Rotating wheel with propulsion assistance

Abstract

The invention relates to a rotating wheel (10) with propulsion assistance, having an inner tire (12) and an outer tire (14) which are arranged concentrically to each other on a plane, which is preferably vertically oriented, such that they can rotate together about a rotational axis (16), wherein the outer tire (14) is elastic, and the inner tire (12) is rigid. Non-radially extending force transmission elements (18) are arranged between the inner tire (12) and the outer tire (14), and the force transmission elements (18) within the rotating wheel (10) are hinged, by means of a bearing device (20), to the crown (142) of the outer tire (14) at points uniformly distributed over the inner circumference (141) of the outer tire (14) and to the crown (122) of the inner tire (12) at points uniformly distributed over the outer circumference (123) of the inner tire (12). The outer tire (14) is connected to the inner tire (12) in a tortion-resistant and rotationally fixed manner by means of at least one connecting means (22). The invention also relates to a vehicle having at least one rotating wheel (10), to a drive device (50) having at least one rotating wheel (10), and to a generator device having at least one rotating wheel (10).

Description

[0001] 'Balance bike with push assistance'

[0002] The invention relates to an impeller with thrust assistance according to the preamble of patent claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle, a drive device and a generator device with at least one impeller according to the invention.

[0003] Many vehicles today are equipped with at least one road wheel, especially four. These road wheels typically consist of at least a rim and a tire that can be filled with a fluid. Due to the vehicle's gravity, the tire can deform upon contact with a contact surface, such as the road surface. This deformation serves to increase ride comfort, particularly damping, but energy is lost or released unused during deformation in the area of ​​the tire tread.If one considers the support of two wheel halves, split in the middle when viewed from the side, during the rolling process on a horizontal plane on conventionally used wheels, one can see that, for all wheels subject to rolling resistance, the wheel half facing in the rolling direction bears disadvantageously more heavily on the contact surface than the wheel half facing opposite in the rolling direction. This type of unequal support of both wheel halves generates a permanent torque in the opposite direction of rotation of the wheel itself, as long as it is rotating. The result is that these wheels constantly brake themselves, which leads to a significantly increased energy requirement.

[0004] To address the problem of increased energy demand due to deformation in the wheel contact area, state-of-the-art solutions with essentially rigid wheels, in particular a rigid outer skin that allows only minimal deformation, are known. While this minimizes rolling resistance and deformation, comfort, especially on uneven surfaces, is significantly reduced.

[0005] In addition to minimizing rolling resistance through essentially rigid wheels, there are also efforts in the state of the art to recover the energy supplied to the wheel through other devices. The most well-known of these currently appears to be the recovery of braking energy when the vehicle is slowing down. A disadvantage of such devices, however, is that the energy introduced to deform the wheel in the area of ​​the contact surface remains unused. Against the background of this problem, solutions for vehicles are known in which hydraulic actuators consisting of a cylinder and a piston that is displaceably mounted in the cylinder are arranged between the rim and the tire of the wheel. Rotation of the wheel leads to movement of the hydraulic piston within the hydraulic cylinder, which in turn leads to the pumping of hydraulic oil to a hydraulic motor.The engine is set in rotation and in turn drives a generator, which produces electrical energy and makes it available to the vehicle.

[0006] However, the device described above is considered disadvantageous due to its complex design and maintenance requirements. Furthermore, it requires complex transmission paths, for example, for hydraulic oil, as well as electrical lines leading from the generator within the vehicle.

[0007] Based on this prior art, the object of the present invention is therefore to propose a new wheel that enables push assistance and avoids the disadvantages described above. Furthermore, the wheel should be cost-effective to manufacture, durable, and individually adaptable to the user's requirements.

[0008] This object is achieved in a surprisingly simple but effective manner by a running wheel according to the teaching of the independent main claim 1. According to the invention, a running wheel with thrust assistance is proposed, comprising an inner tire, each with a weight, and an outer tire, which are arranged concentrically to one another in a preferably vertically oriented plane so as to be jointly rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the outer tire is elastic and the inner tire is rigid.The wheel according to the invention is characterized in that non-radially extending force transmission elements are arranged between the inner tire and the outer tire, wherein the force transmission elements are articulated within the wheel by means of a bearing device, distributed uniformly over the inner circumference of the outer tire, at the apex of the outer tire and uniformly distributed over the outer circumference of the inner tire at the apex of the inner tire, and wherein the outer tire is connected to the inner tire in a torsionally rigid and rotationally fixed manner by at least one connecting means.

