Multi-piece universal wheel

Abstract

A multi-piece universal wheel (100), comprising a rim (1), a plurality of wheel pieces (2), and a plurality of wheel piece supports (3). The wheel piece supports (3) are circumferentially arranged on the periphery of the rim (1) around the central axis of the rim (1); a first supporting shaft (31) is provided on one side of each wheel piece support (3) in a protruding mode, a second supporting shaft (32) is provided on the side of the wheel piece support (3) facing away from the first supporting shaft (31) in a protruding mode, and the first supporting shaft (31) of one of two adjacent wheel piece supports (3) is connected to the second supporting shaft (32) of the other wheel piece support; each wheel piece (2) is rotatably sleeved on the first supporting shaft (31) and the second supporting shaft (32) that are adjacent to each other; the central axis of the wheel piece (2) is perpendicular to the central axis of the rim (1). The multi-piece universal wheel (100) has the advantages of being flexible in turning, simple in structure, and convenient to assemble.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an omnidirectional wheel, and more particularly to a multi-piece omnidirectional wheel. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Existing omnidirectional wheels generally utilize multiple roller sets assembled on a rim to achieve rolling in both forward / backward and left / right directions. A roller set includes a bracket, a large roller, and a pair of small rollers. The large roller is pivotally connected to the bracket, and the small rollers are located on either side of the large roller and are also pivotally connected to the bracket. Obviously, this omnidirectional wheel includes two different types of rollers, which requires the bracket to be manufactured specially to fit with the different rollers. This not only complicates the structure of the omnidirectional wheel but also makes installation cumbersome and assembly inconvenient SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-piece omnidirectional wheel that offers flexible steering, a simple structure, and convenient assembly.

[0004] In order to achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a multi-piece omnidirectional wheel, including a rim, a plurality of wheel pieces, and a plurality of wheel piece brackets. The wheel piece brackets are arranged circumferentially around an outer periphery of the rim about a central axis of the rim. One side of each wheel piece bracket is protruded with a first support shaft, and another side of the wheel piece bracket opposite to the first support shaft is protruded with a second support shaft. The first support shaft of one of two adjacent wheel piece brackets is connected with the second support shaft of the other one of the two adjacent wheel piece brackets. The wheel piece is rotatably sleeved over the first support shaft and second support shaft which are adjacent one another. A central axis of the wheel piece is perpendicular to the central axis of the rim.

[0005] Compared to the prior art, the wheel piece brackets of the present invention are arranged on the rim, one side of the wheel piece bracket is provided with the first support shaft, while the other side is provided with the second support shaft. By connecting the first support shaft of one of two adjacent wheel piece brackets with the second support shaft of the other, the wheel piece brackets are arranged circumferentially around the central axis of the rim. The wheel pieces are then sleeved over the adjacent first support shaft and second support shaft, so that the wheel pieces are arranged circumferentially around the central axis of the rim. Therefore, these wheel pieces collectively form an integrated wheel, enabling the entire omnidirectional wheel to achieve rolling forward and backward around the central axis of the rim. Furthermore, since each wheel piece can individually roll around the first support shaft and the second support shaft, the omnidirectional wheel can achieve rolling in left and right directions. Consequently, the omnidirectional wheel of this application can perform multi-directional rolling with flexible steering. Moreover, fewer parts are needed to bring a simple and compact structure, and the assembly is convenient.

[0006] Preferably, a central axis of the first support shaft and a central axis of the second support shaft on a same wheel piece bracket intersect each other. This allows the various wheel piece brackets, after being connected, to form a circle around the central axis of the rim, thereby forming the omnidirectional wheel.

[0007] Preferably, the first support shaft of each wheel piece bracket is arranged coaxially with the second support shaft of an adjacent wheel piece bracket. This allows the wheel piece to be mounted between the adjacent first support shaft and second support shaft, thereby ensuring stable and reliable operation after assembly.

