Wheels for driving and mobility devices including such wheels

Abstract

To provide a traveling wheel and mobility having a more simple structure and having high responsiveness and high energy efficiency.SOLUTION: According to one aspect of the invention, disclosed is a traveling wheel including: a first disc 100 and a second disc 200 provided to be rotatable with respect to a rotary shaft 50; a plurality of spokes 300 having a first side coupled to the first disc, a second side coupled to the second disc, and a shape protruding outward; a first motor to rotate the first disc; and a second motor 0 to rotate the second disc, where the spoke is provided rotatably to the first disc around the first side, and where the spoke is provided rotatably to the second disc around the second side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a running wheel and a mobility device including the wheel. [Background technology]

[0002] Mobility vehicles, including wheelchairs, are often used not only indoors where the road surface is uniform, but also outdoors where the road surface is irregular. Therefore, mobility vehicles must ensure not only a comfortable ride, but also maneuverability that allows them to easily traverse uneven areas that form on the road surface during the driving process.

[0003] Meanwhile, in order to ensure ride comfort and running performance of mobility vehicles, conventional technologies have often equipped mobility vehicles with linear actuators that individually provide power to the wheels or spokes of the mobility vehicles depending on the road surface environment. However, conventional technologies require a large number of linear actuators to ensure sufficient ride comfort and running performance, which results in poor responsiveness to changes in road surface conditions and poor energy efficiency. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Therefore, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to produce a driving wheel and mobility that has a simpler structure and is therefore highly responsive and highly energy efficient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention to achieve the above object, there is provided a running wheel including a rotating shaft, a first disc rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft, a second disc rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft, a plurality of spokes having a first side connected to the first disc and a second side connected to the second disc and having an outwardly protruding shape, a first motor that rotates the first disc, and a second motor that rotates the second disc, wherein the spokes are rotatable relative to the first disc around the first side, and the spokes are rotatable relative to the second disc around the second side.

[0006] The first sides of each of the spokes may be equally spaced around the rotation axis, and the second sides of each of the spokes may be equally spaced around the rotation axis.

[0007] The first disc may include a first body coupled to the rotation shaft, and a first protrusion protruding outward from the first body, one side of which is coupled to the first sides of the plurality of spokes.

[0008] The second disc may include a second body coupled to the rotation shaft, and a second protrusion protruding outward from the second body, one side of which is coupled to the second sides of the plurality of spokes.

[0009] Two first discs may be provided, and the two first discs may be provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction W.

[0010] The second disc may be provided in an internal space between the two first discs in the width direction W.

[0011] The spokes may include a first spoke extending outward from the first side and a second spoke extending from the first side to the second side.

[0012] The first spoke and the second spoke may be provided in a straight line.

[0013] The distance from the rotation axis to the first side may be longer than the distance from the rotation axis to the second side.

[0014] The second body may be fixedly coupled to the rotation shaft so as to be unable to move relative to the rotation shaft, and the second motor may be directly coupled to the rotation shaft.

[0015] The second body may be integrally formed with the rotation shaft.

[0016] An external gear may be provided on an outer surface of the first body in the radial direction R, and the first motor may be provided to mesh with the external gear.

[0017] The wheel may further include a support portion provided at an outer end of the spoke and protruding in a circumferential direction A of the running wheel.

[0018] The support may be rotatably mounted relative to the spoke.

[0019] The bicycle may further include a first elastic portion having one side in close contact with the support portion and the other side in close contact with the spoke.

[0020] The tire may further include a second elastic portion provided inside the first spoke and extending from the outer end of the first spoke to the first side.

[0021] The device may further include a bearing provided between the rotating shaft and the first body.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention to achieve the above object, there is provided a mobility device including one or more running wheels, wherein the running wheels include a first disk rotatably mounted on a rotation axis, a second disk rotatably mounted on the rotation axis, a plurality of spokes each having a first side connected to the first disk and a second side connected to the second disk and having an outwardly protruding shape, a first motor that rotates the first disk, and a second motor that rotates the second disk, wherein the spokes are rotatable relative to the first disk around the first side, and the spokes are rotatable relative to the second disk around the second side.