[0009] Within the scope of the invention, both the inner tire and the outer tire can have a crown and sidewalls. Both the inner tire and the outer tire can be designed in the manner of a hollow cylinder, wherein the casing of the hollow cylinder corresponds to the crown of the inner tire or outer tire. The inner tire can, for example, be designed in the manner of a rim and can be fastened to a hub of a vehicle. The outer surface of the crown defines the outer circumference of the outer tire and of the wheel, wherein the outer crown surface forms the tread. The outer tire thus forms the tread on its outer circumference and can be designed in the manner of a known tire for vehicles, for example motor vehicles, motorcycles or bicycles. It is understood that both the inner tire and the outer tire each have a weight when in use, for example when attached to a vehicle.Because the outer tire is elastic, if the outer tire is subjected to a weight load, the outer tire will deform at a contact surface of the wheel on which the wheel rests, for example, and in particular in the area of ​​the tread of the wheel. Known materials from generic tires, in particular plastic and / or rubber compounds, can be used to manufacture the elastic outer tire. According to the invention, at least the crown, i.e. the area of ​​the tread of the outer tire, should be elastic. If the crown of the outer tire is elastic and at least the crown of the inner tire is rigid, the force transmission elements can be compressed or tensioned when the outer tire is deformed. The force transmission elements are preferably all of the same design and, moreover, run non-radially between the inner and outer tires.This means that the direction in which the force transmission elements extend between the inner and outer tires deviates from the radial direction. The force transmission elements are thus arranged differently from a conventional radial spoke arrangement. This advantageously allows for asymmetrical support of the wheel at the contact surface.

[0010] In the context of the invention, the inner circumference is defined by the side of the apex facing the impeller's axis of rotation. In contrast, the outer circumference is defined by the side of the apex facing away from the impeller's axis of rotation.

[0011] For the purposes of the invention, the contact surface is the surface that comes into contact with the running surface of the impeller. A contact surface can be, for example, a road surface or the running surface of another impeller.

[0012] In the context of the invention, rotationally fixed essentially means that the outer tire and the inner tire cannot be rotated relative to one another, so that the rotational movement of the inner tire leads to a rotational movement of the outer tire.

[0013] It was recognized as essential to the invention that the outer tire be rigidly and rotationally fixedly connected to the inner tire by at least one connecting means. This allows for an advantageous division of functions between the connecting means and the power transmission elements. According to the invention, the connecting means hold at least the tread of the tire, preferably the crown of the outer tire, in position against rotation relative to the inner tire, in particular the crown of the inner tire. This also effectively prevents rotation or tilting of the power transmission elements running between the inner and outer tires, and the power transmission elements can be used without restriction to support the wheel and to generate thrust in the direction of rotation of the wheel.A further advantage of the torsionally rigid and rotationally fixed connection between the inner and outer tires is that, in the event of strong torque fluctuations, such as during braking or sudden acceleration, no uncontrolled rocking can occur between the rigid inner and elastic outer tires. The at least one connecting element is preferably designed separately from the force transmission elements and / or arranged at a distance from the force transmission elements between the inner and outer tires. In other words, this means that the connecting element and force transmission element can be independent and separate components of the wheel.

[0014] Within the scope of the invention, the outer tire is composed of several sections, each of which plays a precise role in the function of the outer tire. Specifically, the outer tire can be composed of at least one crown, which is located radially outward, i.e., radially toward the largest radii of the outer tire, and which has a tread that can be brought into contact with a contact surface, for example a road surface, and at least one connecting means. The connecting means, which is preferably arranged between the crown of the outer tire and the crown of the inner tire, has the role of connecting the outer tire to the inner tire in a torsionally rigid and rotationally fixed manner and of transferring forces from the inner tire to the outer tire. Preferably, the connecting means are substantially perpendicular to the crown and / or extend the crown of the outer tire radially inward toward the crown of the inner tire.It is conceivable that the crown and / or the connecting means are reinforced by reinforcing means, for example, fabrics, threads, wires, filaments, and / or strands. The reinforcing means can be arranged, particularly on a connecting means, in such a way that the rolling thrust is additionally supported. The arrangement of the reinforcing means is then particularly such that a lower torque is introduced by the reinforcing means arranged in the wheel half facing in the direction of rotation and deformed by contact with the contact surface than by the reinforcing means arranged in the other wheel half, which leads to a support of the rotational movement of the impeller in the direction of rotation.

