Power transmission device with retractable blades

Abstract

The invention is a power transmission device such as a wheel or a track which comprises retractable blades or protrusions that can be implemented in order to help propel the vehicle by applying their pressure to a fluid or loose terrain such as sand, snow, mud or earth. The device comprises a so-called regulator means which makes it possible to reduce the range of deployment / retraction of the blades depending on the use of the vehicle and the conditions encountered. The main applications are - land vehicles, wherein the devices according to the invention make it possible to adapt the tread of same in order to save energy at low speed or widen the tread or provide the tread with projecting tread patterns when necessary, and travel through mud or sail over water or in the water; - boats, wherein the devices according to the invention replace the propellers and allow them to travel in shallow waters; - aeroplanes, wherein the devices according to the invention make it possible to rotate the wheels before landing; and - means for using kinetic energy.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Title of the invention: Power transmission device with retractable blades

[0003] Technical field

[0004] [1] The field of the invention is that of rolling land, water or air vehicles, and wheels for these vehicles, which include blades generating pressure allowing the vehicle to be propelled both on hard ground and on soft ground or even on or in a fluid.

[0005] Technical problem

[0006] [2] Freeing a vehicle from mud, sand or snow and driving on these environments has been the subject of very significant research, for public works, agriculture and armaments, but no truly effective solution has been proposed apart from tracks or chains which are complex, difficult to put in place and to maneuver, and fragile.

[0007] [3] Rolling on water to cross rivers is still a dream, and ships still need ports, whereas if they had wheels, they could do without them.

[0008] [4] The problem to be solved is therefore to find a rustic and economical way of propelling a vehicle by the same transmission device, wheels or tracks, on or in any type of environment, giving it good road holding or heading depending on the environment, good mechanical performance and great comfort.

[0009] Prior art

[0010] [5] The principle of retractable means for ensuring the propulsion of wheels on water was invented in 2005, priority of W02007079045A2 of July 12, 2007 by MUNSHAUR TODD [US] and VAN OSDELL STEVEN [US] which describes an amphibious vehicle equipped with floating amphibious propulsion wheels comprising foldable pockets arranged around the surface of the wheel and oriented in the direction of rotation of the wheel.

[0011] [6] Retractable blades appeared in 2009, priority of US20090305585 A 1 of December 10

[0012] 2010 by CHIPPAS REILLY LINDA ANN [US] which describes a tracked vehicle comprising blades held in the rest position by a spring, but which can, under the effect of the water current, deploy to ensure the aquatic propulsion of the vehicle.

[0013] [7] The automatic retraction of a blade encountering an obstacle appeared in 2011, priority of

[0014] CN202337178 (U) of July 18, 2012 by YISHl WANG.

[0015] [8] The principle of centralized control of blade deployment is known from two documents

[0016] - CNT 07160961 A of September 15, 2017 by LAI XIAOLI [CN] and ZHU YANHUÀ [CN], which allows the vehicle to be configured to adapt it to the terrain of shallow water areas,

[0017] - and CN114619813A of June 14, 2022 by GAO SHENGYUN [CN] which describes a different mechanism for having a land driving mode and an aquatic driving mode, but neither provides a means of automatically retracting a blade or preventing it from deploying when an obstacle opposes its deployment. [9] Also known is CN110816179A by SUN HANBING et AL of February 21, 2020, anticipated by the aforementioned documents, which describes a wheel whose blades deploy and retract by a hydraulic mechanism. The contraction length is adjustable but it does not react automatically to the presence of obstacles.

[0018] There are also numerous documents describing tire studs and spikes for gripping black ice or ice. These elements are not part of the technical field of the present invention because they cannot interact with a fluid or a loose medium in order to generate a propulsive force, but rather only improve grip by their grip on solid ground such as ice or packed snow.

[0019] Brief description of the drawings

[0020]

[0010] The invention will be well understood, and other aims, advantages and characteristics thereof will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows, which is illustrated by Figures 1 to 24.

[0021]

[0011] [fig. 1] is a perspective view of components of a wheel according to the invention and of an assembled wheel. On the left, we see the blades 21, 22 and 23 and following in chevron shapes. On the right, we see that only the blades 24 and 25 are visible, the others remaining enclosed in their housings 210, 220 and 230.

[0022]

[0012] [fig.2] is a perspective and sectional view of the wheel of figure 1, in which the axis of rotation of the secondary shaft 40 which determines the position of the blades is not far from the axis of rotation 10 of the wheel, which has the consequence that the blades are all set back from the element hereinafter called the peripheral envelope, the external face of which can be the tread, and do not limit the elasticity of the wheel allowing it to absorb the shocks of small obstacles.

[0023]

[0013] [fig.3] is also a perspective and sectional view of the wheel of figure 1 and figure 2, in which the secondary shaft 40 is offset downwards and forwards (to the left of the figure), which has the effect that the blades located at the front of the wheel give rise, during the rotation of the wheel, to a propulsive force directed more downwards than on the device shown in figure 1 where this force is directed towards the rear.

[0024]

[0014] [fig.4] is a perspective view of two wheels 1A whose blades 21 and 22 are flat and slide through the peripheral casing 2. These blades may include sets of winter tire studs on the right. Elastic reminders 31, 32 and following push them in the direction from their retracted position to their deployed position. On the left, the wheel is rolling on hard ground and the lower blades are here in the retracted position, while the upper blades are in the deployed position. On the right, the blades are all held in the retracted position by a device not shown. The figure also shows the blade 28 and the elastic reminder 38,

[0025]

[0015] [fig.5] is a perspective view of two wheels according to the invention, the housings 210 and following of the blades of which are fixed only to the peripheral envelope of the wheel IA. Like that shown in the previous figure, this device is particularly suitable for airless tires.

[0026]

[0016] [fig.6] is a perspective view of blades 21, 22 and following similar to those shown in figure 1, each provided with a bearing, respectively 211, 221, 231, 241, 251 and 261 allowing their position to be determined by cooperation with a concave cam visible in figure 7,

[0027]

[0017] [fig.7] is a perspective view of a so-called regulator mechanism which limits the range of possible positions of the blades according to their position in the rotation cycle of the wheel. Elastic reminders not shown push the blades towards their deployed positions, but this movement is limited by the concave cams 401 and / or 402. On the left, the concave cam 402 places them all at an equal distance from the primary shaft 10, while on the right, the concave cam has pivoted 180 degrees and released the blades in such a way that it is the cam 401, of oblong shape, which allows the blades of the lower part of the wheel to be more deployed while those of the upper part are less or not at all.

[0028]

[0018] [fig.8] is a perspective view of a vehicle equipped with paddle wheels according to figures 1, 2,

[0029] 3 or 6. It is equipped with 4 wheels according to the invention and in addition at the front with a device 70 for assisting with obstacle clearance according to patent application FR3048404A3 by Franck Guigan [FR] of September 8, 2017.

[0030]

[0019] [fig.9] is a perspective view of two mechanical subassemblies of this vehicle. The one on the left is in hard ground mode and all the blades are in the retracted position, while the one on the right is in water or water mode and the lower blades are in the deployed position. This figure also shows the control 42 which allows the part of the wheel rotation cycle in which the blades must be deployed to be modified. It acts on a rack (not shown) which controls gears located on each wheel on the same side of the vehicle.

[0031]

[0020] [fig. 10] is a perspective view of three wheels 1 A whose blades 21 22 and following are tire sculptures. These blades are

[0032] -- in the retracted position on the left - a position suitable for driving at limited speed - which reduces the surface area of ​​the peripheral casing actually in contact with the ground when the power transmission device is rolling on flat, hard ground, allowing significant energy savings and a reduction in rolling noise.

[0033] --- in the middle position in the center --- a position suitable for high-speed driving - which gives the advantage of good grip, good stability when cornering, a short braking distance and great driving comfort, but results in higher fuel consumption,

[0034] -- and in the deployed position to the right, which allows movement on snowy or muddy ground.

[0021] [fig. 11] is a perspective view of a power transmission device similar in nature to those of figure 10, allowing the carcass to be seen, which comprises sub-assemblies of coaxial 5001, radial 5002 and diagonal 5003 structural cables crossing at a single point 5000, and sets of blades 21 to 24 located on either side of this single point 5000.

