Omni-directional Wheel Gap Member for Roller Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wedge-shaped gaps between free rollers in existing friction drive devices for omni-directional vehicles allow foreign matter to get trapped, preventing rotation and causing vibrations and noises due to irregularities in the wheel's outer profile.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a gap member that fills the gap between adjacent free rollers, which is wedge-shaped and movable in the direction of the rollers' rotation, or featuring a brush-like configuration to prevent foreign matter intrusion and maintain smooth operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If free rollers are arranged adjacent to each other in a friction drive device, then the wheel can achieve omni-directional movement capability, but wedge-shaped gaps between the free rollers allow foreign matter to get trapped, preventing rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful wedge-shaped gaps between adjacent free rollers by introducing gap members that fill these spaces. The gap members are specifically designed to eliminate the gaps that trap foreign matter, thereby preventing the reliability issue while maintaining the omni-directional movement capability provided by the free roller arrangement.
2Device complexity
If free rollers are arranged adjacent to each other, then the wheel structure is simplified, but gaps between free rollers cause irregularities in the outer profile, leading to vibrations and noises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces gap members as intermediary elements between adjacent free rollers. These gap members serve as mediators that fill the spaces between rollers, eliminating the profile irregularities that cause vibrations and noises. The gap members are designed to maintain the simplicity of the overall wheel structure while effectively suppressing the harmful vibrations and noises generated by gap-induced irregularities.
3Reliability
If gap members are introduced to fill gaps between free rollers, then foreign matter intrusion is prevented and vibrations are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing gap members only at specific locations where needed - namely, in the gaps between adjacent free rollers. Rather than redesigning the entire wheel structure, the solution locally addresses the problem areas by filling specific gaps with appropriately shaped members. This approach improves reliability by preventing foreign matter intrusion and reducing vibrations, while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity through targeted, localized modifications.
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
Prevents foreign matter from entering the gaps, reducing vibrations and noises by ensuring smooth rotation and maintaining the wheel's circular profile, allowing the vehicle to corner and turn as designed.
Implementation Method 1
a gap member is placed between an adjacent pair of the free rollers to fill a gap defined between the free rollers
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of drive rollers engaging the outer circumferential surfaces of the free rollers at the outer circumferential surfaces thereof so that the rotation of the drive rollers may be frictionally transmitted to the free rollers
Data Source
AI summary
In a wheel for use in an omni-directional vehicle, gravel and other foreign matters are prevented from being trapped between free rollers forming the wheel, and traveling vibrations and noises are minimized at the same time. The wheel includes an annular member and a plurality of free rollers each rotatably supported by the annular member around a corresponding tangential line of the annular member, and a gap member is placed between each adjacent pair of the free rollers to fill a gap defined between the free rollers.