JP2006168659A - Omni-directional traveling wheel and traveling device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an omni-directional traveling wheel and a traveling device with good running property even on a bad road, capable of suppressing vibration and noise in traveling. <P>SOLUTION: A rotation body 6 is formed such that a coil spring 6a is covered by an elastic body 6b in a cylindrical shape. Each rotation body 6 has flexibility capable of bending a rotation shaft, curves so as to surround an outer periphery of a wheel 2 in a ring-like shape, and is provided on a wheel 2 rotatable around a rotary shaft of a curved line along the same perpendicular plane to the rotary shaft of the wheel 2. The respective rotation bodies 6 are arranged such that an outer side surface 6d is continued to an outer side surface 6d of the adjacent rotation body 6 along a circle making the rotation axis of the wheel as a center. The wheel 2 comprises a wheel body 4 and a plurality of rotation body support parts 5. The respective rotation body support parts 5 are radially fixed to an outer periphery of the wheel body 4 and are arranged between the two adjacent rotation bodies 6. The respective rotation body support parts 5 rotatably support the respective rotation bodies 6 by an inner periphery of the end. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an omnidirectional moving wheel and a moving device.

  Conventionally, a caster is generally used as a wheel of a cart or a wheelchair that can travel while freely changing the traveling direction. When the caster switches the traveling direction from forward to reverse, etc., the caster needs to turn the wheel in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction. At this time, if there is a groove on the floor on which the wheel is placed, the wheel may fall into the groove, causing a level crossing accident or an elevator accident.

  Also, on rough roads such as gravel roads, stepped road surfaces, soft ground where the wheels sink, roads with snow, etc., the wheels are difficult to rotate, requiring large force for operation and poor running performance. There was also a problem. As a means for solving these problems, it is conceivable to increase the diameter of the wheel. However, due to the caster structure, it is necessary to increase the mounting height of the wheel, and there are restrictions such as having to secure a free space around the caster when changing the direction of the wheel. Conversion will be limited. Thus, it is conceivable to fix the wheel posture as one of the solutions for increasing the diameter of the wheel without space limitation.

  Further, all-wheel drive is preferable for improving running performance, but in this case, in a caster structure in which the direction of the axle changes with respect to the vehicle body, the cost of incorporating a wheel forced drive mechanism increases. Therefore, in order to simply perform forced driving, a wheel whose axle posture does not change with respect to the vehicle body is required.

  Conventionally, assuming that such an axle posture is fixed, each wheel is operated by an independent motor, several penetrating pins are arranged on the wheel flange, and the axial direction of each penetrating pin shaft is perpendicular to the axial direction of the axle. There is a motor type wheelchair in which a rotatable roller is attached to each through pin (see Patent Document 1). The wheel of this motor-type wheelchair is a so-called omni wheel system, and another mechanum wheel system is known in which the axle and the roller shaft are in a torsional position. These omni wheel and mecanum wheel systems solve the problem of casters in that the direction of travel can be changed even if the axle posture is fixed, but the overall wheel width is wide and the vehicle is traveling. If the surface to be rotated is not a smooth flat surface, there is a problem that it is impossible to ensure a continuous and smooth grounding of the outer periphery of the wheel during rotation. Therefore, there is a problem that it is actually limited to indoor use.

  Therefore, in order to solve this problem, a plurality of small rotating bodies having a rotating shaft in the same plane orthogonal to the axle are arranged in a row in the rotating surface of the wheel along the outer periphery of the wheel, and the grounding surface is There is a wheel that can ensure a smooth ground contact on the outer periphery of the wheel even if it is a curved surface or a plane in which a plurality of planes are combined (see, for example, Patent Document 2 or 3).

Japanese Patent No. 3244706 Japanese Patent No. 3421290 JP 2002-137602 A

  However, the wheel disclosed in Patent Document 2 or 3 has a structure in which the small rotator enters the adjacent small rotator, prevents contact between adjacent small rotators, and increases the strength of the small rotator. In order to obtain a sufficient wall thickness to obtain, a gap had to be provided between adjacent small rotating bodies. For this reason, there has been a problem that vibration and noise are generated during traveling due to the gap. In particular, problems caused by vibration and noise are remarkable on hard and smooth floor surfaces such as paved roads and indoor flooring floors. In addition, when such a wheel is used for a wheelchair, not only the ride comfort is bad, but also there is a concern about adverse health effects, and there is room for improvement.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an omnidirectional moving wheel and a moving device that can suppress vibration and noise during traveling and have good running performance even on rough roads. To do.