[0035]

[0022] [fig. 12] is a perspective view of four sets of blades which deploy simultaneously. On the left, we see through the wheel 1 A and the six chevron-shaped blades 21 to 26 whose deployed position is determined by the position of the hub 400 which can be slid along the axis of rotation of the wheel to cause their retraction or deployment. The blade 21 is connected to the hub 400 by an articulated arm 2100 and the same is true for the other 5 blades. The three sets on the right represent the positions of the blades for different positions of this hub, and we see that the blades can be completely retracted as illustrated by the set shown furthest to the right.

[0036]

[0023] [fig.13] is a series of 3 views from the same perspective of the same device according to the invention, the chevron-shaped blades of which have no contact and therefore no friction with the wheel 1A, and are each guided by two rollers marked 21A and 21B for the blade 21, 22A and 22B for the blade 22, etc. which are themselves mounted on ball bearings.

[0037]

[0024] [fig.14] is a series of 2 views from different perspectives illustrating a particular implementation mode which includes a storage location 1001 which is not the peripheral casing 2 and receives the power transmission device when it is not in use. The wheel LA which includes this peripheral casing and the blades is stored in this storage location in the two upper devices, is removed from it in the middle ones and the blades are themselves deployed in the two lower devices. Between the two devices shown at the bottom we see the separate peripheral casing 2, from two different perspectives.

[0038]

[0025] [fig.15] is a perspective view of a device whose set of blades is fixed on one of the sides of a conventional wheel whose peripheral envelope constitutes the tread of the device according to the invention. On the right are seen three vehicles equipped with such sets, which show from left to right the lowered blades, centered on the axis of rotation of the wheel and on the right raised.

[0039]

[0026] [fig.16] is a series of perspective views of a variant of the device shown in figure

[0040] 15, whose blades are flexible so that they can be folded less when not in use, in order to limit their size. On the left, they are in operation, in the low position, while on the right they are not only raised but also folded.

[0041]

[0027] [fig.17] is a perspective view then two views in two different sections of the same impeller, which comprises a central part 1000 filled with pressurized air. The blades go, in pairs 22A and 22B, 23A and 23B, etc.

[0042]

[0028] [fig.18] is a perspective and sectional view of two wheels whose moving parts called blades are sculptures 21 22 and following which can generate or undergo pressure during their movement in a fluid or soft ground. They have the particularity of comprising an elastically deformable part so that they are compressed so as not to protrude from the tread, when the wheel rolls on hard ground, (on the left) but deploy automatically when the wheel rolls on soft ground (on the right). This deformable part constitutes an elastic return causing a blade to pass from its retracted position to its deployed position. The sculptures are synchronized. A ring 60 acts as a regulator and rotates freely inside the tire, and is connected to each of the blades which are here simple sculptures, so that each angular position of the ring corresponds to a deployment value, of all the sculptures.

[0043]

[0029] [fig.19] is a perspective view of two autonomous wheels IA according to the invention. Each device has only one wheel. The one on the left is equipped with a chassis 400 which has two foot supports 401 and 402, and operates like the devices often called Segways or monowheels. The one on the right has a rod 300 equipped with a handlebar 301 and two controls 302 and 303. Optionally, a rowing machine 304 fixed to a vehicle allows the propulsion force generated by the rotation of the wheel to be transmitted to it, while allowing the handlebar to determine the direction of the thrust exerted by the device according to the invention on this vehicle.

[0044]

[0030] [fig.20] is a perspective and sectional view of a wheel according to the invention. The blades 21 22 and following located in the front part (here on the left of each of the illustrations k generate a downwardly oriented force, while those located in the rear part do not cause water to rise towards the top of the wheel.

[0045] They could be flat or chevron-shaped or any other shape, but here they are curved according to the teaching of the engineer Poncelet.

[0046]

[0031] [fig.21] is a perspective and sectional view of a wheel part according to the invention, in a particular embodiment, rolling in the trigonometric direction. At the top, we see the blades deployed, which is their rest position, on the left in full and on the right in section to see the regulator 200, at the bottom left they are retracted in a position corresponding to hard ground, and at the bottom right they are deployed in the opposite direction during braking. The regulator 200 ensures the synchronous movement of all the blades by its possible rotation around the axis of rotation of the wheel.

[0047]

[0032] [fig.22] is a perspective view of another part of the wheel according to the invention, which allows to see another form of regulator 200 which is here a circular plate comprising curved grooves determining the deployment / retraction movement of the blades 21, 22 23 and following,

[0048]

[0033] [fig.23] is a perspective view of a particular implementation of the invention, in which the blades 21 and 22 comprise elements called disk portions, respectively 2101, 2102 and 2103 for the blade 21 and 2201, 2202 and 2203 for the blade 22.

[0049]

[0034] [fig.24] is a perspective view of a track according to the invention. The blades 21 22 and following are in the deployed position at the bottom, ensuring propulsion on soft ground or on or in water, while those at the top are in the retracted position. The blades have the shape of a portion of a cylinder and can rotate around the axis of revolution of this cylinder, which has the effect that the force which can be exerted on a blade has no component perpendicular to this axis, and that this force can contribute neither to deploying nor to retracting it. A weak spring, not shown, pushes each blade to deploy but this deployment is limited by the belts 61 and 62. A weak force, that of the elastic return, is therefore sufficient for the slightest obstacle to push the blade towards its retracted position.

[0050] Statement of the invention

[0051]

[0035] The invention is a power transmission device such as an IA wheel or a track

[0052] LB whose cyclical movement causes or is caused by the movement of a vehicle relative to its solid, fluid or gaseous environment, comprising:

[0053] - an element called peripheral envelope 2,

[0054] - one or more pressure generating elements with cyclic movement hereinafter referred to as blades 21, 22 and following,

[0055] - a so-called deployment / retraction means allowing a blade or a part of a blade to deploy by moving in a direction going from the inside to the outside of said peripheral envelope, and conversely to retract by moving in the opposite direction, all of the possible positions of all the parts of a blade relative to said peripheral envelope forming a domain called the original displacement domain of the blade considered, characterized in that:

[0056] - when a blade encounters an obstacle, it is retracted if it is partially or totally deployed and prevented from deploying if it is partially or totally retracted,

[0057] - and said power transmission device comprises a means called a regulator 200 for reducing said displacement range of a blade relative to said original range, it being specified that the term pressure generating element is understood to mean an element whose orientation and geometry are designed to interact with a fluid or a loose medium in order to generate a propulsive force, unlike a tire stud whose main function is to improve grip by its grip on solid ground.

[0058] Detailed description of the invention

[0059]

[0036] To simplify the description, hereinafter we call

[0060] - rotation of the power transmission device, both the rotation of the wheel in the case where this device is a wheel and that of one of its rollers or its sprocket in the case where it is a track,

[0061] - in the case where there are several blades, downstream blade of another blade a blade which follows this other blade in the cyclic movement of the power transmission device, and upstream blade the one which precedes it,

[0062] - and configuration of a set of blade positions,

[0063]

[0037] In a common embodiment, the so-called external face of the peripheral casing 2 is the tread of the power transmission device such that, on hard ground, the vehicle rolls on this tread, while the blades emerge from this peripheral casing to ensure its propulsion on soft ground or on a fluid or even in a fluid,

[0064]

[0038] The proposed regulator 200 may, directly or indirectly, mechanically connect the vehicle with a plurality of vanes. Such regulators are shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 12 and 24.

[0065]

[0039] The essential characteristic of the innovation is the presence of the regulator 200 which makes it possible to limit the possible deployment / retraction movements of the blade(s), by preventing them from having all the deployment / retraction possibilities that they would have in the absence of the regulator.

[0066]

[0040] What is new is the combination of automatic reduction of the blade displacement range and their centralized control. This combination is made possible by the invention of a regulator whose function is not to determine the position of each blade, but to reduce the range of their displacement.

[0067]

[0041] It is this combination which makes it possible to have the best configuration, to limit the wear of the blades and that of their deployment retraction mechanisms, while optimizing the mechanical efficiency and comfort in all circumstances.