[0008] Preferably, an end surface of the first support shaft of each wheel piece bracket is pressed against an end surface of the second support shaft of an adjacent wheel piece bracket. In such a way, the wheel piece brackets cab be mutually positioned, thereby preventing displacement during operation, ensuring the structural stability, simplifying the structure and improving the convenience of assembly.

[0009] Preferably, a lower side of each wheel piece bracket has a mounting plate, the rim is circumferentially provided with positioning grooves about the central axis thereof, and the mounting plates are positioned within the positioning grooves. By fixing the mounting plates within the positioning grooves, the wheel piece brackets and the wheel pieces can be supported on the rim, thereby ensuring the structural stability.

[0010] Specifically, an outer side of the rim is circumferentially recessed with a mounting groove; and the positioning grooves are arranged on an inner wall of the mounting groove. The mounting groove can accommodate the wheel piece brackets, thereby concealing the brackets and exposing only the wheel pieces, which improves the appearance of the omnidirectional wheel, and makes the overall volume of the omnidirectional wheel smaller and the structure more compact and rational.

[0011] Preferably, the wheel piece includes an inner wheel and an outer wheel sleeve, and the outer wheel sleeve is fixedly sleeved around an outer periphery of the inner wheel.

[0012] Preferably, the rim includes a left rim and a right rim, which are fixedly connected coaxially. By configuring the rim as a combination of a left rim and a right rim, the processing of the rim is facilitated, and the installation of the wheel piece brackets is easier, thereby improving the convenience of assembly.

[0013] Preferably, each wheel piece is sleeved between two adjacent wheel piece brackets via a bushing or a bearing.

[0014] Preferably, an upper side of each wheel piece bracket is provided with a guide plate, the guide plate is located between two adjacent wheel pieces, and both side edges of the guide plate proximate to the rim are provided with guide inclined surfaces to guide and discharge objects stuck between the two adjacent wheel pieces. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a structural view of the multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to the present invention with one side of the rim removed.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of two wheel piece brackets supporting a wheel piece in the multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of FIG. 4.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a radial cross-sectional view of the multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection between two adjacent wheel piece brackets in FIG. 6.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel piece bracket of the multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 9 is an axial cross-sectional view of the multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] To elaborate the technical content, structural features, and achieved effects of the present invention, the following description is provided in conjunction with the embodiments and the drawings for a detailed explanation.

[0025] As shown in FIGs. I to 8, the multi-piece omnidirectional wheel 100 of the present invention includes a rim 1, a plurality of wheel pieces 2, and a plurality of wheel piece brackets 3. The rim 1 is circular. The wheel piece brackets 3 are arranged circumferentially around an outer periphery of the rim 1 about a central axis of the rim 1. One side of each wheel piece bracket 3 is protruded with a first support shaft 31, and another side of the wheel piece bracket 3 opposite to the first support shaft 31 is protruded with a second support shaft 32. The first support shaft 31 of one of two adjacent wheel piece brackets 3 is connected with the second support shaft 32 of the other one. Specifically, an end surface of the first support shaft 31 of one wheel piece bracket 3 is pressed against an end surface of the second support shaft 32 of an adjacent wheel piece bracket 3. In such a way, the wheel piece brackets 3 can be mutually axially positioned, thereby preventing displacement during operation, ensuring the structural stability, simplifying the structure and improving the convenience of assembly. The central axis X of the first support shaft 31 and the central axis Y of the second support shaft 32 on the same wheel piece bracket 3 intersect each other. This allows the various wheel piece brackets 3, after being connected, to form a circle around the central axis of the rim 1, thereby forming the omnidirectional wheel 100. The wheel piece 2 is rotatably sleeved over the adjacent first support shaft 31 and second support shaft 32. A central axis of the wheel piece 2 is perpendicular to the central axis of the rim 1. The cross-section of the wheel piece 2 is annular. In this embodiment, the number of the wheel piece brackets 3 and the wheel pieces 2 is 48 each. The central angle between two adjacent wheel pieces 2 or two adjacent wheel piece brackets 3 is 7.5 degrees. Optionally, the number of wheel pieces 2 or the wheel piece brackets 3 can also be fewer or greater. A person skilled in the art can calculate the central angle between two adjacent wheel piece assemblies based on the number of wheel pieces 2 or wheel piece brackets 3 and the radius of the omnidirectional wheel 100, and thereby calculate the intersection angle between the first support shaft 31 and the second support shaft 32, as well as the lengths of the first support shaft 31 and the second support shaft 32. Specific parameters will not be explained in detail here.