  An omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention includes a wheel and a plurality of rotating bodies, and each rotating body has flexibility capable of bending a rotating shaft, and surrounds the outer periphery of the wheel in a ring shape. It is characterized in that it is provided on the wheel so as to be curved and rotatable around a rotation axis of a curve along the same vertical plane with respect to the rotation axis of the wheel.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, each rotating body is provided on the wheel so as to be rotatable around a rotating axis of a curve along the same vertical plane with respect to the rotating axis of the wheel. It can be rotated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of rotation. Thereby, even if the axle is fixed, the direction can be changed in an arbitrary direction. For this reason, the space for the direction change of a wheel is unnecessary, and the diameter of a wheel can be enlarged and runability on a rough road can be improved.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, since each rotating body is curved so as to surround the outer periphery of the wheel in a ring shape, it can be grounded by point contact. For this reason, the traveling surface may not be a smooth flat surface, and the vehicle can travel even on rough roads and curved surfaces having irregularities. In addition, since each rotating body is provided in a curved shape, each rotating body can be arranged so as not to overlap with an adjacent rotating body. For this reason, even if each rotating body is formed with a thickness having sufficient strength and elasticity, a gap between adjacent rotating bodies can be reduced, and vibration and noise during traveling can be suppressed.

  In the omnidirectional wheel according to the present invention, the rotating body is preferably formed by coating a coil spring in a cylindrical shape with an elastic body. In this case, it is possible to obtain a sufficient resistance against the radial collapse of the coil spring by appropriately selecting the wire diameter and coil diameter of the coil spring. Further, by appropriately selecting the free length, the number of turns, etc., the displacement due to the load of the rotating body rotating shaft can be made sufficiently small, and the ground contact outer peripheral contour is not easily broken. In addition, on the outer side surface of each rotating body, the distance between the wire rods of the coil spring is increased due to the bending, but it can be smoothly rotated by the elastic body. The coil spring provides strength against the load, and the elastic body provides elasticity at the time of ground contact. Therefore, the load resistance can be improved, and at the same time, the vehicle can run while suppressing vibrations, and the ride comfort can be improved.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, each rotating body is preferably arranged such that the outer side surface is continuous with the outer side surface of the adjacent rotating body along a circle centered on the rotation axis of the wheel. The outer side surface of the rotator is a side surface of the rotator on the side of contact with the ground, and “continuous” means a state in which the rotator is substantially continuous even if there is a slight gap. In this case, since the gap between the adjacent rotating bodies on the outer side surface of the rotating body becomes small, it is possible to further suppress vibration and noise due to the gap during traveling. In addition, by securing an appropriate gap on the wheel side surface of the rotating body, the roll support column can have a wedge-shaped cross section, and its strength can be ensured.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, it is preferable that the wheel has a rotating body support portion that rotatably supports both ends of the rotating shaft of each rotating body. In this case, when a load is applied to each rotating body, the displacement of the rotating shaft can be reduced so as not to affect the riding comfort. Moreover, each rotating body can be rotated while maintaining the curvature of the rotating shaft.

  An omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention has a plurality of core members, each rotating body is formed of a cylindrical body, and the wheel has a rotating body support portion that rotatably supports both ends of a rotating shaft of each rotating body. In addition, it is preferable that each core member is inserted into each rotating body and both ends thereof are coupled to the rotating body support portion. In this case, the curved shape of the rotating body can be forced to a preferable shape by the shape of the core material, and excessive displacement is suppressed by supporting the rotating body wall even when an overload is applied to each rotating body. Can be reduced, and the impact on ride comfort can be reduced. In addition, the rotating body can be prevented from being greatly deformed and damaged. It is further preferable that the inner wall of each rotating body and the core material are rotatably supported by a bearing or the like.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, the rotating body may be compressed in the axial direction. In this case, the durability can be improved as compared with the case where tensile stress is applied to each rotating body. In addition, it is possible to suppress the displacement of each rotating body in the direction of the rotation axis or the deflection of the rotation axis by the force from the ground plane.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, the wheel may include a plurality of plate members that block a gap between two adjacent rotating bodies. In this case, the plate material can prevent foreign objects such as pebbles from being caught in the gap between two adjacent rotating bodies. Thereby, it can prevent beforehand that rotation of a rotary body worsens, a ride quality worsens, or a rotary body and a wheel are damaged.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, the rotating body has a double wall structure in which a plurality of rings arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other are connected by an elastic material, and a coil spring is overlapped on the inside and outside. A spring, a multi-spindle spring composed of a plurality of coil springs of the same pitch arranged in the axial direction, a bamboo shoot spring, a bellows, a coil spring with a deformed cross-section wire, a compression coil spring, or a tension coil spring is covered in a cylindrical shape with an elastic body It may be made. The material to be coated may be any material as long as it exhibits strength in the radial direction and exhibits flexibility in the axial length direction. Each spring may use a wire having an irregular cross section such as a T-shape, a rectangle shape, or a cross shape. The bellows is a bellows having stretchability and springiness.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, the wheel includes a wheel body and a plurality of rotating body support portions, each rotating body includes a cylindrical body, and each rotating body support portion is radially fixed to the outer periphery of the wheel body. Alternatively, each rotating body may be disposed between two adjacent rotating bodies and rotatably supported at the inner periphery of the end portion. In this case, since the integrity of the wheel and each rotating body is increased, more comfortable running performance can be ensured while suppressing vibration and noise during running.