[0068]

[0042] Since the invention of retractable blades in 2005, their improvement in 2009, and that of centralized control in 2017, no way had been found to combine these two inventions, although this is essential to be able to determine the position of the blades while allowing them to retract automatically in the event of encountering an obstacle and to deploy automatically when the environment on which the propulsion device rolls allows it, which is also the case where this deployment is useful,

[0069]

[0043] The use of a regulator which is a system for dynamically synchronizing the deployment / retraction movements of the blades allows for the reduction of internal friction and a great improvement in energy efficiency.

[0070]

[0044] It has the effect of preventing friction, reducing wear and improving the efficiency of power transmission on all types of terrain as well as road holding and driving comfort.

[0071]

[0045] The innovation provided by this regulator makes it possible to optimize the configuration by dynamically and without delay limiting their displacement range, depending on the type of terrain or fluid, and the mechanical constraints detected.

[0072]

[0046] This is a change in logic, moving from a purely reactive method which - since it was invented in 2012 - has not given anyone the idea of ​​equipping the device with a means of dynamically synchronizing the blades, and thus moving to a method which can be predictive.

[0073]

[0047] This is a key innovation, because the prior art only treated the blades either reactively but individually, or collectively but not reactively.

[0074]

[0048] No prior document addresses the possibility of globally regulating the movement of the blades, by preventing certain blades from deploying unnecessarily, and by ensuring that they retract when they come into contact with an obstacle.

[0075]

[0049] The regulator is advantageously a purely mechanical mechanism, excluding any use of hydraulic or pneumatic technologies, to benefit from the simplicity and reliability of such mechanisms, reduced maintenance and low cost, but this is not obligatory: one or more sensors can be used to perceive part of the environment in 3D and a servo control which automatically retracts one or more blades or allows them to deploy depending on the conditions encountered,

[0076]

[0050] The invention also allows coupling of the control of the regulator 200 with a terrain recognition artificial intelligence. Such an AI can take into account the angular position of the blades (determining which blades must be retracted as a priority), the nature of the ground or the environment (detection of the terrain: hard, soft, liquid or gaseous), the speed and direction of the vehicle (influencing the synchronization to avoid jolts), and the force applied to each blade (real-time analysis of the resistance to movement). These parameters are interdependent and require an advanced algorithmic or mechanical approach that would not have been possible in 2012 or 2017 but is possible today.

[0077]

[0051] The simplest solution for achieving automatic retraction is for a blade to deploy under the effect of centrifugal force, and for its deployment to be limited or become impossible when it encounters an obstacle. As with the folding-blade propellers of certain sailing boats, whose rotation is accelerated to open them, a blade can be deployed when the power transmission device is in or on a fluid or slipping on soft ground, by giving it a cyclical movement of sufficient frequency,

[0078]

[0052] In order for the blades to deploy on soft ground or on a liquid or gas even at low speed, it is advantageous for the means allowing the blades to retract or not to deploy when an obstacle opposes their deployment to be an elastic return 31 causing a blade to move from its refracted position to its deployed position. The rest position of a blade, the one in which it automatically places itself under the effect of the elastic return, is therefore the deployed position, but an obstacle overcomes the elastic return and causes it to move into the retracted position.

[0079]

[0053] The above can be summarized by considering that the means for deploying / retracting a blade advantageously comprises a combination of the centrifugal force which is applied to it during its cyclic movement, and an elastic return counteracting or increasing the effect of this centrifugal force.

[0080]

[0054] The prior art documents disclose solutions for moving vehicles slowly over soft or liquid ground, but they have not considered high speeds. The means cited for achieving the deployment of a blade are limited to elastic recall or motorized solutions.

[0081]

[0055] Since the invention of retractable paddle wheels in 2005, no one has found a way to extend the blades by operating the throttle alone, without any special mechanism. However, the centrifugal force is sufficient because it increases with the square of the speed, and the advantages are immense in terms of simplicity, robustness and therefore cost price. Supplementing the device with an elastic return also ensures rapid retraction when in contact with an obstacle or hard ground, even at high speed.

[0082]

[0056] An improvement consists of providing the power transmission device with a means of adjusting (not shown) the elastic resistance of this elastic return or of the elastic return 31, so that an operator or a computer can readjust by a control means. This makes it possible, for example, to have a wheel with a smooth tire to save energy when traveling on a dry tarmac road, and to deploy blades when necessary.

[0083]

[0057] In order to prevent the blades from deploying unexpectedly, and it may be necessary if the mass of the blade is too great in relation to the speed of the cyclic movement of the power transmission device, to provide this device with a means for locking a blade in the retracted position. It is also possible to design a blade in such a way that the centrifugal force is reduced, for example with a counterweight or by inclining its trajectory relative to the radius of the wheel.

[0084]

[0058] It is advantageous if the weight of a vehicle is sufficient to cause the retraction of the blade(s) in contact with a hard ground, even at the maximum frequency of the cyclic movement of the blades. It is recommended that even the empty weight is sufficient for this.

[0085]

[0059] This is indeed an important rule to follow for the device to work. Since no one has considered using retractable paddle wheels to travel at high speeds on soft ground or on or in water, this feature has never been proposed.

[0086]

[0060] What is most inventive is to have considered using retractable paddle wheels to roll very quickly on soft ground or on water.

[0087]

[0061] The deployment and retraction of a blade are advantageously carried out by sliding or by rotation in all or part of the peripheral envelope. This movement can be linear or curvilinear or rotary. It is advantageous for it to follow a fixed trajectory in the peripheral envelope, that is to say without changing the exit angle of the blade with the external face of the peripheral envelope, which makes it possible to limit the size of the hole made through the peripheral envelope and therefore the possible entry of foreign bodies into the device.

[0088]

[0062] To limit friction, the blades are advantageously guided by rollers which can be mounted on ball bearings, as shown in Figure 13. In a simpler version, these rollers with ball bearings can be replaced by washers or bearings made of plastic materials with a low coefficient of friction, for example PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene or also called Teflon), POM (Polyoxymethylene also called acetal or Delrin), PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) or UHMWPE (Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene).

[0089]

[0063] Those skilled in the art know how to provide the power transmission device with means preventing foreign bodies from slipping between the blades and the fixed parts of the power transmission device, for example lips made of flexible and waterproof material or brushes. Alternatively, they can provide clearance between the blades and the fixed parts which guide their deployment / retraction, and allow the expulsion of foreign bodies through its side walls.

[0090]

[0064] Figure 13 shows such a solution which consists of leaving a space between the blades and the tread, and providing the device with openings in its side walls to allow mud and other foreign bodies to escape.

[0091]

[0065] It is advantageous for a blade not to retract under the effect of a force applied to it, giving rise to a component favoring or disfavoring its cyclic movement, in the two directions of movement called forward and reverse, if this component is lower in the so-called forward direction than a first predetermined threshold, and in the so-called reverse direction than a second predetermined threshold. This force is not necessarily parallel to the surface of the raceway. The designer of the device can in fact freely determine the minimum angle of this force relative to the surface of the raceway, taking into account in particular the forces linked to the retraction of the blade, and design the architecture of the device accordingly.

[0092]

[0066] Those skilled in the art have numerous means available to prevent a blade in the deployed position from moving into the retracted position under the effect of a force tangential to the external face of the peripheral envelope applied to it, in the two directions of movement known as forward and reverse:

[0093] - if the blade retracts and deploys by sliding, the trajectory is perpendicular to the force

[0094] - if the blade retracts and deploys by rotation, the tangential force does not give rise to a rotational moment applied to it because the force exerted on the deployed part of the blade is aligned with its center of rotation as illustrated in Figure 20.

[0067] The rotation of the blade caused by a force with a tangential component can also cause it to hit an obstacle which prevents its retraction.

[0095]

[0068] The power transmission device may be provided with blades of several different types. A blade may have all sorts of possible shapes (not shown), for example a flat surface parallel to the axis of rotation of the power transmission device, a set of surfaces forming a chevron, a portion of a sphere, depending on the intended use.

