Multi-Axis Wheel Frame for Guided Vehicles on Uneven Floors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guided vehicles with left and right driving wheels struggle to maintain sufficient ground contact and friction when encountering road surfaces with undulations or inclinations in both the front-rear and left-right directions, leading to reduced thrust and smoothness of movement.
Innovation Solution
The guided vehicle is designed with wheel sections that allow independent swinging of front-rear and left-right frame bodies about multiple axes, ensuring that driving and swivel wheels maintain contact with the road surface, even on uneven terrain, and includes mechanisms like hinges and elastic bodies to support this movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the swing frames can only swing around a left-right axis, then the vehicle can handle front-rear direction undulations, but it cannot sufficiently ground on left-right direction inclines and secure driving friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling the swing frame to swing around two different axes (left-right axis and front-rear axis) depending on the road conditions. This dynamic adaptability allows the vehicle to maintain reliable ground contact whether encountering undulations in the front-rear direction or inclines in the left-right direction, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
2Device complexity
If the swivel wheels are fixed to holding members and cannot move up and down, then the structure is simplified, but the wheels cannot adapt to uneven terrain and may float when one wheel encounters obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the swivel wheels dynamic by allowing them to move up and down relative to the holding members through elastic bodies. This enables the wheels to adapt to uneven terrain and maintain ground contact even when one wheel encounters obstacles like grooves or steps, while the elastic bodies provide the necessary flexibility without significantly increasing structural complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple swing axes are added to handle multi-directional road variations, then terrain adaptability improves, but the mechanical structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wheel support system into independent components: the swing frame that swings around left-right and front-rear axes, and the holding members that can move vertically relative to the frame. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific types of terrain variations independently, achieving multi-directional adaptability while keeping the overall structure manageable through modular design.
4Reliability
If the wheels are allowed to move independently on multiple axes, then ground contact is improved, but the load distribution becomes uneven and some wheels may be overloaded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses elastic bodies as intermediaries between the holding members and the swing frame, allowing the system to dynamically adjust load distribution based on road conditions. The elastic bodies deform to accommodate terrain variations while distributing forces evenly across the wheel assembly, preventing any single wheel from being overloaded while maintaining reliable ground contact.
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
This configuration ensures increased contact areas and even load distribution across multiple wheels, allowing the vehicle to run smoothly over varied road surfaces, reduces wheel overload, and provides space for sensor installation.
Implementation Method 1
a holding member 38 that is swingable upward relative to the frame member 14 about a left-right axis X1 when one of the swivel wheels 36 rides on a step, on the basis of an elastic body 20
Data Source
AI summary
A guided vehicle includes: a first wheel section positioned at a front end portion of a base; and second and third wheel sections which are independent from each other. The first wheel section includes a left-right frame body, and swivel wheels arranged on left and right portions of the left-right frame body. An intermediate position between the swivel wheels in the left-right frame body is supported to be swingable about a front-rear axis relative to the base. Each of the second wheel section and the third wheel section includes a front-rear frame body, and a driving wheel and a swivel wheel which are respectively arranged at a front portion and a rear portion of the front-rear frame body. An intermediate position between the driving wheel and the swivel wheel of each front-rear frame body is supported to be swingable about the left-right axis and the front-rear axis relative to the base.