertight material or brushes. Alternatively, they may provide clearance between the vanes and the fixed parts that guide their extension / retraction, and allow the expulsion of foreign bodies through its side walls.

[0039] Fig. 13 shows such a solution which consists of leaving a space between the blades and the tread, and equipping the device with openings in its side walls to allow mud and other foreign bodies to escape.

[0040] It is particularly advantageous for the traction device to include an elastic return mechanism 31 allowing the blade to retract when an obstacle prevents its deployment during the cycle. This elastic return prevents damage to the blade when encountering an obstacle or excessively hard ground, and restores the road holding of a conventional wheel on hard surfaces.

[0041] Apart from the case in which all the blades are deployed simultaneously, as shown in [Fig.10], the diameter of the wheel or the size of the track, as the case may be, remains constant, the vehicle not being able in this case to roll on its blades and its weight being sufficient to cause the retraction of a blade in contact with the ground.

[0042] When the wheel or track of the invention includes a tire or other equivalent device enabling it to deform elastically when encountering an irregularity in the surface on which it rolls, the restoring force of the elastic restoring means 31 is advantageously less than that of the elastic deformation of the traction device, so that the elastic restoring means 31 does not disturb its elastic characteristics.

[0043] An important improvement consists of equipping the traction device with a means for adjusting the elastic resistance of this elastic return, so that an operator or a computer can adjust it by means of a control. This makes it possible, for example, to have a smooth tire wheel to save energy when traveling on a dry paved road, but to deploy blades when necessary.

[0044] The traction device can be fitted with blades of various 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 wheel or track, as the case may be, a set of surfaces forming a chevron, a portion of a sphere, or even a rod or a set of rods, depending on the intended use. This depends on the intended use of the traction device; for example, ascending and descending stairs leads to a blade design different from that best suited to navigation on soft ground. They can also have different characteristics of elasticity, hardness, compression set, tear resistance, operating temperature range, glass transition temperature, coefficient of thermal expansion, and resistance to weathering, ozone, and UV radiation.A blade can also include a portion of the traction device's tread. Blades can also incorporate different types of cleats or other means of improving traction on or in a particular medium. These cleats can deploy from a blade after a certain deployment point.

[0045] Advantageously, in the case where the traction device is a wheel, its circumference is a circle when all the blades are retracted, and / or when all the blades are deployed.

[0046] In a version particularly suited to vehicles without a steering wheel, the track or wheel must be able to skid laterally easily. In this case, it is advantageous for the outermost end of the blade to be parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel or track, as the case may be, although the rest of the blade may have a different shape (not shown).

[0047] Several sets of blades with identical or different characteristics can be deployed and retracted by different means controlled by different commands.

[0048] A blade can also change its nature depending on the extent of its deployment. For example, an outgrowth can be deployed with a small deployment, while a larger deployment causes the protrusions of the already deployed blade to protrude.

[0049] The present invention is particularly suited to traction devices comprising a tire or a so-called "airless" track because their elasticity is achieved by multiple elastomeric bonds that ensure the elastic deformability of the tread. In this case, the vanes are advantageously positioned between these bonds when they are in the retracted position. These elastomeric bonds are advantageously inclined with respect to an axial plane perpendicular to the tread, either forwards or backwards, along planes close to each other. Such an inclination of the bonds has the advantage of increasing the tire's flexibility. The vanes slide in this case along a plane median between these two planes.

[0050] Advantageously, in forward motion, a blade retracts when moving from the extended to the retracted position, and moves forward in reverse. This facilitates its retraction if it encounters an obstacle while moving forward. This only requires that the direction of the sliding motion be inclined relative to a plane perpendicular to the tread.

[0051] The present invention is also adapted to tracks made according to the same principle of elastomer bonds ensuring good deformability of the tracks, allowing high-speed circulation.

[0052] Without departing from the scope of the invention, a wheel according to the invention may be equipped with one or more circular flanges enabling it to roll on the ground. The same applies to a track according to the invention, which may be equipped with an auxiliary track supporting part or most of the vehicle's weight. Wheels or wheel sections 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 the tracks or track links.

[0053] Figure 5 illustrates a particularly advantageous implementation. The left wheel has controls for deploying / retracting the blades (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.

[0054] The advantage provided by the fact that the housings 210 and following of the blades are fixed only to the peripheral casing or to the tread of the wheel IA is important, because in this case these housings can be rigid and allow deployment with low friction of the blades.