[0096]

[0069] The face of a blade arriving at the surface of a gaseous, liquid or soft ground medium is advantageously concave to cause the greatest possible resistance and therefore have the best possible propulsion. This leads to favoring a direction such as forward motion since the face arriving at the surface is not the same in reverse motion.

[0097]

[0070] A blade may in particular have a rounded shape instead of being radial, like those shown in Figure 20, known as Poncelet blades which were developed by the engineer Poncelet and whose efficiency could be up to 80%. For the propulsion of vehicles, it may be preferable to make them operate in the opposite way to what was proposed by this engineer

[0098]

[0071] This figure 20 also illustrates the fact that, even without being rounded, a blade is advantageously inclined relative to a radial position when it is deployed, exerting a downward force when it descends in the part located at the front of the power transmission device, and causing little fluid or loose ground to rise when they rise in the rear part of the device.

[0099]

[0072] Driving on water as on land is a very old dream, and all that the prior art proposes is to arrive at high speed on the water with a vehicle equipped with paddle wheels (the equivalent of blades) by a very gently sloping beach, and to try to go as far as possible, but as soon as the speed drops, the vehicle stops and can no longer start again under its own power. This is therefore not a solution.

[0100]

[0073] Using large blades is not a solution either because you cannot drive in good conditions if the blades are too large. This has become possible with retractable blades, but although they have been known for several decades, no one had thought of tilting the blades, which makes it very easy to overcome the speed at which the wheels hover on the surface of the medium on which they roll, and then to drive at high speed on the surface of soft ground or a liquid, because this allows the propellers to be replaced by wheels where only the tips of the blades provide propulsion for the vehicle at high speed and support its weight.

[0101]

[0074] In a version not shown, a blade or a part of a blade may tilt after its deployment under the effect of the pressure exerted by its interaction with a fluid or soft ground. A blade may be deformable, for example flexible, to obtain the same result.

[0102]

[0075] The blades may also be telescopic to be longer when deployed, and / or articulated to change shape when deployed.

[0103]

[0076] Advantageously, a blade 21 comprises at least one disk portion located in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the power transmission device. This has the advantage of promoting the movement of the power transmission device in this plane, as does a rudder or the drift of a boat.

[0104]

[0077] This innovation is essential when it is desired to use large surface area blades and ensure that the vehicle maintains sufficient heading stability at high speed.

[0105]

[0078] It was never proposed even though retractable paddle wheels were invented a long time ago.

[0106]

[0079] In a preferred solution, the blades are designed such that, when they are all retracted, the entirety of the blade tips and their disc portions form a means of continuous contact of the power device with the ground.

[0107]

[0080] This prevents the deployment of a blade when the vehicle is driving on hard ground by maximizing the portion of this blade which is in contact with the ground.

[0108]

[0081] We will see later that this innovation is also a condition for allowing all the blades to retract automatically and quickly when the vehicle is traveling on hard ground. This is essential for traveling at high speed on the road without the blades deploying between two contacts of a blade with the ground, which would generate premature wear, vibrations and noise, and would degrade the vehicle's road holding.

[0109]

[0082] Deployment and retraction of a blade may also increase or decrease the surface area of ​​the outer face of the peripheral envelope of the power transmission device and / or the circumference of the power transmission device, as shown in Figures 10 and 11.

[0110]

[0083] The same tires can now be used both in summer, at high speed on dry roads, and on mud or fresh snow.

[0111]

[0084] This is an unexpected implementation of retractable paddle wheels. The person skilled in the art only envisaged using them to allow vehicles to travel at low speed in rice paddies or in water.

[0112]

[0085] This innovation can in fact be used to modify the surface condition of the outer face of the peripheral envelope of the power transmission device, as shown in Figure 21 which illustrates a particularly advantageous implementation of the invention in the case where the power transmission device is a wheel. The blades 21, 22, 23 and 24 can pivot respectively around the stops 201, 202, 203 and 204.

[0113] - Their rest position is deployed as shown in the two upper illustrations. This position of the blade is only possible when the ground is soft or liquid. When the vehicle accelerates, the part of the blade furthest from the axis of rotation of the wheel on the ground exerts greater pressure on the ground, and the deployed position can be maintained on less soft ground.

[0114] - Bottom left, we see that, when the ground is hard, its pressure on a single blade has the effect of making it pivot so that its part furthest from the axis of rotation of the wheel approaches it. Its outer face then approaches the tread and can advantageously merge with it. The blade thus passes into the retracted position.

[0115] . When the vehicle brakes, the blade deploys by tilting in the opposite direction, as shown in the illustration at the bottom right. The part of the blade which then comes out of the peripheral envelope may have particular characteristics increasing the braking capacity, and include studs (not shown), which only come out when they are significantly deployed. Sudden braking can thus cause these studs to come out and immobilize a vehicle on ice.

[0116] This figure thus illustrates what is meant above and below by the displacement range of the blade considered: it is not the set of possible distances between a blade and the axis of rotation of a wheel, but the set of positions that the different parts of a blade can have in relation to said peripheral envelope.

[0117] The displacement range of a blade here includes all its possible positions between its three positions which have just been described. The rotation of the regulator reduces this displacement range by forcing all the blades to take only one of all these possible positions in their respective displacement ranges.

[0118]

[0086] Some regulators are advantageously mechanically connected to the blades.

[0119]

[0087] Several types of regulators are proposed: those of a first type allow all the blades to be deployed and retracted simultaneously, those of a second type allow the blades to be deployed more in a part of their cycle, those of a third allow the displacement of a blade to be limited during a part of the cycle, for example between two successive contacts with the ground.

[0120]

[0088] As shown in Figure 21, a regulator of the first type can move forward or backward slightly in rotation relative to the peripheral casing to simultaneously modify the position of several blades, here of all the blades.

[0121]

[0089] This regulator 200 can also be in the form of a cable, or a strap. The latter can have the form of a ring in the case where the power transmission device is a wheel.

[0122]

[0090] The blades are advantageously held elastically in a rest position, but retract or deploy simultaneously when the angular position of the regulator relative to the power transmission device is modified.

[0123]

[0091] Such a regulator may be provided with vanes which are sculptures like those of snow tires. In the rest position, a vane protrudes from the tread, but when the ground is hard, the force exerted by the ground pushes it towards the inside of the tread, which causes the regulator to rotate in one direction, and this simultaneously causes all the vanes mechanically connected to the regulator to retract.

[0124]

[0092] In this embodiment, an acceleration of the torque applied, for example by a motor, to the power transmission device during its contact with the ground gives rise to a force tending to move the regulator relative to the peripheral envelope, and this advance causes the deployment of one or more blades if such a movement is possible.

[0125]

[0093] An improvement consists in that the movement in the opposite direction of the regulator relative to the peripheral envelope causes the retraction of the blades or the deployment of another part of the blades, which can be designed so that this increases the braking capacities of the power transmission device. This second part of the blade can for example be made of a particular rubber and / or include crampons. These crampons can only come out for a greater retraction of the regulator.

[0126]

[0094] Advantageously, such a regulator has the effect that all of the blades are retracted or deployed simultaneously, and that there is therefore no friction between a regulator and the blades on the one hand, and the rest of the peripheral envelope as long as the vehicle is traveling on the same type of terrain without accelerating or braking significantly.

[0127]

[0095] When a blade encounters an obstacle such as hard ground, it is likely that the downstream blade will also encounter this obstacle shortly afterward and that the same will apply to all the blades arriving one after the other in contact with this obstacle. Retracting all the blades simultaneously makes it possible to limit their wear and that of their deployment-retraction mechanisms, while optimizing mechanical efficiency and comfort in all circumstances.

[0128]

[0096] In combination with the innovation described above which consists of designing the blades in such a way that when they are all refracted, all of their tips and their disc portions form a means of continuous contact of the power device with the ground, a very important advantage is obtained which is that when a blade encounters an obstacle such as hard ground, the downstream blades are refracted at the same time as it. This is an example of implementation of the major innovation of the present invention, the reduction of the displacement range of a plurality of blades, which is here a temporary reduction,

[0129]

[0097] An important advantage is that this synchronization makes it possible in particular to anticipate the impact by taking into account the position of the blades before they touch an obstacle.