[0023] The mobility may be a wheelchair. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a driving wheel and mobility having a simpler structure, which has high responsiveness and high energy efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the structure and working principle of a running wheel according to the invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the structure and working principle of a running wheel according to the invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a running wheel according to the present invention; [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a running wheel according to the present invention when the running wheel has a large outer diameter in the radial direction. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a running wheel according to the present invention when the running wheel has a small outer diameter in the radial direction. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional structure of a running wheel according to the present invention when cut in the width direction. [Figure 7]3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the coupling relationship between a first spoke, a support portion, and a first elastic portion of the running wheel according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a mobility structure to which a traveling wheel according to the present invention can be applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, a running wheel and mobility according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Running wheels 1 and 2 are diagrams showing the structure and working principle of a running wheel according to the present invention.

[0028] 1 and 2, a traveling wheel 10 according to the present invention can include a rotation shaft 50, a first disc 100 rotatably provided on the rotation shaft 50, and a second disc 200 rotatably provided on the rotation shaft 50. Although Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show that the outer diameter of the first disc 100 is larger than the outer diameter of the second disc 200, the structure of the traveling wheel 10 according to the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0029] The traveling wheel 10 may further include spokes 300 protruding outward in the radial direction R of the traveling wheel 10. In this case, a plurality of spokes 300 may be provided. Figures 1 and 2 show an example in which eight spokes 300 are provided.

[0030] Meanwhile, the spoke 300 may be coupled to the first disc 100 and the second disc 200. More specifically, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the spoke 300 may be coupled to the first disc 100 on a first side S1 of the spoke 300 and to the second disc 200 on a second side S2 of the spoke 300.

[0031] 1 and 2, the traveling wheel 10 may further include a first motor that rotates the first disk 100 and a second motor that rotates the second disk 200. More specifically, the first motor may be configured to provide rotational power to rotate the first disk 100 about the rotation shaft 50, and the second motor may be configured to provide rotational power to rotate the second disk 200 about the rotation shaft 50. The driving of the first motor and the second motor may be controlled independently of each other. Therefore, the rotational motion of the first disk 100 and the rotational motion of the second disk 200 may also be performed independently of each other.

[0032] Also, according to the present invention, the spoke 300 may be rotatably arranged relative to the first disc 100 around the first side S1 of the spoke 300, and the spoke 300 may be rotatably arranged relative to the second disc 200 around the second side S2 of the spoke 300.

[0033] Therefore, according to the present invention, the degree to which the spokes 300 protrude outward may change depending on the relative rotation between the first disc 100 and the second disc 200, and accordingly, the outer diameter in the radial direction R of the traveling wheel 10 may also change. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the plurality of spokes 300 each protrude outward in line with the radial direction R of the traveling wheel 10, the outer diameter in the radial direction R of the traveling wheel 10 may be maximized. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, when the second disc 200 rotates relative to the first disc 100, the spokes 300 connected to the second disc 200 at the second side S2 may protrude outward at a predetermined angle with respect to the radial direction R, and accordingly, the outer diameter in the radial direction R of the traveling wheel 10 may decrease. Therefore, according to the present invention, the outer diameter in the radial direction R of the traveling wheel 10 can be adjusted according to the height of the road surface during traveling, and the height of the mobility on which the traveling wheel 10 is mounted can also be easily adjusted. In particular, according to the present invention, the outer diameter of the running wheel 10 can be easily adjusted using only two power sources, i.e., the first motor and the second motor, thereby significantly improving the responsiveness and energy efficiency of the running wheel 10.

[0034] More preferably, according to the present invention, the magnitude and direction of the angles formed by each of the spokes 300 with respect to the radial direction R may be the same regardless of the relative rotation angle of the second disc 200 with respect to the first disc 100. In this case, the direction of the angle may refer to the direction in which the outer ends of the spokes 300 are inclined with respect to the radial direction R. This may be so that the outer diameter of the traveling wheel 10 in the radial direction R is constant throughout the entire area regardless of the relative rotation angle of the second disc 200 with respect to the first disc 100. FIG. 2 illustrates that the outer ends of the eight spokes 300 are all inclined clockwise, but the inclination angles are the same.

[0035] More preferably, according to the present invention, the plurality of first sides S1 of the plurality of spokes 300 may be equally spaced along the circumferential direction A of the traveling wheel 10 around the rotation axis 50, and the plurality of second sides S2 of the plurality of spokes 300 may also be equally spaced along the circumferential direction A of the traveling wheel 10 around the rotation axis 50. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, if the traveling wheel 10 has eight spokes, the angle between two adjacent spokes may be 45 degrees. However, if the traveling wheel 10 has twelve spokes, the angle between two adjacent spokes may be 30 degrees. Also, as an example, the ratio of the outer diameter of the first disc 100 in the radial direction R to the length of the spokes 300 may be approximately 1:1.4.