[0015] The invention is further based on the fundamental idea that the crown or tread of the outer tire of the wheel is preloaded by means of the force transmission elements. Through the preload, the angle of the force transmission elements to the contact surface, and the spacing of the bearing point of the individual force transmission elements on the outer tire from the axis of rotation, a thrust in the direction of rotation can be generated, in particular through the torque generated by the sum of the vertical force components of the force transmission elements. Due to the articulated attachment of the force transmission elements to the inner and outer tires, asymmetrical support of the wheel can be achieved such that the wheel half facing in the direction of rotation is supported less strongly than the other wheel half on the contact surface, for example, the road surface.In other words, this means that the force transmission elements arranged in the wheel half pointing in the direction of rotation and deformed by contact with the contact surface introduce a lower torque than the force transmission elements arranged in the other wheel half, which leads to a support of the rotational movement of the impeller in the direction of rotation.This is due in particular to the fact that, due to the asymmetrical support enabled by the articulated attachment of the power transmission elements and the deformation of the outer tire, the power transmission elements of the wheel half not facing in the direction of rotation have a more effective angle relative to the contact surface for support than the power transmission elements of the wheel half facing in the direction of rotation and thus generate a higher total torque than the power transmission elements arranged in the wheel half facing in the direction of rotation and deformed by contact with the contact surface. The efficiency of the impeller according to the invention depends in particular on the difference between the forces triggering the torques in the two wheel halves.According to the inventive concept, different vertical and horizontal force components are applied at the bearing points of the force transmission elements, which are defined by the bearing devices, along the contact surface of the impeller by each individual force transmission element, due to the different angles of attack of the force transmission elements. In particular, the vertical force components generate a relevant torque, thus generating thrust support for the impeller. Furthermore, the impeller according to the invention advantageously offers a high level of ride comfort and reduced noise during use due to the smooth rolling action provided by the force transmission elements. Furthermore, it has been recognized that the thrust support of the impeller according to the invention has a wear-reducing effect on the outer tire and the road surface that can be brought into contact with the impeller.

[0016] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. The scope of the invention also includes all combinations of at least two features disclosed in the description, the claims and / or the figures. It is understood that all features and embodiments disclosed with the impeller also relate in an equivalent, even if not identical, manner to the vehicle according to the invention, the drive device according to the invention and the generator device according to the invention. In this case, it is particularly understood that customary linguistic transformations and / or a corresponding replacement of respective terms within the framework of common linguistic practice, in particular the use of synonyms supported by generally accepted linguistic literature, are encompassed by the present disclosure content without being explicitly mentioned in their respective formulation.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the impeller, the force transmission elements can be tension elements and / or compression elements. Preferably, all force transmission elements of an impeller are identically designed. Tension elements can be, for example, rubber tensioning elements. Compression elements can be, for example, compression spring elements. It is also conceivable for the force transmission elements to comprise a pneumatic cylinder and / or a hydraulic cylinder, wherein filling the cylinder with a working fluid, for example, compressed air or hydraulic oil, causes a movement of the piston guided in the cylinder.

[0018] According to a further preferred embodiment, the pressure element comprises a compression spring. The compression spring is accommodated within the force transmission element in such a way that it is compressed when the outer tire of the running wheel comes into contact with a contact surface, for example a road surface. The energy stored in the compression spring through the compression can subsequently be used to transfer a force, in particular a thrust-generating force, to the running wheel. In this case, the force component acting perpendicular to the contact surface, usually the vertical force component, is particularly relevant. This is because, depending on the distance from the axis of rotation, the vertical force component produces a torque to assist thrust in the direction of travel when the running wheel rests on a flat contact surface.