[0130]

[0098] The combination of these two innovations, each of which is very far from what is obvious to those skilled in the art, is therefore particularly inventive.

[0131]

[0099] The device which has just been described can be integrated into the design of a wheel or a tire, the assembly formed by the regulator and the blade(s) being placed in a circular groove made in the external face of the peripheral casing.

[0132]

[0100] It can also be an accessory that is fixed to an existing wheel, like chains, but with the advantage that the blades only come out when the vehicle is driving on soft ground and retract automatically as soon as the ground becomes hard.

[0133]

[0101] Regulators of the first type may also have the shape of a disc portion as shown in Figure 22, which rotates in one direction when the blades deploy, but rotates in the other direction as soon as a single blade touches the ground, leading to its retraction and that of all the others.

[0134]

[0102] Regulators of the second type allow a blade to be more deployed in one part of the cycle, and less deployed or retracted in the rest of the cycle.

[0135]

[0103] No prior art document has described blades that are retracted in part of the cycle. However, this is a very effective method for traveling on water without being slowed down by waves that would pass over the wheel and push the boat in reverse, or for directing the movement of a submarine in all directions. This is an innovative example of implementing the major innovation of the present invention, the reduction of the displacement range of a plurality of blades, which is here a sectoral reduction.

[0136]

[0104] In one of the possible configurations, a blade is in a more deployed position in a lower part of the power transmission device to exert a thrust parallel to the surface on which the vehicle is rolling, to move it parallel to this surface,

[0137]

[0105] Overcoming very easily the speed at which the wheels hover on the surface of the medium on which they roll is made possible by the present invention by using, as explained above, retractable blades inclined relative to a radial position when they are deployed, but it is also possible by arranging the blades, as shown in Figure 3, in such a way that a blade is in a more deployed position in a lower / forward part of the power transmission device.

[0138]

[0106] These two innovations, never described, have two advantages. The first is to give rise, during the cyclic movement of the device in forward motion, to a force directed more downwards, which can make it possible to extract a vehicle from the mud, to push upwards a vehicle navigating on the water in order to reduce its drag, or even to make it take off and fly in the air. The second is not to generate downwardly oriented force in forward motion by the movement of the blade in the lower / rear part of the power transmission device, which has no propulsive effect but consumes energy by raising the fluid or the soft ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0139]

[0107] Like the previous innovations, this one could have been implemented by those skilled in the art as soon as the retractable blades were invented, but was not because it was far from obvious to them.

[0140]

[0108] For a sailing boat, or a towed land vehicle, downward thrust can be obtained by reversing the front / rear orientation of such a wheel or track. It is then the rear part of the transmission device which gives rise to upward thrust, especially if its cyclic movement is braked.

[0141]

[0109] Several regulators of this second type are proposed.

[0142]

[0110] A regulator may for example comprise a secondary shaft 40 parallel to the axis of rotation of the power transmission device, not coincident with the axis of rotation of the power transmission device, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. When the wheel is motorized by means of a shaft connecting a motor to the wheel, it is difficult to place the hub of the regulator in the axis of rotation of the wheel if this hub does not have a central recess allowing the shaft connecting this motor to the wheel to pass through (or if the hub of the wheel does not have a central recess allowing the secondary shaft to pass through). The hub of the regulator is in this embodiment more bulky and it may also be more expensive to manufacture, in particular if it comprises ball bearings. One solution may consist of placing it on the side of the wheel opposite the chassis of the vehicle as shown in Figures 15 and 16.Advantageously, the motor of a device according to the invention is located in the power transmission device itself. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, shown in Figure 19, the wheel no longer has a shaft to connect to the external motor hub, and the hub of the regulator can be located in the axis of rotation of the wheel to determine the position of all the blades, while being located on the side of the wheel connecting it to the chassis of the vehicle. It is also possible to use a wheel without a hub driven by its rim, to obtain the same advantage.

[0143]

[0111] A regulator may also comprise a cam cooperating with a follower or a pusher, for example one or more fixed cams 401 and 402 as shown in Figures 6 and 7. A person skilled in the art may use both concave and convex cams, or sets of both types to modify the position of the blades during the cycle. [112 j The deployment / retraction movement of a blade may also be controlled by a regulator implementing any system for transforming a rotary movement into a linear movement such as a pinion-rack, screw-nut or connecting rod-crank for example.

[0144]

[0113] The architecture which has just been described for the different types of devices according to the invention can be reversed without departing from the scope of the present invention: it can be the rotation of the blade(s) or of their deployment / retraction mechanisms which causes that of the peripheral envelope 2.

[0145]

[0114] The regulator can advantageously deform elastically and / or have flexible parts. This elasticity can also constitute the so-called elastic return means 31 allowing the retraction of the blades when an obstacle opposes their deployment during the cycle, or the elastic return means opposing the centrifugal force to avoid untimely deployment of the blades for a high rotation speed.

[0146]

[0115] This is a particularly simplified and rustic implementation of the present invention, never before envisaged.

[0147]

[0116] In a version advantageous in many cases, not shown, the regulator 200 may comprise a cable composed of a flexible sheath and an inner cable which slides inside the sheath and operates by traction or compression. This makes it possible to transmit a mechanical movement over a certain distance, while adapting to non-straight paths thanks to its flexibility and has in particular the advantage, in the case of airless tires, of being compatible with the chosen shape of the connections between the hub and the tread.

[0148]

[0117] To limit the movement of a blade during part of the cycle, for example between two successive contacts with the ground, a device according to the invention comprises a means for damping the movement of a blade relative to the peripheral envelope. This innovation has the advantage that a blade does not have time to move much between two successive contacts with the ground. It is also possible to provide the device according to the invention with a means for preventing a blade from deploying or retracting outside the part of the cycle during which it is in contact with the ground (versions not shown).

[0149]

[0118] Such damping is advantageously present on all types of regulators.

[0150]

[0119] Several different types of regulators can be combined with each other, the one shown in Figure 12 being able, for example, to slide along the secondary shaft 40, this sliding making it possible to define the average deployment of one or more blades and the decentering of the secondary shaft 40 making it possible to determine a sector of the cycle in which the blades considered can be more deployed than in another.

[0151]

[0120] The present invention is particularly suitable for power transmission devices comprising a tire or a so-called "airless" track because their deformability is obtained by multiple elastically deformable connections between, on the one hand, the tread, and on the other hand a hub in the case of a wheel or the support wheels in the case of a track.

[0152]

[0121] In this case, all or part of the assembly formed by a blade and its mechanical connection with the deployment / retraction mechanism is advantageously placed between two of these connections.

[0153]

[0122] Placing blades between their deformable links is a very important improvement of airless tires. The combination of these two innovations provides both the comfort of the tires and the propulsion capabilities of the blades.

[0154]

[0123] These elastomer connections are often inclined relative to an axial plane perpendicular to the tread, either forward or backward, along planes close to each other. Such an inclination of the connections has the advantage of increasing the flexibility of the tire. The blades slide in this case along a median plane between these two planes.

[0155]

[0124] The present invention is also suitable for tracks made according to the same principle of elastomer connections ensuring good deformability of the tracks, allowing high-speed circulation.

[0156]

[0125] Without departing from the scope of the invention, a wheel according to the invention may be provided with one or more circular flanges allowing it to roll on the ground. The same applies to a track according to the invention which would be provided with an additional track supporting part or most of the weight of the vehicle. Wheels or parts of wheels located between the power transmission devices according to the invention may be inflated to low pressure or made of very flexible materials to ensure comfortable rolling and efficient propulsion on uneven ground. This also applies to tracks or track links.

[0157]

[0126] Figure 5 illustrates a particularly advantageous implementation. The left wheel has blade deployment / retraction controls (51 for blade 21) while the right wheel does not, the blades being each positioned according to an autonomous deployment / retraction device.

[0158]

[0127] The housing 210 in which a blade is retracted is advantageously fixed only to the peripheral casing of the power transmission device. This preserves the flexibility of the peripheral casing. These housings can be rigid, which promotes deployment of the blades with low friction.