[0036] Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of a running wheel according to the present invention, Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the structure of a running wheel according to the present invention when the running wheel has a large outer diameter in the radial direction, Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the structure of a running wheel according to the present invention when the running wheel has a small outer diameter in the radial direction, and Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the cross-sectional structure of a running wheel according to the present invention when cut in the width direction.

[0037] 3 to 5, the first disc 100 of the traveling wheel 10 according to the present invention may include a first body 110 coupled to the rotation shaft 50, and first protrusions 120 that protrude outward from the first body 110 in the radial direction R and have one side coupled to the first side S1 of the spokes 300. More specifically, the first body 110 may have a generally disk shape, and the first protrusions 120 may have a generally rod shape. The number of first protrusions 120 may be the same as the number of spokes 300. Therefore, the first protrusions 120 and the spokes 300 may be coupled one-to-one. Furthermore, the plurality of first protrusions 120 may be provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction A.

[0038] Furthermore, the second disc 200 of the traveling wheel 10 according to the present invention may include a second body 210 coupled to the rotation shaft 50, and second protrusions 220 that protrude outward in the radial direction R from the second body 210 and have one side coupled to the second side S2 of the spokes 300. More specifically, the second body 210 may have a generally disk shape, and the second protrusions 220 may have a generally rod shape. The number of second protrusions 220 may be the same as the number of spokes 300. Therefore, the second protrusions 220 and the spokes 300 may be coupled one-to-one. Furthermore, the plurality of second protrusions 220 may be provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction A.

[0039] 6, the traveling wheel 10 according to the present invention may include two first discs 100. More preferably, the two first discs 100 may be spaced apart from each other in the width direction W of the traveling wheel 10. Therefore, an internal space may be formed between the two first discs 100. In this case, the second disc 200 may be provided in the internal space between the two first discs 100 in the width direction W.

[0040] Referring now to FIG. 6, the spokes 300 of the traveling wheel 10 according to the present invention may include a first spoke 310 extending outward in the radial direction R from the first side S1 and a second spoke 320 extending inward in the radial direction R from the first side S1 to the second side S2. According to the present invention, the first spoke 310 and the second spoke 320 may be aligned in a straight line regardless of the rotation of the first disc 100 and the second disc 200. That is, the first spoke 310 and the second spoke 320 may be fixedly coupled to each other so that they cannot rotate relative to each other. As an example, the first spoke 310 and the second spoke 320 may be integrally formed. Referring also to FIG. 5, the distance from the rotation axis 50 to the first side S1 may be longer than the distance from the rotation axis 50 to the second side S2.

[0041] Meanwhile, according to the present invention, the second body 210 of the second disk 200 may be fixedly coupled to the rotating shaft 50 so that it cannot move relative to the rotating shaft 50, and the second motor 420 may be directly connected to the rotating shaft 50. Therefore, when the second motor 420 is driven, i) the rotating shaft 50 directly connected to the second motor 420 rotates, ii) the second body 210 and the second protrusion 220 also rotate together with the rotating shaft 50, and iii) the angle formed between the second protrusion 220 and the first protrusion 120 changes, which may change the outer diameter of the traveling wheel 10 in the radial direction R. For example, the second body 210 may be formed integrally with the rotating shaft 50.

[0042] 6, an external gear may be provided on the outer surface of the first body 110 in the radial direction R of the traveling wheel 10. In this case, the rotation shaft of the first motor 410 may be provided to mesh with the external gear. Therefore, when the first motor 410 is driven, i) the first body 110 meshing with the first motor 410 via the external gear rotates, and iii) the first protrusion 120 may also rotate accordingly.

[0043] Meanwhile, as described above, the first body 110 may be coupled to the rotating shaft 50. However, unlike the second body 210, the first body 110 may be rotatably coupled to the rotating shaft 50. For this purpose, a bearing 700 may be provided between the rotating shaft 50 and the first body 110. Therefore, according to the present invention, when the rotating shaft 50 is rotated by the driving of the second motor 420, the second body 210 fixedly coupled to the rotating shaft 50 also rotates, while the first body 110 rotates only by the driving of the first motor 410, regardless of whether the second motor 420 is driven. Therefore, the first disc 100 and the second disc 200 may rotate independently.