[0055] Retracting a wheel blade to avoid generating an unwanted force on a fluid or granular medium in a part of the cycle implies the presence of a peripheral casing into which the blade can retract, but this peripheral casing may be separate from the tread as shown in [Fig. 14]. The tread 1001 may be flexible or have an elastic coating like a tire (version not shown).

[0056] The principle illustrated by [Fig. 14] also shows how a device according to the invention can be embedded in the body of a vehicle and only come out when it is put into service, in the same way that it comes out of the tread here.

[0057] 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 boat that becomes a submarine. It also makes it possible to use wheels according to the invention with existing vehicles undergoing only slight modification, 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 attached to the vehicle chassis preventing the blades from deploying in the upper part of the peripheral casing 2. Such a stop is made up of belts 61 and 62 on the track of the [Fig. 16].

[0058] A traction device according to the invention can be attached to a conventional wheel or track. This device according to the invention can be removable and installed only when necessary, for example when the vehicle is stuck in mud or has to cross a river.

[0059] A traction device according to the invention can also be in the form of a track fixed to the periphery of a conventional wheel, or of several such wheels, or of an existing track.

[0060] A conventional caterpillar track can cooperate with wheels according to the invention provided that it has openings allowing the passage of the blades of this wheel.

[0061] The geometry of the traction device is advantageously designed so that a blade does not retract under the effect of a force applied to it, giving rise to a rotational moment applied to said device, in the two directions of rotation called forward and reverse, if this rotational moment is less in the direction of rotation called forward than a first predetermined threshold, and in the direction of rotation called reverse than a second predetermined threshold.

[0062] A person skilled in the art has many means at their disposal to prevent a blade in the deployed position from moving into the retracted position under the effect of a tangential force. to the peripheral envelope applied to it, in both directions of rotation known as forward and reverse - in case of sliding, the trajectory is perpendicular to the force - in case of rotation, the tangential force does not give rise to a rotational moment applied to the blade because the force exerted on the deployed part of the blade is aligned with its center of rotation as illustrated by [Fig. 16].

[0063] 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.

[0064] The designer can also determine the characteristics of an elastic return to be applied to the blades so that a force applied to one of them is less in the direction of rotation said forward than a predetermined threshold, and in said direction of rotation said reverse than a predetermined threshold which may be different.

[0065] A blade can pass through the tread as shown in the figures. To maintain the material continuity and sealing of the tread, or for other reasons, it can also be located inside the outer surface of said tread and deform it without passing through it by bearing against its inner surface when it moves 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.

[0066] The travel of a blade can be greater than that which takes it 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.

[0067] The assembly consisting of a blade and its deployment / retraction mechanism can, in one of its possible positions, be located partly within the so-called internal volume of said traction device.

[0068] The extreme retraction position may, for example, correspond to all the blades being placed in a position in which they are not rotationally fixed with the peripheral casing.

[0069] The extreme deployment position can, for example, cause the crampons of the dawn to come out.

[0070] The deployment and retraction of the blades can be achieved in numerous different ways without departing from the scope of the present invention, by independent mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic means, or by magnets or electromechanical means, which may be independent. These means can be coordinated by a single means, but it is simpler to equip the device with a so-called synchronizer means 4, allowing sets of positions to be determined. possible positions of the blades. A set of possible positions is hereinafter referred to as a configuration of said synchronizer.

[0071] This synchronizer 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 mandatory.

[0072] This synchronizer can mechanically link, directly or indirectly, the vehicle with a plurality of blades. Such synchronizers are shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 16.

[0073] Different types of synchronizer are proposed which can produce cyclic movements of the blades.

[0074] A synchronizer may, for example, include a secondary shaft 40 parallel to the axis of rotation of the traction device. This shaft may be offset from this axis of rotation and rotate with the traction device, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. When the wheel is driven by means of a shaft connecting a motor to the wheel, it is difficult to position the synchronizer hub on the wheel's axis of rotation if this hub does not have a central recess allowing the shaft connecting the motor to the wheel to pass through (or if the wheel hub does not have a central recess allowing the secondary shaft to pass through). In this embodiment, the synchronizer hub is bulkier and may also be more expensive to manufacture, particularly if it incorporates ball bearings. One solution may be to position it on the side of the wheel opposite the vehicle chassis.Advantageously, the motor of a device according to the invention is located within the traction device itself. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, shown in [Fig. 15], the wheel no longer has a shaft to connect to the external drive hub, and the synchronizer hub can be located on the wheel's axis of rotation to determine the position of all the blades, while also being situated on the side of the wheel connecting it to the vehicle chassis. It is also possible to use a hubless wheel driven by its rim to achieve the same advantage.