[0019] If the force transmission element is designed as a tension element, the tension element can be made of an elastic material. Similar to energy storage in a spring, energy can also be stored in the tension element due to tension introduced into the tension element. While in a compression element with a compression spring, the energy to be stored is transferred through compression and thus by reducing the length of the force transmission element along the longitudinal axis of the compression spring, the energy to be stored is transferred into the tension element by stretching the elastic tension element and thus increasing the longitudinal extension of the tension element.

[0020] As already explained, it is essential to the invention that the outer tire is connected to the inner tire in a torsionally rigid and rotationally fixed manner by at least one connecting means. This can be achieved in a particularly simple and efficient manner by connecting the outer tire to the inner tire on one or both sides of the crown of the outer tire and / or the crown of the inner tire by a connecting means in the manner of a sidewall. Further preferably, connecting means are provided on both sides of the crown of the outer tire.

[0021] Preferably, the outer tire and the inner tire are connected on both sides of the crown of the outer tire and the crown of the inner tire by a connecting means in the form of a sidewall that extends completely along the circumference of the wheel, thus creating a closed tire carcass. This offers the advantage that the power transmission elements are reliably protected from external influences and enables quiet operation of the wheel. Particularly preferably, the crown of the outer tire is manufactured in one piece with the connecting means designed as sidewalls. Those skilled in the art will know that two sidewalls with a crown in between can form the tire casing of the outer tire.

[0022] It has proven advantageous if the outer tire can be filled with a medium, particularly air. This can significantly increase driving comfort. It is understandable that in order to fill the outer tire with a medium, the outer tire must be media-tight, particularly airtight. For this purpose, the outer tire preferably has sidewalls on both sides of the crown to close the outer tire and connect it to the inner tire. In other words, a volume is created between the crown of the outer tire, the two sidewalls of the outer tire, and the crown of the inner tire, which volume can be filled with a medium, particularly air.

[0023] The wheel can comprise an adjusting device for adjusting a bearing point of the force transmission elements relative to the outer tire and / or relative to the inner tire, said bearing point being predetermined by the bearing device. In the context of the invention, the term "bearing point" refers to the point at which the force transmission element is articulated and can be rotated about a rotation axis relative to the bearing point. The rotation axis preferably runs transversely to the direction of rotation of the wheel. Preferably, at least one bearing point of a force transmission element can be displaced along the circumference of the apex of the outer tire and / or the apex of the inner tire by means of the adjusting device. Further preferably, the adjusting device is arranged at the apex of the inner tire and allows a bearing point of a force transmission element to be displaced along the circumference of the apex of the inner tire.The adjustment device allows the force, tension, and / or length of the respective force transmission element to be adjusted by adjusting the bearing point of a force transmission element specified by the bearing device. This can, for example, cause the spring elements to relax when the wheel is at rest. It is also conceivable that the adjustment of a bearing point of a force transmission element using the adjustment device could reverse the direction of the thrust support, as is advantageous, for example, when switching between forward and reverse travel.In other words, the bearing points of the force transmission elements can be adjusted such that, in a first position, thrust support is provided when a vehicle provided with the wheel according to the invention travels forward, and in a second position, the force transmission elements are arranged between the outer tire and the inner tire in such a way that thrust support is provided when the vehicle travels backward.

[0024] According to one possible embodiment, each force transmission element can include at least one adjustment device. This offers the advantage that the force transmission elements can be adjusted individually.

[0025] Alternatively, it is conceivable for the adjustment device to have an adjusting ring that is rotatable relative to the outer tire and / or the inner tire, to which the force transmission elements are hinged. The force transmission elements can be hinged directly or indirectly to the adjusting ring. An adjusting device having an adjusting ring offers the advantage that a plurality of force transmission elements coupled to the adjusting ring can be adjusted jointly and transferred to a uniform position. In other words, this means that, using the adjusting ring, all force transmission elements coupled to the adjusting ring can be aligned equally between the inner and outer tires.In a preferred embodiment of the adjusting device, the adjusting ring rests on the inner circumference and / or the outer circumference of the inner tire and / or the outer tire and is rotatable along the inner circumference and / or the outer circumference of the inner tire and / or the outer tire. Preferably, the adjusting ring rests on the outer circumference of the inner tire and is rotatable along the outer circumference of the inner tire. In other words, the adjusting ring is rotatable along the outer circumference of the crown of the inner tire and rests against it. Additionally or alternatively, an adjusting ring can rest on the inner circumference of the outer tire and be rotatable along the inner circumference of the outer tire. According to this embodiment, the adjusting ring is therefore rotatable along the inner circumference of the crown of the outer tire and comes into contact with it. It has further proven advantageous if the adjusting device can be actuated mechanically, pneumatically, hydraulically, or electrically.