[0159]

[0128] The retraction of a blade in order not to generate in a part of the cycle an undesired force on a fluid or soft ground implies the presence of a peripheral envelope in which the blade can retract, but this peripheral envelope can be distinct from its storage location as shown in figure 14. The peripheral envelope 2 can be flexible or provided with an elastic covering like a tire (version not shown).

[0160]

[0129] The principle illustrated by Figure 14 also shows how a device according to the invention can be embedded in the bodywork of a land, water or air vehicle, only to come out when it is put into service, in the same way that it comes out here from the tread.

[0161]

[0130] The device according to the invention thus makes it possible to propel a land vehicle whose wheels are completely submerged, a submarine, or even a land vehicle or a boat which becomes a submarine. This also makes it possible to use wheels according to the invention with existing vehicles undergoing only a slight transformation, by preventing the blades from striking the wheel arch in the bodywork. This can be achieved by numerous means available to those skilled in the art, for example a stop secured to the chassis of the vehicle preventing the deployment of the blades in the upper part of the peripheral envelope 2.

[0162]

[0131] A power transmission device according to the invention may be an accessory of a conventional wheel or track. This device according to the invention may be removable, and only be installed when necessary, for example when the vehicle is stuck in the mud or has to cross a river. The set of blades is in this case an accessory fixed on one of its sides as shown in Figure 15.

[0163]

[0132] Advantageously, a plurality of sets of blades are fixed on a plurality of wheels on the same side of a vehicle, and are connected by a connecting element which constitutes the fixed part of each of the power transmission devices considered (version not shown).

[0164]

[0133] A blade may be rigid or flexible, and may advantageously be folded and stored in a position limiting the bulk of the vehicle and the proximity of the blades to the surface on which the vehicle is traveling, as illustrated in Figure 16.

[0165]

[0134] A device according to the invention may also comprise one or more parts comprising blades, and one or more parts which are conventional tires, which makes it possible to benefit from the advantages of the invention and the lightness of the inflated tires. Figure 17 illustrates this implementation and shows a wheel provided with a space 1000 inflated by pressurized air,

[0166]

[0135] A conventional track may comprise blades organized like those of a wheel according to the invention, the track constituting the peripheral envelope of the device. The sets of blades may also be arranged next to the track or in the same volume if the track is provided with holes allowing the passage of the blades. Each set of blades may be provided with a wheel, and these wheels may each constitute one of the track rollers (not shown).

[0167]

[0136] A power transmission device according to the invention may also be presented as a track fixed on the periphery of a conventional wheel, or of several such wheels, or of an existing track (not shown). Advantageously, the deployment of a blade does not deform the peripheral envelope. A blade can pass through the peripheral envelope as shown in most of the figures.

[0168]

[0137] To maintain the material continuity of the peripheral envelope and its sealing, or for other reasons, a blade can also be located inside the external outer face of the tread and deform it without passing through it by pressing on its inner face when it passes into the deployed position.

[0169]

[0138] It can also be embedded in this retracted tread without passing through it and moving away from it towards the outside of the power transmission device in the deployed position as shown in figure 2.1.

[0170]

[0139] The travel of a blade may be greater than that causing it to move from the retracted position to the deployed position, both towards the inside of the peripheral envelope to reach a so-called extreme retraction position, and towards the outside to reach a so-called extreme deployment position.

[0171]

[0140] The assembly consisting of a blade and its deployment / retraction mechanism can, in one of its possible positions, be located partly in the inner volume of the peripheral envelope.

[0172]

[0141] The position of extreme retraction may for example correspond to all the blades being placed in a position in which they are not integral in cyclic movement with the peripheral envelope (not shown).

[0173]

[0142] The extreme deployment position can for example cause the blade's crampons to come out.

[0174]

[0143] A gyroscope or any other known means can be used to know the position of the device in space in order to determine what the position in the cycle of a blade is, but in a simplified version, the regulator can be mechanically linked to the vehicle, and use the latter as a reference in order to determine what the position in the cycle of a blade is. The machine according to the invention therefore comprises in the latter case the fixed part of the regulator which does not rotate with the wheel or the track as the case may be, and optionally a means of modifying the configuration and / or a means of adjusting the elastic resistance of the elastic return 31.

[0175]

[0144] The vehicle may also include a means for controlling one and / or the other of these modification and adjustment means, which may be operated by a person or by a computer. The person or the computer in question may be placed on the vehicle or outside, for example using remote control means, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0176]

[0145] A resilient means may be provided so that, when a blade has been placed in its extreme retraction, retracted, deployed or extreme deployment position, it remains in equilibrium there. In one and / or the other of these two cases, the regulator or another mechanical means may have the function of placing a blade in one or the other of these equilibrium positions. This solution is one of the means proposed for maintaining all the blades in a stable position during the entire cyclic movement of the power transmission device, without friction between the blade and another part of the power transmission device.

[0177]

[0146] For example, fixed magnets or electromagnets may be used to move or hold the blades in the retracted position in a portion of the power transmission device, and other magnets or electromagnets may be used to move the blades to the extended position on command. These magnets or electromagnets may be located at unique locations along the cycle. Magnets may be moved to be active or inactive or reversed to have opposite effects. A single electromagnet may be sufficient to move the blades from the retracted position to the extended position or vice versa.

[0178]

[0147] Depending on the configuration, the blades can be for example:

[0179] - either all in the retracted position,

[0180] - either all in the deployed position,

[0181] - either those which are in one part of the cycle in a more deployed position, and those which are in another part of the cycle in a less deployed or retracted position.

[0182]

[0148] A particularly advantageous implementation is illustrated in Figure 19. The device according to the invention shown on the left is a constituent of a Segway. It is provided with a chassis 400 which includes two foot supports and can operate like vehicles often called single-wheel vehicles.

[0183]

[0149] The one shown on the right allows a swimmer or a floating device to be pulled or pushed on the water or in the water by the wheel LA, or on skis on the snow (it is then a personal ski lift which can be equipped with a saddle), or on roller skates or skateboards on a road. The direction is determined by the inclination of the handlebar 301 to one side or the other. The controls 302 and 303 make it possible to control the speed of the cyclic movement of the device and the configuration. For safety, as soon as the handles are released, the motor stops. In a liquid or a gas, the orientation of the propulsion can be freely chosen: forward, upward or downward. Instead of having a control means to determine the configuration, the user can simply tilt the power transmission device forward or backward.Simple handles attached to the device shown on the left (not shown) can in this case allow a swimmer to perform this maneuver.

[0184]

[0150] This autonomous wheel device is advantageously equipped with control means similar to those of one- or two-wheeled Segways. It can be remote-controlled or even managed by a computer, which can use artificial intelligence. In the latter cases, it can be commanded to follow the pilot when he no longer needs to be pulled by the Segway. A simple rope can also be sufficient to pull a person or a land or water vehicle. To tow a heavy vehicle, several such devices can be combined in series or in parallel.

[0185]

[0151] The reverse gear change may involve the manual or even automatic reversal of the part of the cycle of the power transmission device in which the blades are in the deployed position, by means that a person skilled in the art can easily design.

[0186]

[0152] To allow a large number of blades to deploy simultaneously, the deployment of one of them can cause the deployment of another blade and its retraction can cause the retraction of another blade. Those skilled in the art know many means for achieving this result, whether the objective is to drive a neighboring or distant blade.

[0187]

[0153] This makes it possible to simplify a regulator, but also makes it possible, in the implementation illustrated by figure 18, to retract all the sculptures 21 22 and following as soon as only one, the one in contact with hard ground, is pushed by the ground into the retracted position. Similarly, it is enough for a sculpture in contact with the ground to encounter soft ground such as powdery snow, for all the sculptures to move into the deployed position. This is how, without any complicated mechanism, a tire moves from a summer configuration to a winter configuration and vice versa.

[0188]

[0154] Figure 18 thus illustrates a particularly advantageous device: a tire which automatically transforms into a snow tire as soon as the ground becomes soft, but which resumes its classic structure when it returns to a dry road. A very important advantage is that, since the configuration of the sculptures has been modified in this way, there is no longer any friction and no longer any wear during the cyclical movement of the power transmission device.

