The wheel is all-metal, and is suitable for use on the moon. The wheel includes tread-plates mounted on leaf-springs, which deflect to permit suspension movement. The leaf-springs are flexible, light, and thin, yet are made strong enough to cope with heavy traction forces by the provision of hoop-ca
The wheel is all-metal, and is suitable for use on the moon. The wheel includes tread-plates mounted on leaf-springs, which deflect to permit suspension movement. The leaf-springs are flexible, light, and thin, yet are made strong enough to cope with heavy traction forces by the provision of hoop-cables, which link all the tread-plates together.
대표청구항▼
1. Wheel, wherein: the wheel includes a rim, which is fast to a hub of the wheel, for rolling motion about a wheel axis;the wheel includes many tread-plates;the wheel includes resiliently flexible tread-springs;proximal ends of the tread-springs are fast to the rim;distal ends of the tread-springs a
1. Wheel, wherein: the wheel includes a rim, which is fast to a hub of the wheel, for rolling motion about a wheel axis;the wheel includes many tread-plates;the wheel includes resiliently flexible tread-springs;proximal ends of the tread-springs are fast to the rim;distal ends of the tread-springs are fast to the tread-plates, whereby the tread-plates and tread-springs form tread-units;the tread-units are so configured that:(a) the tread-plates are urged radially outwards, with respect to the axis of the wheel, by the resilience of the tread-springs; and(b) the tread-plates can move, individually, radially inwards against the resilience of the tread-springs;the tread-units are arranged in a hoop-set, or in hoop-sets;in respect of the or each hoop-set of tread-plates:(a) the hoop-set is so configured that each tread-plate of the hoop-set lies circumferentially between adjacent tread-plates of the hoop-set;(b) the hoop-set includes a hoop-cable;(c) each one of the tread-plates that make up the hoop-set is fast to the hoop-cable;(d) the hoop-cable is of so dimensioned that, the wheel being unloaded and the tread-plates being urged radially outwards by the tread-springs, the hoop-cable is under hoop-tension; and(e) the tread-plates are each fastened to the hoop-cable in such manner that, the wheel being unloaded, adjacent tread-plates can approach but cannot separate, circumferentially. 2. A wheel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wheel is metal. 3. A wheel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wheel is all metal. 4. A wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the tread-plates are independent;the resiliently flexible tread-springs are independent leaf springs;distal ends of the tread-springs are fast to the tread-plates, whereby the tread-plates and tread-springs form independent tread-units;the tread-springs are so configured that:(a) the tread-plates are urged radially outwards, with respect to the axis of the wheel, by the resilience of the tread-springs; and(b) the tread-plates can move, individually, radially inwards against the resilience of the tread-springs;(c) the tread-units are restrained, individually, by respective tread springs against movement parallel to the wheel axis;the hoop cable is inelastic and flexible. 5. A wheel as claimed in claim 4 wherein the wheel is metal. 6. A wheel as claimed in claim 4 wherein the wheel is all metal. 7. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tread units are held firmly, individually, by respective tread-springs in position axially relative to the wheel. 8. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wheel is so structured that, when the wheel is in an operational loaded condition, and the wheel is rolling over the ground: the tread-plate of a bottom one of the tread-units makes direct touching contact with the ground;the tread-spring of the bottom tread-unit deflects radially inwards relative to the axis of the wheel;in the other tread-units that are clear of the ground, the tread-springs urge the tread-plates radially outwards, against the tension of the hoop cable. 9. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein: each tread-unit comprises one tread-plate and just one tread-spring that is fast to the rim and to the tread-plate; andthe wheel includes left and right hoop-sets of tread-units, having respective hoop-cables. 10. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 9, wherein: in the tread-units of the left hoop-set:(a) the left tread-plates lie to the left of the rim;(b) the proximal ends of the left tread-springs are fast to the right side of the rim;(c) the left tread-springs extend over the rim, and their distal ends are fast to the left tread-plates;in the tread-units of the right hoop-set:(a) the right tread-plates lie to the right of the rim;(b) the proximal ends of the right tread-springs are fast to the right side of the rim;(c) the right tread-springs extend over the rim, and their distal ends are fast to the right tread-plates. 11. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein: the wheel includes just one hoop-set of tread-units;each tread-unit comprises left and right tread-springs and just one tread-plate;the left and right tread-springs are fast to the rim and to the tread-plate;left and right hoop-cables are fast to left and right ends of the tread-plates. 12. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 11, wherein: the tread-plates span across the width of the wheel, over the rim;the proximal ends of the left tread-springs are fast to the left side of the rim;the distal ends of the left tread-springs are fast to the left end of the tread-plate;the proximal ends of the right tread-springs are fast to the right side of the rim;the distal ends of the right tread-springs are fast to the right end of the tread-plate. 13. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein: the wheel includes rim-brackets, which are fast to the rim;each rim-bracket is formed with a rim-bracket surface, to which the proximal ends of the tread-springs are fast. 14. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein, in respect of each tread-unit, the or each tread-spring is a leaf-spring, being of sheet metal. 15. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 14, wherein the wheel is so configured that: the thickness-dimension of the leaf-spring lies predominantly radially with respect to the wheel;the width-dimension of the leaf-spring lies in a plane that is predominantly tangential with respect to the wheel; andthe length-dimension lies predominantly parallel to the wheel-axis of the wheel. 16. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 14, wherein: the leaf-spring has a flex-length comprising the length of that portion of the tread-spring that, in operation, is capable of undergoing resilient deflection; andthe flex-length is half of the overall width of the wheel, or more. 17. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein, at every point on the flex-length of the leaf-spring, a tangent to the leaf-spring at that point lies at an angle that is within thirty degrees of being parallel to the wheel-axis of the wheel. 18. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 16, wherein: each point on the flex-length of each leaf-spring has a tread-spring radius, being a radial line joining the wheel-axis to that point of the tread-spring;the tread-unit is so mounted with respect to the rim that the plane of the sheet metal of the tread-spring at the point lies within thirty degrees of being perpendicular to the tread-spring radius at the point. 19. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 14, wherein: a wheel-radius of a point in the wheel is a line that is perpendicular to the wheel-axis, and extends from the wheel-axis to the point;the wheel-radius of the proximal end of the leaf-spring is shorter than the wheel-radius of the distal end. 20. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hoop-cables are of such hoop-length that the actually-enabled-deflection of the tread-spring is between thirty percent and seventy percent of the overall deflection-capability of the tread-spring. 21. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein: in respect of each tread-unit the or each tread-plate has no physical attachment to the rim except through the respective tread-springs; andthe hoop-cables have no direct physical connection to the rim. 22. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rim is part of a unitary integrated hub-spokes-rim component of the wheel. 23. An all metal wheel as claimed in claim 8, wherein all components of the wheel are of metal and the tread-plates are of titanium;the tread-springs are of spring-steel.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (2)
Chrobak Dennis S., Dynamic steerable wheel spring.
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