[0026] The wheel can have a stop device for limiting the adjustment of a bearing point of a force transmission element by means of the adjustment device. The stop device can, for example, comprise a pin or a screw that interacts with a groove or an elongated hole in the adjustment device, preferably in the adjustment ring. This allows the bearing point to be adjusted until the pin or screw comes to rest against one end of the groove or the elongated hole. The length of the groove or the elongated hole thus defines the adjustment path of the adjustment device. Furthermore, it has proven advantageous if at least one bearing device of the force transmission elements is integrally connected to the outer tire. Preferably, at least one bearing device of the force transmission elements is integrally connected to the crown of the outer tire.Further preferably, each bearing device of each of the force transmission elements is integrally connected to the crown of the outer tire. It is conceivable that a connecting element of the bearing device, for example, a base plate of the bearing device, is integrally connected to the outer tire during the vulcanization of the outer tire material. The connecting element can be made of the same material as the outer tire, in particular the crown of the outer tire.

[0027] According to the invention, a vehicle is further proposed that has at least one impeller according to the invention. Preferably, each wheel of the vehicle can be designed as a impeller according to the invention in order to generate thrust assistance at each wheel of the vehicle. Thus, a conventional passenger car can particularly preferably have four impellers according to the invention.

[0028] Furthermore, a drive device with thrust assistance comprising at least one impeller according to the invention is proposed. In addition to the use of the impeller according to the invention on a vehicle, the stationary use of an impeller according to the invention is also possible. When used in a drive device, the impeller according to the invention can be used to drive another impeller according to the invention and / or a generic wheel filled with compressed air and / or a rigid wheel.In particular, the combination of a rigid wheel, whose outer tire is rigid and non-elastic, with a running wheel according to the invention that drives the rigid wheel can lead to an increase in efficiency, since the contact surface of the wheel according to the invention is pressed in in an arc shape upon contact with the rigid wheel, thereby increasing the thrust force, i.e., the thrust support, due to the advantageous effective angle, i.e., the angular position of the power transmission elements relative to the rigid wheel. It is also conceivable to drive conventional vehicle wheels, such as rail vehicles or trucks, in this way.

[0029] According to the invention, a generator device is further proposed, comprising at least one impeller according to the invention and a generator. The generator is designed to convert kinetic energy, in particular rotational energy, into electrical energy. Preferably, the impeller according to the invention is brought into contact with another wheel, which is designed, for example, as a rigid wheel or also as an impeller according to the invention and is arranged on a rotatable shaft, in such a way that when the impeller according to the invention is driven with thrust assistance via the another wheel, the shaft is set in rotation and thus mechanical power is supplied to the generator for conversion into electrical power.

[0030] According to the invention, a direct drive of mobile and stationary machines and devices to which rotational energy is to be supplied for their operation is also proposed.

[0031] It is assumed that the definitions and / or the explanations of the above terms apply to all aspects described in the description, unless otherwise stated.

[0032] Further details, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the subclaims. The respective features may be implemented individually or in combination with one another. The invention is not limited to the embodiments. The embodiments are illustrated schematically in the figures. Identical reference numerals in the individual figures designate identical or functionally equivalent elements, or elements that correspond to one another in terms of their function. The following embodiments serve merely to illustrate the invention. They are not intended to limit the subject matter of the claims in any way.

[0033] In detail:

[0034] Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through an impeller according to the invention;

[0035] Fig. 2 shows a schematic section of the impeller according to the invention in longitudinal section according to Fig. 1;

[0036] Fig. 3 shows a cross section through the impeller according to the invention as shown in Fig. 1;

[0037] Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section through an impeller according to the invention with an adjusting device;

[0038] Fig. 5 shows a drive device according to the invention comprising two impellers according to the invention.