  In the omnidirectional wheel according to the present invention, the rotating body may be formed by covering a coil spring in a cylindrical shape with an elastic body, and may have a groove on a side surface along the gap of the coil spring. In this case, when each rotator is curved, the interval between the coil spring wires can be easily reduced by the groove on the inner side surface of each rotator. Thereby, each rotary body can be easily curved, and each rotary body can be easily rotated. In this configuration, the material cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the elastic body is made of a material having a large volume compressibility to facilitate the bending of each rotating body.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, the rotating body may be formed of a coil spring in which a wire is covered with an elastic body. In this case, it is possible to obtain sufficient resistance strength against the radial collapse of the coil spring by appropriately selecting the wire diameter and coil diameter of the coil spring. Further, by selecting the number of coil turns and the free length, it is possible to prevent the coil springs from interfering with each other inside the curve when the coil spring is bent. Furthermore, elasticity at the time of grounding can be obtained by the elastic body.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, the rotating body has a cylindrical side surface, a side surface continuously curved in a convex shape from both ends to the center, or both end portions are concave and the central portion is continuously curved in a convex shape. You may have a side. In this case, the roundness of the outer periphery of the omnidirectional moving wheel can be increased by changing the shape of the side surface of the rotating body in accordance with the deflection due to the load. Moreover, in the actual use state which added the load, the grounding part of a wheel becomes a perfect circle and can rotate more smoothly.

  The moving device according to the present invention is characterized in that the main body has the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention. The moving device according to the present invention has less vibration and noise during traveling due to the omnidirectional moving wheels, and has good running performance even on rough roads. Moreover, the direction can be changed in an arbitrary direction while the axial direction of the omnidirectional moving wheel is fixed.

  In particular, the moving device according to the present invention has at least one main body, a pair of fixed wheels, and an omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, and the fixed wheel rotates with its axial direction fixed to the main body. Preferably, the omnidirectional moving wheel is rotatably attached to the main body so as to support the main body together with the fixed wheel. The moving apparatus according to the present invention has less vibration and noise during traveling due to the omnidirectional moving wheels, and has good running performance even on rough roads. Further, the direction can be changed in an arbitrary direction while the axial directions of the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel are fixed.

  In the moving device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel are arranged at a vertex of a rectangle. In this case, the balance which supports a main body is good and the stability at the time of driving | running | working is good. Moreover, it is easy to grasp a vehicle sense by the positions of the fixed wheels and the omnidirectional moving wheels, and the operability is good.