[0189]

[0155] The spring that pushes all of the sculptures into their deployed or retracted position can be arranged in multiple possible locations. There can be a spring between each sculpture and the base of its location in the tread, or a single spring or several springs rotating the ring 60 so that all of the sculptures are deployed. A control such as those described in FIG. 12 makes it possible to force the deployment or retraction of the sculptures.

[0190]

[0156] Those skilled in the art can obviously combine several devices such as those described above, to be able to deploy or retract different types of blades, sculptures or other elements. The controls of these devices can be separate or coupled.

[0191]

[0157] It is advantageous to be able to modify the nature of a blade depending on the extent of its deployment. For example, the deployment of a tire tread pattern may, if it is greater, cause the studs of the tread pattern in question to protrude. More generally, the deployment of a blade may thus cause, in part of this deployment movement, the deployment of another blade of the blade in question, in one or more different directions. Those skilled in the art have many known means for achieving this, and this may make it possible to deploy blades with a surface area greater than that of the blade in question when it is in the retracted position. Different parts of a blade may also deploy in different directions to provide a larger bearing surface on the medium in or on which the vehicle is moving (versions not shown).

[0192]

[0158] Wide tires or tracks have the advantage of good grip, good cornering stability, short braking distance and driving comfort. It is therefore advantageous that the deployment of a blade can lead to an increase in the tread area,

[0193]

[0159] To achieve energy savings, a wide tread leading to higher fuel consumption, it is also advantageous that the retraction of a blade can lead to a reduction in the surface area of ​​the tread.

[0194]

[0160] In one of its so-called energy-saving configurations, the surface area of ​​the outer face of the peripheral envelope is advantageously less than half of its value in another so-called maximum efficiency configuration.

[0195]

[0161] Figure 10 shows a means of varying the geometry of the outer face of the tread, illustrating three different configurations, obtained by a simple change in the distance of the blades from the axis of rotation of the wheel, which shows that the same tire can be used in many different use cases. It should be noted that the device according to the invention makes it possible not only to reduce the surface area of ​​the outer face of the peripheral envelope but also to increase it.

[0196]

[0162] Figure 11 shows a particular tire carcass adapted to the present invention. It comprises sub-assemblies of coaxial 5001, radial 5002 and diagonal 5003 structural cables crossing at a single point 5000, and sets of blades 21 to 24 located on either side of this single point 5000.

[0163] It is advantageous that, in a first stage of their deployment, the blades are deployed simultaneously.

[0197]

[0164] A weak deployment of the blades can thus simultaneously concern all the blades of the device while a greater deployment only concerns a part of them.

[0198]

[0165] The control of the optimal configuration can be ensured by a user, but also in real time by a computer taking into account the speed and trajectory of the vehicle, its load and the state of the environment on or in which it moves. The power transmission device then advantageously comprises sensors making it possible to evaluate these parameters.

[0199]

[0166] In the so-called energy-saving configuration, the outer face of the peripheral envelope may not have a positive or negative sculpture (also called a groove) of more than 0.5% of the total height of the power transmission device.

[0200]

[0167] In this so-called energy-saving configuration, the peripheral envelope advantageously comprises one or more continuous or discontinuous rings coaxial with the peripheral envelope, each with a width less than that of the peripheral envelope.

[0201]

[0168] The regulator may advantageously be constructed from a material or have an architecture that allows it to undergo elastic deformation. This has the effect that, in the event that the force causing a blade to move from one position to another exceeds a certain threshold, the regulator may deform to cease producing the expected effect, and therefore refrain from causing deterioration of the blade in question or of the regulator.

[0202]

[0169] In a particular implementation, the wheels or tracks constituting the power transmission device according to the invention may be less dense than water in order to contribute to the buoyancy of the vehicle when it is rolling on water. They may even provide its buoyancy on their own.

[0203]

[0170] A stationary vehicle can produce energy by the cyclical movement of a power transmission device according to the invention, either by exploiting the kinetic energy of the vehicle when descending or during braking, or that of the current of a fluid when the vehicle is stationary. The invention is therefore a means of exploiting kinetic energy and can be used as both a wind turbine and a hydro turbine.

[0204]

[0171] The invention can also make it possible to turn the wheels of an aircraft before landing by using the movement of the air caused by its speed, so that they turn sufficiently quickly before touching the ground, which makes it possible to save the rubber usually lost during landing. It should be noted that, unlike other methods envisaged in the prior art, this one is light and does not increase the size of the landing gear. The blades can in particular be very thin and arranged between the cables forming the carcass of the tire, which are particularly necessary during braking.

[0205]

[0172] A vehicle according to the invention can also produce electricity when recovering energy during braking, or when it is stationary in a current of air or water. It can be seen that a power transmission device according to the invention can serve as a wind turbine or a hydro turbine.

[0206]

[0173] The invention is also a machine such as a vehicle or a means of exploiting kinetic energy provided with a power transmission device such as those described above. Such a vehicle advantageously comprises the part of the regulator which does not rotate with the power transmission device, and / or a means of modifying the configuration and / or a means of adjusting the elastic resistance of the elastic return 31, and / or a means of controlling these two adjustment or modification means.

[0207]

[0174] The prior art did not make it possible to produce vehicles which could be propelled with the same wheels or tracks, both on hard ground and on soft ground or on or in a fluid, both slowly and quickly, and to free it from a soft medium when it has sunk into it.

[0208]

[0175] Not only does the present invention solve these two problems, but it also makes it possible to produce vehicles whose configuration automatically adapts to the conditions encountered, by efficiently and continuously optimizing its mechanical performance, speed control, trajectory maintenance, and comfort.

[0209]

[0176] The implementation of power transmission devices according to the invention constitutes a differentiating element of a machine.

[0210]

[0177] Even if with a planing hull, a planing hull boat can be very fast, the blades of a vehicle of the same power according to the invention, whose wheels are all driven and connected to the vehicle by suspensions with a large clearance, will be able to reach a similar speed, while the vehicle according to the invention will behave better in waves at high speed; it will go faster with greater comfort. At low speed, this vehicle according to the invention will go faster than this boat of the same power, and will be more efficient thanks to its suspensions which will attenuate the impact of the waves. The device according to the invention could therefore drastically transform the global market for motor boats of all sizes, especially since a boat according to the invention no longer needs a port since it can be parked on dry land, and even driven to the residence of its pilot.

[0211]

[0178] A land vehicle becomes capable of freeing itself from mud or snow and of driving on or in environments that were not previously possible. An amphibious vehicle no longer needs a propeller. A device for exploiting kinetic energy acquires new possibilities of use.

[0212]

[0179] The integration into a machine of a power transmission device with retractable blades generally involves structural and functional transformations of the vehicle. To take advantage of the invention, it may be necessary to modify the structure of the chassis, make electronic or electrical adaptations, transform existing mechanical systems or create dedicated technical interfaces.

[0213]

[0180] In many cases, there is even a new technical interaction between the device and the vehicle:

[0214] - such a machine advantageously includes the fixed part of the regulator which does not rotate with the wheel or the track;

[0215] - it may also include a means of modifying the configuration and / or a means of adjusting the elastic resistance of an elastic return;

[0216] - it may also include a means of controlling the means of modifying the configuration and / or the means of adjusting the elastic resistance of an elastic return.

[0217]

[0181] The invention is also the method of maneuvering a machine such as a vehicle or a means of exploiting kinetic energy equipped with a power transmission device according to the invention, by a human operator or a computer. This method provides an original technical solution and is not a simple adaptation of known methods.

[0218] The innovation relates to the sequence of actions, the use of new control devices and the interaction between different systems of the vehicle: the maneuvering of the vehicle in fact comprises a step of modifying its configuration by a means of controlling a means of modifying this configuration and / or a step of adjusting the elastic resistance of the elastic return 31 by the means of controlling the means of adjusting this resistance.