[0026] As shown in FIGs. 6 and 7, the first support shaft 31 of one wheel piece bracket 3 is arranged coaxially with the second support shaft 32 of an adjacent wheel piece bracket 3. This allows the wheel piece 2 to be mounted between the adjacent first support shaft 31 and the second support shaft 32, thereby ensuring stable and reliable operation after assembly.

[0027] Referring to FIGs. 2, 4, and 5, a lower side of each wheel piece bracket 3 has a mounting plate 33. The rim 1 is circumferentially provided with positioning grooves la about its central axis. The number of the positioning grooves la is the same as the number of the wheel piece brackets 3. The plane in which the positioning grooves la lie is parallel to the central axis of the rim 1. The mounting plates 33 are positioned within the positioning grooves la. Each of the mounting plates 33 has an arc-shaped structure. By fixing the mounting plates 33 within the positioning grooves la, the wheel piece brackets 3 and the wheel pieces 2 can be supported on the rim 1, thereby ensuring the structural stability. Each of the wheel piece brackets 3 and each of the mounting plates 33 are integrally formed into one piece, which simplifies the structure and improves the convenience of assembly. Furthermore, a hollowed space 34 is formed between the mounting plate 33 and the main body of the wheel piece bracket 3, and the hollowed space 34 is configured to accommodate a portion of the wheel piece 2 when the wheel pieces 2 are arranged circumferentially, thereby making the overall structure of the omnidirectional wheel 100 more compact. Additionally, the two opposite side surfaces of the wheel piece bracket 3 intersect to form an acute angle, and the thickness at the end proximate to the mounting plate 33 is less than the thickness at the end distal to the mounting plate 33. The central axis of the first support shaft 31 is perpendicular to its corresponding side surface, and the central axis of the second support shaft 32 is perpendicular to its corresponding side surface.

[0028] As shown in FIGs. 2 and 9, the outer side of the rim 1 is circumferentially recessed with a mounting groove lb. The positioning grooves la are arranged on the inner wall of the mounting groove lb and extend from one side of the inner wall of the mounting groove lb to the opposite side. The mounting groove lb can accommodate the wheel piece brackets 3, thereby concealing the wheel piece brackets 3 and exposing only the wheel pieces 2, which improves the appearance of the omnidirectional wheel 100, and also makes the overall volume of the omnidirectional wheel 100 smaller to obtain compact structure.

[0029] Referring to FIGs. 4, 5, and 7, an upper side of the wheel piece bracket 3 is provided with a guide plate 35. The guide plate 35 is located between two adjacent wheel pieces 2. Both side edges of the guide plate 35 proximate to the rim 1 are provided with guide inclined surfaces 351. The width of the guide plate 35 is gradually decreased from the end proximate to the center of the rim 1 to the end distal to the center of the rim 1, and the upper side of the guide plate 35 has a flat edge, as shown, the entire guide plate 35 has a trapezoidal cross section. Since the gap between two adjacent wheel pieces 2 is gradually increased from the end proximate to the center of the rim 1 to the end distal to the center of the rim 1, the guide plate 35, during the rotation of the two wheel pieces 2, can drive objects stuck between the adjacent wheel pieces 2 (such as gravels) to move outward, thereby guiding the discharge of objects.