[0044] Referring now to FIG. 3, the traveling wheel 10 according to the present invention may further include a support portion 500 provided at the outer end of the spoke 300 and protruding in the circumferential direction A of the traveling wheel 10. More specifically, the support portion 500 may be provided at the outer end of the first spoke 310 in the radial direction R. The support portion 500 may be configured to come into direct contact with the road surface on which the traveling wheel 10 travels. For ease of explanation, FIG. 3 shows the support portion 500 coupled to only some of the spokes 300, but more preferably, the support portion 500 may be provided on each of all of the spokes 300 provided on the traveling wheel 10 (see FIG. 8).

[0045] In this case, the support part 500 may be provided rotatably with respect to the spoke 300, more specifically, the first spoke 310, depending on the condition of the road surface on which the traveling wheel 10 travels.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the coupling relationship between the first spoke, the support part and the first elastic part of the running wheel according to the present invention.

[0047] 7, according to the present invention, the traveling wheel 10 may further include a first elastic member 610, one side of which is provided to be in close contact with the support member 500 and the other side of which is provided to be in close contact with the first spoke 310. Therefore, according to the present invention, even if the support member 500, which directly contacts the road surface, rotates from the spoke 300 depending on the condition of the road surface, when the support member 500 moves away from the road surface again, the rotation angle of the support member 500 can return to its original state due to the elastic force of the first elastic member 610. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the first elastic member 610 may have a bent plate shape, and one side of the bent region may be provided to be in close contact with the support member 500 and the other side of the bent region may be provided to be in close contact with the first spoke 310.

[0048] 3, the driving wheel 10 according to the present invention may further include a second elastic part 620 provided inside the first spoke 310 and extending from an outer end of the first spoke 310 in the radial direction R toward the first side S1. The second elastic part 620 is configured to provide a supporting force so that the driving wheel 10 maintains its shape before receiving an impact even when the driving wheel 10 receives an impact from the road surface during driving, and may also be configured to reduce the torque required of the second motor 420 to rotate the second disc 200. To this end, the second elastic part 620 may simultaneously pressurize the inner surface of the first spoke 310 provided at the outer end in the radial direction R and the inner surface provided at the inner end in the radial direction.

[0049] Hereinafter, a drive system for the traveling wheel 10 according to the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 7 and the above description.

[0050] If the road surface environment changes while the traveling wheel 10 is traveling, the second motor 420 is driven to rotate the second body 210 and the second protrusion 220 of the second disk 200, thereby changing the angle between the first protrusion 120 and the second protrusion 220, and thereby changing the outer diameter of the traveling wheel 10 in the radial direction R. For example, if there is an upwardly protruding area on the road surface ahead in the traveling direction of the traveling wheel 10, the traveling wheel 10 will travel after increasing the angle between the first protrusion 120 and the second protrusion 220 so that the shape of the traveling wheel 10 changes from FIG. 1 to FIG. 2 or from FIG. 4 to FIG. 5. Conversely, if there is a downward depression in the road surface ahead of the traveling wheel 10 in the traveling direction, the angle between the first protrusion 120 and the second protrusion 220 is reduced so that the shape of the traveling wheel 10 changes from FIG. 2 to FIG. 1 or from FIG. 5 to FIG. 4, and then the traveling wheel 10 travels. Therefore, according to the present invention, even if there is an uneven area on the road surface, the mobility vehicle equipped with the traveling wheel 10 can travel with a minimized change in the overall height of the mobility vehicle, thereby significantly improving the riding comfort of the mobility vehicle. Meanwhile, when the traveling wheel 10 travels on a flat road surface without changing the angle between the first protrusion 120 and the second protrusion 220, the first motor 410 and the second motor 420 can be driven so that the rotational angular velocity of the first disc 100 and the rotational angular velocity of the second disc 200 by the second motor 420 match each other.

[0051] Mobility FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a mobility structure to which the running wheel according to the present invention can be applied.

[0052] 1 to 8, a mobility 20 according to the present invention can include one or more running wheels 10. For example, the mobility 20 can include two running wheels 10.

[0053] In this case, the traveling wheel 10 may include a first disc 100 rotatably provided on the rotation shaft 50, a second disc 200 rotatably provided on the rotation shaft 50, a plurality of spokes 300 having a first side S1 coupled to the first disc 100 and a second side S2 coupled to the second disc 200 and having a shape protruding outward in the radial direction R, a first motor 410 that rotates the first disc 100, and a second motor 420 that rotates the second disc 200. In this case, the spokes 300 may be rotatable relative to the first disc 100 around the first side S1, and the spokes 300 may be rotatable relative to the second disc 200 around the second side S2.