[0219] Applications

[0220]

[0182] The present invention applies to all land vehicles, from bicycles to trucks and passenger vehicles, to save energy and / or allow automatic adaptation to traffic conditions,

[0221]

[0183] The most surprising applications are land vehicles that can travel on roads as well as on uneven or muddy ground and sail on water, a large or small boat that can land on a beach and cross shallows without damage, a submarine that navigates in the water or rolls on the bottom, or an aircraft that can take off and land vertically and fly in all directions.

[0222]

[0184] The invention makes it possible in particular to replace boat propellers with devices whose efficiency is higher at all speeds, which withstand waves better and which are both safer, more environmentally friendly and without danger of destruction in the event of shallow water or encountering floating obstacles.

[0223]

[0185] These vehicles can be used for leisure or work, rescue, public works but also for military combat.

[0224]

[0186] They can be piloted by humans, whether passengers or not, using remote control means, or by computers.

[0225]

[0187] The main vehicles likely to benefit from the invention are the following:

[0226] --- motor vehicles of all types, and in particular amphibious or all-terrain vehicles, military land drones, certain assault tanks, artillery or missile launchers, and more generally equipment which must be able to be transported autonomously from one point to another,

[0227] -- cargo or passenger transport vessels, regardless of their size and weight, and in particular fishing boats on rivers or ponds, or in marshes, tenders for pleasure boats, motor and sailing boats, pushed or towed or self-propelled barges, and leisure barges,

[0228] - public works or agricultural machinery which must cross wet, muddy or snowy areas,

[0229] - aircraft of all kinds,

[0230] - recreational vehicles, including Segways, monowheels / gyrowheels, devices for pulling or pushing a person wearing skis or wheeled or tracked systems, hoverboards / gyroskates, electric scooters, personal watercraft, etc.

[0231] - and remote-controlled vehicles such as toys.

Claims

Claims

1. Power transmission device such as a wheel (1A) or a track (IB) whose cyclical movement drives or is driven by the movement of a vehicle relative to its solid, fluid or gaseous environment, comprising: -- an element called peripheral envelope (2), - one or more pressure generating elements with cyclic movement hereinafter referred to as blades (21, 22 and following), - a so-called deployment / retraction means allowing a blade or a part of a blade to deploy by moving in a direction going from the inside to the outside of said peripheral envelope, and conversely to retract by moving in the opposite direction, all the possible positions of all the parts of a blade relative to said peripheral envelope forming a domain called the original displacement domain of the blade considered, characterized in that: - when a blade encounters an obstacle, it is retracted if it is partially or fully deployed and prevented from deploying if it is partially or fully retracted, - and said power transmission device comprises a so-called regulator means (200) for reducing said displacement range of a blade relative to said original range, it being specified that the term pressure generating element is understood to mean an element whose orientation and geometry are designed to interact with a fluid or a loose medium in order to generate a propulsive force, unlike a tire stud whose main function is to improve grip by its grip on solid ground.

2. Power transmission device according to claim 1 characterized in that a blade deploys under the effect of centrifugal force.

3. A power transmission device according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that the means enabling a blade to deploy comprises a combination of the centrifugal force applied to it during its cyclical movement, and an elastic return counteracting or increasing the effect of this centrifugal force.

4. Power transmission device according to claim 3 characterized in that it comprises means for adjusting the elastic resistance of said elastic return.

5. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with a means for locking a blade in the retracted position.

6. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the weight of said vehicle causes the blade(s) in contact with a hard surface to retract, even at the maximum frequency of the blades' cyclic motion.

7. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises openings in its side walls.

8. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a blade does not retract under the reflection of a force applied to it, giving rise to a component favoring or disfavoring its cyclic movement, in the two directions of movement called forward and reverse, if this component is lower in the so-called forward direction than a first predetermined threshold, and in the so-called reverse direction than a second predetermined threshold.

9. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a blade follows a fixed trajectory in said peripheral envelope, without changing the exit angle of the blade with said external face of said peripheral envelope.

10. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the face of a blade arriving at the surface of a liquid medium or soft ground is concave.

11. A power transmission device according to any preceding claim characterized in that one blade is rounded like those known as Poncelet blades.

12. A power transmission device according to any preceding claim characterised in that a blade is inclined relative to a radial position when deployed, exerting a downward force as it descends in the forward portion of the power transmission device. [Claim 131 A power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that a blade or a part of a blade can tilt after its deployment under the effect of the pressure exerted by its interaction with a fluid or soft ground.

14. A power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the deployment and retraction of a blade increases or decreases the surface area of said outer face of said peripheral envelope of said power transmission device and / or the circumference of said power transmission device.

15. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a blade (21) comprises at least one disc portion (2101) located in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said power transmission device.

16. Power transmission device according to claim 15 characterized in that the assembly of the ends of the blades and of said disc portions forms a means of continuous contact of said power device with the ground when the blades are all retracted.

17. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deployment and retraction of a blade modifies the surface condition of the outer face of the peripheral casing of said power transmission device.

18. A power transmission device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that a blade is more deployed in one part of the cycle, and less deployed or retracted in the remainder of the cycle.

19. Power transmission device according to claim 18 characterized in that a blade is more deployed in a lower part of the cycle.

20. Power transmission device according to claim 18 characterized in that a blade is more deployed in a front / lower part of the cycle.

21. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said regulator comprises a secondary shaft (40) parallel to the axis of rotation of said power transmission device, not coincident with said axis of rotation of said power transmission device.

22. Power transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 20 characterized in that said regulator comprises a cam cooperating with a follower or a pusher.

23. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said regulator simultaneously retracts or deploys all the blades.

24. Power transmission device according to claim 23 characterized in that the assembly formed by said regulator and the blade(s) is placed in a circular groove made in said external face of said peripheral casing (2).

25. A power transmission device according to claim 23 or claim 24 characterized in that, in said rest position, a blade projects from said tread, and when the ground is hard, the force exerted by the ground pushes it towards the inside of said tread, which causes the regulator to rotate in a direction which simultaneously causes all the blades mechanically connected to said regulator to retract.

26. Power transmission device according to any one of claims 23 to 25 characterized in that an acceleration of the torque applied to the power transmission device causes an advance of said regulator slightly relative to the peripheral envelope when it contacts the ground, which causes one or more blades to deploy.

27. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that said regulator can deform elastically and / or have flexible parts.

28. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for damping the movement of a blade relative to said peripheral envelope.

29. A power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for preventing a blade from deploying or retracting outside the part of the cycle during which it is in contact with the ground.

30. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said regulator slides along said secondary shaft (40) and that this sliding makes it possible to define the average deployment of one or more blades.

31. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, the deformability of which is obtained by multiple elastically deformable connections between, on the one hand, the tread, and on the other hand a hub in the case of a wheel or the support wheels in the case of a track, characterized in that all or part of the assembly formed by a blade and its mechanical connection with said deployment / retraction mechanism is placed between two of said connections when it is in the retracted position.

32. A power transmission device according to any preceding claim characterized in that the housing into which a blade is retracted is fixed only to said peripheral casing of said power transmission device.

33. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deployment of a blade does not deform said peripheral envelope.

34. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is the accessory of a conventional wheel or track.

35. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a constituent of a Segway.

36. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that deployment of one of they can cause another blade to deploy and its retraction can cause another blade to retract.

37. Power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic control of said regulator is coupled to an artificial terrain recognition intelligence.

38. Machine such as a vehicle or means for exploiting kinetic energy characterized in that it is provided with a power transmission device according to any one of the preceding claims.

39. Machine according to claim 38 characterized in that it comprises the fixed part of said regulator which does not rotate with said wheel or said track.

40. Machine according to claim 38 or claim 39 characterized in that it comprises means for modifying the configuration of said regulator and / or means for adjusting the elastic resistance of an elastic return.

41. Machine according to one of claims 38 to 40 characterized in that it comprises a means for controlling said means for modifying the configuration of said regulator and / or said means for adjusting the elastic resistance of said elastic return (31). [Claim 42 j Method of operating a machine according to any one of claims 38 to 41, by a human operator or a computer, characterized in that the operation of said machine comprises a step of modifying its configuration by a means of controlling a means of modifying said configuration and / or a step of adjusting said elastic resistance of said elastic return (31) by the means of controlling said means of adjusting this resistance.

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