[0039] Fig. 1 shows a running wheel 10 with an elastic outer tire 14 and a rigid inner tire 12, wherein a plurality of force transmission elements 18 are arranged between the apex 142 of the outer tire 14 and the apex 122 of the inner tire 12, which extend between the bearing points 26 to which the force transmission elements 18 are hinged. Each of the force transmission elements 18 has a compression spring 181 that is aligned such that the connecting line of the bearing points 26 of a force transmission element 18 coincides with the longitudinal axis of the compression spring 181. In particular, in the unloaded state of the running wheel 10, i.e., when no weight is acting on the running wheel 10 or no counterpressure originates from the contact surface 28, for example a road surface, each of the force transmission elements 18 is non-radially aligned.In other words, the force transmission elements 18 are articulated on the one hand to the inner tire 12 and on the other hand to the outer tire 14 in such a way that an extension of the longitudinal axis of the spring element 181 does not intersect the axis of rotation 16 or does not pass through the center point of the inner tire 12 or outer tire 14. The apex 142, which defines the inner circumference 141 and the outer circumference 143 of the outer tire 14, is connected to the apex 122, which defines the inner circumference 121 and the outer circumference 123 of the inner tire 12, via the connecting means 22 designed in the manner of a side flank. As can be seen more clearly from Fig. 3, connecting means 22 designed as side flanks are arranged on both sides of the apex 142 of the outer tire 14 and the apex 122 of the inner tire 12, which ensure a rotationally fixed and rigid connection between the outer tire 14 and the inner tire 12.For a more detailed explanation of the functional principle, the center line 30 divides the wheel 10 according to the invention into a left half 101 and a right half 102 of the wheel 10. It can be seen that the outer tire 14 is designed to be elastic such that, upon contact with the contact surface 28, for example a road surface, it deforms such that the tread formed by the apex 142 is tangentially flattened, i.e., adapts to the contact surface 28. The pressure-absorbing force transmission elements 18 are arranged non-radially, i.e., not spoke-like, within the wheel 10 between the inner tire 12 and the outer tire 14.The contact of the outer tire 14 with the contact surface 28 and the resulting deformation of the outer tire 14 exert pressure on the compression springs 181 of the force transmission elements 18 located in the region of the contact surface 28, which leads to the compression of the compression springs 181 and thus to the storage of energy in the compression springs 181. When the stored energy is released during the rolling movement of the impeller 10, a force acts along the longitudinal axis of the force transmission element 18, which can be divided into a horizontal and a vertical force component. The force transmission elements 18 arranged in the right half 102 of the impeller 10, viewed from the side, in the region of the contact surface 28, have a significantly higher vertical force component than the force transmission elements 18 arranged in the left half 101 of the impeller 10 in the region of the contact surface 28.This means that in the area of ​​the contact surface 28 in the left wheel half 101, the force transmission elements 18 together or in total cause a lower torque (in the opposite direction of rotation) compared to the force transmission elements 18 in the area of ​​the contact surface 28 in the right half 102 of the impeller 10, which in total cause a higher torque in the direction of rotation (32), whereby a feed support of the impeller 10 can be generated during the rolling process.

[0040] This functional principle of the impeller 10 according to the invention is also evident from the illustration shown in Fig. 2. For the sake of clarity, in Fig. 2, which shows a section of the impeller 10 according to the invention from Fig. 1, the force transmission elements 18 are only indicated as lines, while the illustration of the connecting means 22 has been omitted. The force transmission elements 18 again have compression springs 181 (not shown here) and are each mounted by a bearing device 20 on the apex 122 of the inner tire 12 and on the apex 142 of the outer tire 14. To explain the functional principle of the impeller 10 according to the invention in more detail, the contact angle of the force transmission elements 18 arranged in the region of the contact surface 28 is shown. The contact angle is the angle between the longitudinal axis of the force transmission element 18 and the contact surface 28.It is clearly visible that the contact angle of the force transmission elements 18 increases from left to right, meaning that the angle ai is the smallest and the contact angle aio is the largest. The value ranges of the contact angles ai to aio can be found in Table 1 below. Table 1: Contact angle of the impeller shown in Fig. 2. Because the contact angles a in the left wheel half 101 are smaller than the contact angles a of the force transmission elements 18 in the area of ​​the contact surface 28 in the right wheel half 102, the horizontal and vertical force components of the force acting due to the tension of the compression springs 181 during the rolling process of the impeller 10 also differ. For example, the vertical force components of the force transmission elements 18, which enclose the angles ae to aio (right wheel half 102) with the contact surface 28, result in a relatively high total torque in the direction of rotation when the torques caused by the individual force transmission elements are added together.In contrast, the force transmission elements 18 of the left wheel half 101, which enclose the angles ai to cts with the contact surface 28, cause a significantly lower total torque in the opposite direction of rotation when the torques caused by the individual force transmission elements are added up, which leads to a thrust support of the impeller 10 during the rolling process in the direction of rotation (32).

