Deformable Support Wheel with Resilient Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deformable support wheels in track-based systems are susceptible to severe compression and shearing forces when traversing large obstacles or uneven surfaces, leading to bulging, side-shifting, or 'bottoming out', which can cause width misalignment, de-tracking, and premature wear of components.
Innovation Solution
A wheel design featuring a central hub aperture, a sidewall portion with radially-extending flanges, and a deformable tire portion with a resilient chamber that redirects deformation radially inward, maintaining the tire's width and preventing lateral deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-pneumatic deformable tire materials are used for support wheels, then durability and reliability are improved, but the wheels become susceptible to severe compression leading to bulging, side-shifting, or bottoming out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible sidewall structure made of resilient material that can deform under compression but returns to its original shape. The sidewall acts as a flexible barrier that contains the deformable tire material while maintaining structural integrity, preventing permanent deformation and bottoming out during severe compression events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes materials with specific resiliency parameters that allow the tire and sidewall to change their mechanical properties dynamically. The resilient sidewall material exhibits elastic deformation characteristics, temporarily changing shape under load then recovering, which prevents permanent damage while maintaining reliability.
2Force
If the tire portion is highly deformable to absorb compression forces, then shock absorption is improved, but lateral deformation and width misalignment occur
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient sidewall acts as a flexible containment structure that permits radial deformation for shock absorption while constraining lateral movement. The sidewall's elastic properties allow it to flex vertically under compression forces but maintain sufficient rigidity to prevent width misalignment and keep the tire properly aligned with the wheel hub.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the highly deformable tire portion for shock absorption and the more rigid sidewall for structural support and alignment maintenance. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The wheel design effectively minimizes lateral deformations and maintains proper alignment and contact with the track, reducing the risk of de-tracking and premature wear, even under severe compression and shearing forces.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable tire portion with a resilient chamber that redirects deformation radially inward, maintaining the tire's width and preventing lateral deformation
Data Source
AI summary
A deformable support wheel with a resilient chamber for a vehicular track-based system, is presented. The track-based support wheel comprises a central hub aperture portion configured to receive and operatively connect to a corresponding axle; a sidewall portion configured to concentrically surround an outer peripheral surface of the central hub aperture portion, the sidewall portion comprising a pair of radially-extending flanges that are laterally spaced apart from each other; and a deformable tire portion concentrically mounted on the sidewall portion. The inner surface of the flanges and an outer peripheral surface of the sidewall portion define a resilient chamber that provides a spacing between the outer peripheral surface of the sidewall portion and an inner peripheral surface of the tire portion. The support wheel structure minimizes lateral deformations caused by compression/shearing forces experienced during challenging environmental conditions by redirecting the deformations radially inward towards the resilient chamber.