[0054] On the other hand, the mobility according to the present invention may be a mobility that travels at a low speed. As an example, as shown in Figure 8, the mobility according to the present invention may be a wheelchair.

[0055] Although the present invention has been described above using limited examples and drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto, and that various implementations are possible within the technical spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims set forth below by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10 Running wheels 20 Mobility 50 Rotational Axis 100 Disc 1 110 First Body 120 1st protrusion 200 2nd Disc 210 Second Body 220 Second protrusion 300 spokes 310 1st spoke 320 2nd spoke 410 First Motor 420 Second Motor 500 Support part 610 First elastic part 620 Second elastic part 700 bearings S1 First side S2 2nd side W Width of the running wheel R Radial direction of running wheel A Circumferential direction of the running wheel

Claims

1. A rotation axis; a first disk rotatably provided on the rotation shaft; a second disk rotatably provided on the rotation shaft; a plurality of spokes having a first side connected to the first disc and a second side connected to the second disc, the spokes having an outwardly protruding shape; a first motor that rotates the first disk; a second motor that rotates the second disk; The spoke is provided rotatably relative to the first disc around the first side, The spokes are rotatable relative to the second disc around the second side, The spokes are a first spoke extending outward from the first side; a second spoke extending from the first side to the second side.

2. The first sides of the spokes are arranged at equal intervals around the rotation axis, The traveling wheel according to claim 1 , wherein the second sides of the spokes are arranged at equal intervals around the rotation axis.

3. The first disk is a first body coupled to the rotation shaft; The traveling wheel according to claim 1 , further comprising: a first protrusion protruding outward from the first body, one side of which is coupled to the first sides of the plurality of spokes.

4. The second disk is a second body coupled to the rotating shaft; The traveling wheel according to claim 3 , further comprising: a second protrusion protruding outward from the second body, one side of which is coupled to the second sides of the plurality of spokes.

5. The first disk is provided in two pieces, The traveling wheel according to claim 4 , wherein the two first discs are spaced apart from each other in the width direction W.

6. The second disk is The running wheel according to claim 5 , wherein the running wheel is provided in an internal space between the two first discs in the width direction W.

7. The running wheel according to claim 4 , wherein the first spoke and the second spoke are provided in a straight line.

8. The traveling wheel according to claim 4 , wherein a distance from the rotation axis to the first side is longer than a distance from the rotation axis to the second side.

9. the second body is fixedly coupled to the rotation shaft so as to be unable to move relative to the rotation shaft; The traveling wheel according to claim 4 , wherein the second motor is directly connected to the rotary shaft.

10. The traveling wheel according to claim 9 , wherein the second body is integrally formed with the rotation shaft.

11. An external gear is provided on an outer surface of the first body in the radial direction R, The traveling wheel according to claim 3 , wherein the first motor is provided to mesh with the external gear.

12. The running wheel according to claim 1 , further comprising support portions provided at outer ends of the spokes and protruding in the circumferential direction A of the running wheel.

13. 13. The running wheel according to claim 12, wherein the support is rotatably provided with respect to the spoke.

14. The running wheel according to claim 13 , further comprising a first elastic portion, one side of which is provided to be in close contact with the support portion and the other side of which is provided to be in close contact with the spoke.

15. The traveling wheel according to claim 4 , further comprising a second elastic portion provided on an inner side of the first spoke and extending from an outer end of the first spoke toward the first side.

16. The traveling wheel according to claim 9 , further comprising a bearing provided between the rotation shaft and the first body.

17. A mobility device including one or more running wheels, The running wheel is a first disk rotatably provided on a rotation axis; a second disk rotatably provided on the rotation shaft; a plurality of spokes having a first side connected to the first disc and a second side connected to the second disc, the spokes having an outwardly protruding shape; a first motor that rotates the first disk; a second motor that rotates the second disk; a support portion provided at an outer end of the spoke and protruding in the circumferential direction A of the running wheel, The spoke is provided rotatably relative to the first disc around the first side, The spokes are rotatably mounted relative to the second disc around the second side, mobility.

18. The mobility device according to claim 17, wherein the mobility device is a wheelchair.

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