[0075] The synchronizer may also include 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 either concave or convex cores, or assemblies of both types, to modify the position of the blades during the cycle.

[0076] The synchronizer can advantageously deform elastically and / or have flexible parts. This elasticity can also constitute the so-called elastic return mechanism 31 allowing the blades to retract when an obstacle opposes their deployment during the cycle.

[0077] In a version advantageous in many cases, not shown, the synchronizer may comprise a cable consisting of a flexible sheath and an inner cable that slides inside the sheath and operates by tension or compression. This allows the transmission of mechanical motion over a certain distance, while adapting to non-straight paths thanks to its flexibility and, in particular, has the advantage, in the case of airless tires, of being compatible with the chosen shape of the connections between the hub and the tread.

[0078] Several different types of synchronizers can be combined together, the one shown in [Fig. 12] being able for example to slide along the secondary shaft 40, this sliding allowing the average deployment of the blades to be defined and the decentering of the secondary shaft 40 allowing a sector of the cycle to be determined in which the blades are more deployed than in another.

[0079] In the case where the synchronizer 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 many known means to achieve this synchronization.

[0080] A gyroscope or any other known means can be used to determine the position of the device in space in order to determine the position of a blade within its cycle. However, in a simplified version, the synchronizer can be mechanically linked to the vehicle, and the vehicle can use the vehicle as a reference point to determine the position of a blade within its cycle. In this latter case, the vehicle therefore includes the fixed part of the synchronizer that does not rotate with the traction device, and optionally a means for modifying the configuration of the synchronizer and / or a means for adjusting the elastic resistance of the elastic return 31.

[0081] The vehicle may also include a control means for one or both 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 located on or outside the vehicle, for example using remote control means, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0082] An elastic means can be provided so that, when a blade has been placed in its fully retracted, retracted, extended, or fully extended position, it remains in equilibrium. In either of these two cases, the synchronizer or another mechanical means can be used to place a blade in one or the other of these equilibrium positions. An advantage of this solution is that it can maintain all the blades in a stable position throughout the rotation of the wheel or the entire cycle of a track, without friction between the blade and any other part of the traction device.

[0083] Fixed magnets or electromagnets can, for example, be used to move or hold the blades in the retracted position in the upper part of the traction device, and other magnets or electromagnets to move the blades into the extended position on command. These magnets or electromagnets can be located at unique positions along the cycle. Magnets can 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.

[0084] Depending on the configuration of the synchronizer, the blades can be, for example: - either all in retracted position, - or all in deployed position, - or those which are in one part of the cycle in deployed position, and those which are in another part of the cycle in a less deployed or retracted position.

[0085] Regardless of the type of synchronizer chosen, it is possible to move the paddles located at the bottom of the traction device to their extended position to provide traction for the vehicle, and conversely, to move those located at the top to their retracted or fully retracted position. This has the advantage of reducing the device's size and, above all, of not offering resistance to the forward movement of a vehicle equipped with a wheel or track according to the invention when it is moving on or in water. This distinguishes the device according to the invention from older paddle wheels, the upper part of which could strike waves, thus hindering the boat's progress, and it allows the use of a fully submerged wheel. It also eliminates the need to expend energy pumping water up the rear part of the paddle wheel, as was the case with these prior art devices.

[0086] A particularly advantageous embodiment is illustrated in [Fig. 15]. The device according to the invention shown on the left is a component of a gyropod. It is equipped with a chassis 400 which includes two foot supports and can operate like vehicles often referred to as unicycles. Such vehicles are described in document EP1986910A2 by Janik Simeray [FR] dated May 31, 2007, and in the numerous subsequent documents citing this document.

[0087] The one shown on the right allows a swimmer or a floating device to be pulled on or in the water by the wheel IA. The direction is determined by tilting the handlebar 301 to one side or the other. Controls 302 and 303 allow the rotational speed of the wheel and the configuration of the paddles to be controlled. For safety, as soon as the handles are released, the motor stops and the assembly floats. The direction of the pull can be freely chosen: forward, upward, or downward. Instead of having a control means to determine the configuration of the paddles, the user can simply tilt the traction device forward or backward. Simple handles fixed to the device shown on the left (not shown) may in this case allow a swimmer to perform this maneuver.

[0088] This autonomous wheel device is advantageously equipped with control means similar to those of gyropods. It can be remotely controlled or even managed by a computer, which can use artificial intelligence. In the latter cases, it can be commanded to follow the rider when they no longer need to be towed by the gyropod. A simple rope can then suffice to pull a person or a land or water vehicle. To tow a heavy vehicle, such devices can be connected in series or parallel.