[0030] As shown in FIGs. 5 and 7, the wheel piece 2 includes an inner wheel 21 and an outer wheel sleeve 22. The outer wheel sleeve 22 is fixedly sleeved around the outer periphery of the inner wheel 21. The outer wheel sleeve 22 can be made of a relatively soft and wear-resistant material, such as rubber. The inner wheel 21 can be made of a material with higher hardness, such as aluminum alloy. The wheel piece 2 is sleeved between two adjacent wheel piece brackets 3 via a bushing 3a or a bearing.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the rim 1 includes a left rim 11 and a right rim 12. The left rim 11 and the right rim 12 are fixedly connected coaxially by bolts. By configuring the rim 1 as a combination of a left rim 11 and a right rim 12, the processing of the rim 1 is facilitated, and the installation of the wheel pieces 2 is easier, thereby improving the convenience of assembly.

[0032] Compared to the prior art, the wheel piece brackets of the present invention 3 are arranged on the rim 1, one side of the wheel piece bracket 3 is provided with the first support shaft 31, while the other side is provided with the second support shaft 32. By connecting the first support shaft 31 of one of two adjacent wheel piece brackets 3 with the second support shaft 32 of the other, the wheel piece brackets 3 are arranged circumferentially around the central axis of the rim 1. The wheel pieces 2 are then sleeved over the adjacent first support shaft 31 and second support shaft 32, so that the wheel pieces 2 are arranged circumferentially around the central axis of the rim 1. Therefore, these wheel pieces 2 collectively form an integrated wheel, enabling the entire omnidirectional wheel 100 to achieve rolling forward and backward around the central axis of the rim 1. Furthermore, since each wheel piece 2 can individually roll around the first support shaft 31 and the second support shaft 32, the omnidirectional wheel 100 can achieve rolling in left and right directions. Consequently, the omnidirectional wheel of this application can perform multi-directional rolling with flexible steering. Moreover, fewer parts are needed to bring a simple and compact structure, and the assembly is convenient.

[0033] The above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A multi-piece omnidirectional wheel, comprising a rim, a plurality of wheel pieces, and a plurality of wheel piece brackets; wherein the wheel piece brackets are arranged circumferentially around an outer periphery of the rim about a central axis of the rim; one side of each wheel piece bracket is protruded with a first support shaft, and another side of the wheel piece bracket opposite to the first support shaft is protruded with a second support shaft; the first support shaft of one of two adjacent wheel piece brackets is connected with the second support shaft of the other one of the two adjacent wheel piece brackets; the wheel piece is rotatably sleeved over the first support shaft and second support shaft which are adjacent one another; and a central axis of the wheel piece is perpendicular to the central axis of the rim.

2. The multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to claim 1, wherein a central axis of the first support shaft and a central axis of the second support shaft on a same wheel piece bracket intersect each other.

3. The multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to claim 1, wherein the first support shaft of each wheel piece bracket is arranged coaxially with the second support shaft of an adjacent wheel piece bracket.

4. The multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to claim 1, wherein an end surface of the first support shaft of each wheel piece bracket is pressed against an end surface of the second support shaft of an adjacent wheel piece bracket.

5. The multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to claim 1, wherein a lower side of each wheel piece bracket has a mounting plate, the rim iscircumferentially provided with multiple positioning grooves about the central axis thereof, and the mounting plates are positioned within the positioning grooves.

6. The multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to claim 5, wherein an outer side of the rim is circumferentially recessed with a mounting groove; and the positioning grooves are arranged on an inner wall of the mounting groove.

7. The multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to claim 1, wherein the wheel piece comprises an inner wheel and an outer wheel sleeve; and the outer wheel sleeve is fixedly sleeved around an outer periphery of the inner wheel.

8. The multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rim comprises a left rim and a right rim, which are fixedly connected coaxially.

9. The multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to claim 1, wherein each wheel piece is sleeved between two adjacent wheel piece brackets via a bushing or a bearing.

10. The multi-piece omnidirectional wheel according to claim 1, wherein an upper side of each wheel piece bracket is provided with a guide plate, the guide plate is located between two adjacent wheel pieces, and both side edges of the guide plate proximate to the rim are provided with guide inclined surfaces to guide and discharge objects stuck between the two adjacent wheel pieces.

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