[0041] Fig. 3 shows the impeller 10 according to the invention as shown in Fig. 1 in cross-section. The apex 142 of the outer tire 14 defines the tread that comes into contact with the contact surface 28, for example the road surface. The tread extends along the outer circumference 143 of the outer tire 14. The outer tire 14 is connected to the inner tire 12 by means of two connecting means 22 designed as side flanks. In the present case, the outer tire 14 and inner tire 12 are connected to one another in such a way that a space that can be filled with a medium, for example air, is formed between the outer tire 14 and inner tire 12. The apex 122 of the inner tire 12 closes off the space formed between the apex 142 of the outer tire 14 and the connecting means 22 in the direction of the axis of rotation 16. On the outer circumference 123 of the inner tire 12, a plurality of force transmission elements 18 are articulated at a first end in the bearing point 26 by means of the bearing device 20, wherein in Fig.3, only one of the force transmission elements 18 is visible. The second end of the force transmission element 18 is articulated by means of a further bearing device 20 at the bearing point 26 on the inner circumference 141 of the outer tire 14. The bearing device 20, which supports the force transmission element 18 on the outer tire 14, can be integrally connected to the outer tire 14. The force transmission element 18 has a guide piston 182, which is enclosed by the compression spring 181, and a guide cylinder 182, which is displaceable within the guide piston 183. The guide cylinder 183 has a first stop plate 184, while the guide piston 182 has a second stop plate 185. The compression spring 181 is arranged between the stop plates 184, 185 and is compressed between these stop plates 184, 185 upon deformation of the outer tire 14. Fig. 4 shows a wheel 10 according to the invention with an adjustment device 24.Since the functional principle and structure of the impeller 10 shown essentially correspond to the impeller 10 described in Figures 1 to 3, only the differences will be discussed below. In contrast to the impeller shown in Figures 1 to 3, the impeller according to Figure 4 additionally has an adjusting device 24, the adjusting ring 241 of which is arranged at the apex 122 of the inner tire 12 and is rotatable relative to the inner tire 12 along the outer circumference 123 of the inner tire 12. Each of the force transmission elements 18 is mounted on one side on the outer tire 14 and on the opposite side by means of a bearing device 20 which defines a bearing point 26, on the adjusting ring 241.Thus, by rotating the adjusting ring 241 relative to the inner tire 12, the position of the inner bearing points 26, i.e., the bearing points 26 arranged on the adjusting ring, can be adjusted relative to the bearing points 26 located on the outer tire 14. It is conceivable that a stop device (not shown here) may also be provided, which limits the movement of the adjusting ring 241 along the outer circumference 123 of the inner tire 12.

[0042] Fig. 5 shows a drive device 50 according to the invention comprising two running wheels 10 according to the invention, as already described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The running wheels 10 are brought into contact with one another, so that the contact surface is not formed, for example, by a roadway, as described here with reference to Figures 1 to 4, but rather by the outer tire 14, in particular the apex 142, of a further running wheel 10. In the region of the contact surface 28, the apex 142 of the outer tire 14 is again flattened, which leads to a compression of the compression springs 181 of the force transmission elements 18 arranged in the region of the contact surface 28. Due to the previously described arrangement of the force transmission elements 18 and the force components acting during the rolling process due to the tension of the compression springs 181, thrust support of the running wheels 10 in the direction of rotation 32 can be generated.When using the impellers 10 according to the invention within a drive device 50, it is conceivable that one of the impellers 10 is driven and drives another impeller 10 using the thrust assistance, wherein the other impeller 10 can be arranged on a shaft for transmitting the rotational energy. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the shaft of the other impeller 10 can be connected to a generator in which the rotational energy is converted into electrical energy.