[0089] The synchronizer operation makes it possible to determine in real time, according to 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 the retracted position, which blades are moved, and what the importance of the deployments considered is.

[0090] When the device according to the invention is a track, the synchronizer can elastically push the lower blades towards their deployed position. Advantageously, it simultaneously and continuously pushes the upper ones towards their retracted position. This can be a simple stop, a rail, a cable, or belts 61 and 62 as shown in [Fig. 16].

[0091] In one of said synchronizer configurations, 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.

[0092] It is also possible, as shown in [Fig. 3], to arrange the blades so that they are in a deployed position in a lower / front part of the traction device. This has the effect of generating, during the rotation of the forward-moving wheel, a downward force, which can be used to pull a vehicle out of mud, to push a vehicle traveling on water upwards to reduce its drag, or even to make it take off and fly through the air.

[0093] Similarly, the synchronizer can also position the blades differently, placing them in a deployed rear position, so that they generate a more upward force when their rotation is driven by the movement of the fluid on or in which they rotate. This can allow the vehicle to rise above water or mud when towed or propelled by a sail or kite. A device according to the invention can thus serve as a wind turbine or a hydro turbine.

[0094] The blades advantageously have an internal structure made of rigid but flexible materials, and are easily removable so that they can be replaced quickly.

[0095] To allow a large number of blades to deploy simultaneously, the deployment of one blade can trigger the deployment of another, and its retraction can trigger the retraction of yet another. Those skilled in the art know many ways to achieve this result, whether the objective is to drive a neighboring or distant blade.

[0096] 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, if more pronounced, can cause the tread lugs of that pattern to protrude. More generally, the deployment of a blade can thus cause, during part of this deployment movement, the deployment of another blade of the same blade in one or more different directions. Those skilled in the art have many known methods for achieving this, and this can allow for the deployment of blades with a larger surface area than the blade in question when it is in its retracted position.

[0097] Wide tires or tracks offer the advantages of good grip, good stability in turns, short braking distances, and driving comfort. Therefore, it is advantageous that deploying a paddle increases the tread area.

[0098] To achieve energy savings, a wide tread leading 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.

[0099] In one of its configurations, known as energy saving, the tread area may be less than half its value in another configuration, known as maximum efficiency.

[0100] Figure 10 shows a means of varying the outer surface of the tread, illustrating three different configurations obtained by simply changing the distance of the vanes from the wheel's axis of rotation, thus demonstrating that the same tire can be used in many different applications. It should be noted that the device according to the invention allows not only for reducing the tread area but also for increasing it.

[0101] Figure 11 shows a particular tire carcass, particularly suited to the present invention. It comprises coaxial 5001, radial 5002 and diagonal 5003 structural cable subassemblies intersecting at a single point 5000, and assemblies of blades 21 to 24 located on either side of this single point 5000.

[0102] It is advantageous that, in a first stage of their deployment, the blades are deployed simultaneously.

[0103] A low deployment of the blades can thus simultaneously concern all the blades of the device, while a higher deployment only concerns a part of them.

[0104] The optimal configuration can be controlled by a user, but also in real time by a computer that takes into account the vehicle's speed and trajectory, its load, and the state of the medium on or in which it is moving. The traction device then advantageously includes sensors to evaluate these parameters.

[0105] In the so-called energy saving configuration, the tread surface may not have a positive or negative tread pattern (also called a groove) exceeding 0.5% of the total height of the traction device.

[0106] In this so-called energy-saving configuration, the tread advantageously comprises one or more continuous or discontinuous rings coaxial with said peripheral casing, each having a width less than that of said peripheral casing

[0107] The synchronizer can advantageously be constructed of a material or have an architecture that allows it to undergo elastic deformation. This means that, if the force causing a blade to move from one position to another exceeds a certain threshold, the synchronizer can deform to cease producing the expected effect, and thus avoid causing damage to the blade or the synchronizer itself.

[0108] In a particular embodiment, 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 travels on water. They may even provide its buoyancy on their own.

[0109] A mechanical means (not shown) may be provided to automatically move certain blades to the deployed position when the force exerted by the traction device on the vehicle chassis is less than a predetermined value. This allows, for example, the blades to automatically move to the deployed position when the vehicle is floating on water, since the force exerted by the traction device on the vehicle chassis is then reduced.

[0110] In a particular, unshown, version, the blades are not permanently connected to the wheel or track. A selector device has the effect—either, in a first configuration, of moving the blades into a retracted position without being driven by the wheel or track, or, in a second configuration, of moving them into an extended position, in which they are driven with the wheel or track, moving away from the plane tangent to the periphery of the tread. A complementary device allows the blades that are about to move toward the top of the wheel or track to return to a retracted position.