[0043] List of reference symbols

[0044] 10 Wheel

[0045] 101 Left side wheel

[0046] 102 Right side wheel

[0047] 12 inner tires

[0048] 121 inner circumference inner tire

[0049] 122 crown inner tire

[0050] 123 outer circumference inner tire

[0051] 14 outer tires

[0052] 141 inner circumference outer tire.

[0053] 142 crown outer tire

[0054] 143 outer circumference outer tire

[0055] 16 axis of rotation

[0056] 18 Power transmission element

[0057] 181 compression spring

[0058] 182 guide pistons

[0059] 183 guide cylinders

[0060] 184 1. Stop plate

[0061] 185 2. Stop plate

[0062] 20 storage facility

[0063] 22 connecting devices

[0064] 24 Adjustment device

[0065] 241 Adjusting ring

[0066] 26 bearing point

[0067] 28 contact surface

[0068] 30 Center line

[0069] 32 Direction of rotation a Contact angle relative to contact surface

[0070] 50 drive device

Claims

Patent claims 1. A wheel (10) with thrust support, comprising an inner tire (12) and an outer tire (14), which are arranged concentrically to one another in a preferably vertically oriented plane so as to be jointly rotatable about a rotation axis (16), wherein the outer tire (14) is elastic and the inner tire (12) is rigid, characterized in that non-radially extending force transmission elements (18) are arranged between the inner tire (12) and the outer tire (14), wherein the force transmission elements (18) are articulated within the wheel (10) by means of a bearing device (20) in a manner uniformly distributed over the inner circumference (141) of the outer tire (14) at the apex (142) of the outer tire (14) and in a manner uniformly distributed over the outer circumference (123) of the inner tire (12) at the apex (122) of the inner tire (12), and wherein the outer tire ( 14) is connected to the inner tire (12) in a torsionally rigid and rotationally fixed manner by at least one connecting means (22).

2. Impeller according to claim 1, characterized in that the force transmission elements (18) are tension elements and / or pressure elements.

3. Impeller according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressure element comprises a compression spring (181).

4. Impeller according to claim 2, characterized in that the tension element is made of an elastic material.

5. Impeller according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the outer tire (14) is connected to the inner tire (12) on one side or on both sides of the apex (142) of the outer tire (14) and / or the apex (122) of the inner tire (12) by a connecting means (22) in the manner of a side flank.

6. Impeller according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the outer tire (14) can be filled with a medium, in particular air.

7. Wheel according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that an adjusting device (24) for adjusting a bearing point (26) of the force transmission elements (18) predetermined by the bearing device (20) relative to the outer tire (14) and / or relative to the inner tire (12) is included.

8. Impeller according to claim 7, characterized in that each force transmission element (18) comprises at least one adjusting device (24).

9. Wheel according to claim 7, characterized in that the adjusting device (24) has an adjusting ring (241) which is rotatable relative to the outer tire (14) and / or relative to the inner tire (12), to which the force transmission elements (18) are articulated.

10. Impeller according to claim 9, characterized in that the adjusting ring (241) rests on the inner circumference (121, 141) or on the outer circumference (123, 143) of the inner tire (12) and / or the outer tire (14) and is rotatable along the inner circumference (121, 141) and / or the outer circumference (123, 143) of the inner tire (12) and / or the outer tire (14). 1 1. Impeller according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that a stop device for limiting the adjustment of the bearing point (26) by means of the adjusting device (24) is included.

12. Wheel according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that at least one bearing device (20) of the force transmission elements (18) is integrally connected to the outer tire (14).

13. Vehicle comprising at least one wheel (10) according to one of claims 1 to 12.

14. Drive device (50) comprising at least one impeller (10) according to one of claims 1 to 12.

15. Generator device comprising at least one impeller (10) according to one of claims 1 to 12 and a generator.

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