[0111] The invention is also a machine such as a vehicle or a means of harnessing kinetic energy equipped with a traction device like those described above. Advantageously, such a vehicle comprises the part of the synchronizer that does not rotate with the traction device, and / or a means for modifying the configuration of the synchronizer and / or a means for adjusting the elastic resistance of the elastic return 31, and / or a means for controlling these two adjustment or modification means.

[0112] In a particularly advantageous embodiment illustrated by [Fig. 8], the vehicle is equipped with an obstacle-crossing assistance device 70 connected directly or indirectly to the vehicle chassis by a mechanical linkage such that it lifts the vehicle when encountering 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 supports the vehicle with the obstacle in question. This obstacle may be solid, a wave, or an overpressure of the fluid on which the vehicle is traveling. All obstacle-crossing assistance devices described in the applicant's patent application FR3048404A3 of September 8, 2017, may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0113] The invention also provides a means of harnessing kinetic energy, consisting of a wheel or track according to the invention, propelled by the current of a fluid or gas. This makes it possible, for example, to recharge the batteries of a boat or submarine at rest. For instance, boats and submarines could be built that never need to be recharged because they automatically stop and drop anchor as soon as their electrical charge is too low, and then restart when the generation of electrical current by the fluid current or other means allows them to regain a sufficient electrical charge.

[0114] Boats can have means of electricity production (wave, tidal, wind or solar for example) and come ashore to discharge this electricity into the grid, without having to install cables between their electricity production location and the ground.

[0115] The invention can also be used to rotate the wheels of an aircraft before landing by utilizing the airflow generated by its speed, so that they spin fast enough before touching down, thus saving the rubber usually lost during landing. It should be noted that, unlike other methods considered in the prior art, this one is lightweight and does not increase the size of the landing gear. In particular, the blades can be very thin and positioned between the cords forming the tire carcass, which are especially important during braking.

[0116] The invention is also the method of maneuvering a machine such as a vehicle or a means of exploiting kinetic energy equipped 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 the configuration of the synchronizer by a control means of the configuration modification means and / or a step of adjusting the elastic resistance of the elastic return 31 by the control means of the adjustment means of this resistance. Applications

[0117] The present invention applies to all land vehicles, from bicycles to trucks and including passenger vehicles, to save energy and allow automatic adaptation to traffic conditions.

[0118] The most amazing 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 well as a large or small boat, a submarine navigating in the water or rolling on the bottom, or an aircraft, all these vehicles being able to land on a beach and cross shallows without damage.

[0119] These vehicles can be used for leisure or work, rescue, public works but also for military combat.

[0120] They can be piloted by humans, whether passengers or not, using remote control means, or by computers.

[0121] Another important benefit is to make many rivers navigable which are not currently so.

[0122] A particular application is the propulsion of persons on snow or on the surface of water, as well as in water, these persons being able or not to be equipped with an accessory such as skis or a surfboard.

[0123] All land, sea or air vehicles are concerned, including fast vehicles where the main objective is to save energy and adapt the tread structure in real time according to the conditions encountered and the driving style.

[0124] 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 kinds, and in particular amphibious or all-terrain vehicles, military ground drones, certain tanks, artillery or missile launchers, and more generally military equipment that 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 craft, barges and recreational canal boats, - public works or agricultural machinery that must cross wet, muddy or snowy areas, - and remote-controlled vehicles for recreational use such as toys.

Claims

[Claim 1] Demands Vehicle traction device such as a wheel (IA) or a track (IB) comprising - a peripheral envelope element (2), comprising an external face and an internal face which is separated from said external surface by the thickness of said peripheral envelope, which may or may in particular include a material in contact with the ground and a framework commonly called the casing which ensures its solidity and resistance to load, said internal surface defining an internal volume of said traction device, - a plurality of blades (21, 22 and following) capable of generating or experiencing pressure during their movement in a fluid or a granular medium, - and a so-called deployment / retraction mechanism allowing a blade to deploy from a so-called retracted position to a so-called deployed position by moving in a direction from said inner face to said outer face, and vice versa, characterized in that the deployment of a blade results in an increase in the surface area of ​​the tread of said traction device, that is to say the surface actually in contact with the ground when the traction device rolls on a flat and hard ground, It being specified that said peripheral casing constitutes, possibly or in particular, said tread not fitted with blades, and that the terms "to deploy" and "to retract" above and below refer to the movements of a blade going respectively in the direction from the retracted position to the deployed position and in the opposite direction.