  In the moving device according to the present invention, two transmission belts may be wound around the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel so as to be paired with each other. In this case, since the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel can be rotated at the same time in synchronism with the peripheral speed, the four-wheel drive is achieved, and the stability and running performance are good. Even if there is a step, it can be easily overcome.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the vibration and noise at the time of driving | running | working can be suppressed, and the omnidirectional moving wheel and moving apparatus with a good running property on a bad road can be provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 7 show an omnidirectional moving wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the omnidirectional moving wheel 1 has a wheel 2 and a plurality of rolls 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the wheel 2 is made of metal or plastic, and includes a wheel body 4 and eight rotating body support portions 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the wheel body 4 has eight rectangular support portion fixing surfaces 4 a on the outer periphery. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each rotating body support portion 5 includes a rectangular plate-like fixed plate portion 5 a slightly smaller than the size of each support portion fixing surface 4 a of the wheel body 4, and a vertical position from the center of the fixed plate portion 5 a. And a support plate portion 5b provided to extend. The support plate portion 5b has a wedge-shaped cross section, and includes a rotating body fixing hole 5c provided in the center portion and a supporting annular protrusion 5d provided around the rotating body fixing hole 5c. The supporting annular protrusion 5d has two cuts 5f.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, each rotating body support portion 5 fixes the support plate portion 5 a to each support portion of the wheel body 4 so that the support plate portion 5 b is perpendicular to the rotation direction of the wheel body 4. It is fixed to the surface 4a with screws 5e. Each rotating body support 5 is radially fixed to the outer periphery of the wheel body 4.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the roll 3 is composed of eight pieces, and as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, each roll 3 has a rotating body 6, a core material 7, and a pair of caps 8. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rotating body 6 is formed by covering a coil spring 6a with an elastic body 6b in a cylindrical shape. The elastic body 6b is made of, for example, polyurethane, silicon, foam rubber, or the like. As shown in FIG. 4, the coil spring 6 a has a wire diameter, a coil diameter, a number of turns, and a free length so as to obtain a sufficient resistance strength against crushing in the radial direction according to the purpose of use of the omnidirectional moving wheel 1. The one that is properly selected is used. As shown in FIG. 5, each rotating body 6 has a groove 6c on the inner side surface of the elastic body 6b along the gap of the coil spring 6a. Each rotating body 6 has flexibility capable of bending the rotating shaft. In FIG. 7, the coil spring 6a and the groove 6c are not shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the core material 7 has a shape in which a cylinder is curved in an arc shape. The core member 7 has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the rotating body 6 and is inserted into the rotating body 6 so as to have a gap with the inner wall of the rotating body 6.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each cap 8 has a cylindrical shape, and a central fixing portion 8a that can be fitted to the rotating body fixing hole 5c and the supporting annular protrusion 5d at the center, and a center via a bearing 8b. And a rotating circumferential portion 8c provided around the fixed portion 8a. Each cap 8 is attached to both ends of the rotating body 6 so as to close the opening. Each cap 8 has a central fixing portion 8 a fixed to the core member 7 with screws 8 d and a rotating circumferential portion 8 c fixed to the end of the rotating body 6. Thereby, the rotating body 6 is configured to be able to rotate smoothly together with the rotating circumferential portion 8 c with respect to the center fixing portion 8 a and the core member 7 of the cap 8. The center fixing portion 8a has two engaging protrusions 8e that can be engaged with the notches 5f of the supporting annular protrusion 5d when fitted in the rotating body fixing hole 5c.
As shown in FIG. 3, the roll support column 9 includes a fixed plate portion 5a, a support plate portion 5b, a rotating body fixing hole 5c, a supporting annular protrusion 5d, a screw 5e, and a cut 5f. The rotating body support 5 is composed of a roll support column 9 and a cap 8.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each roll 3 is curved so as to surround the outer periphery of the wheel 2 in a ring shape, and is disposed between two roll support columns 9. Each roll 3 is fixed by fitting the center fixing portion 8a of the cap 8 into the rotating body fixing hole 5c so that each engaging protrusion 8e engages with each notch 5f. Each engaging protrusion 8e engages with each notch 5f, so that the center fixing portion 8a and the core member 7 of the cap 8 are not rotated together with the rotating body 6. Each roll 3 is held between two roll support columns 9, and the rotating body 6 and the core material 7 are held in a shape obtained by curving a cylinder in an arc shape. Each rotating body 6 is supported at both ends of the rotating shaft by two rotating body support portions 5. Each rotating body 6 is provided on the wheel 2 so as to be rotatable around a rotational axis of a curve along the same vertical plane with respect to the rotational axis of the wheel 2.

  In addition, each roll 3 is attached with the rotating body 6 compressed in the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 1, each rotating body 6 is arranged such that the outer side surface 6 d is substantially continuous with the outer side surface 6 d of the adjacent rotating body 6 along a circle centered on the rotation axis of the wheel 2. Each rotating body 6 is arranged from the wheel side surface 6e to the outer side surface 6d so that the clearance between the adjacent rotating bodies 6 is substantially closed by each rotating body support portion 5.

Next, the operation will be described.
The omnidirectional moving wheel 1 is provided on the wheel 2 so that each rotating body 6 can rotate around a rotating axis of a curve along the same vertical plane with respect to the rotating axis of the wheel 2. It is possible to rotate in a direction perpendicular to the direction of rotation of 2. Thereby, even if the axle is fixed, the direction can be changed in an arbitrary direction. For this reason, the space for the direction change of a wheel is unnecessary, and the diameter of a wheel can be enlarged and runability on a rough road can be improved.

  The omnidirectional moving wheel 1 can be grounded by point contact since each rotator 6 is curved so as to surround the outer periphery of the wheel 2 in a ring shape. For this reason, the traveling surface may not be a smooth flat surface, and the vehicle can travel even on rough roads and curved surfaces having irregularities. Further, since each rotating body 6 is provided in a curved shape, each rotating body 6 can be arranged so as not to overlap with the adjacent rotating body 6. For this reason, even if each rotating body 6 is formed with a thickness having sufficient strength and elasticity, a gap between adjacent rotating bodies 6 can be reduced, and vibration and noise during traveling can be suppressed.

  Since each rotating body 6 is formed by covering the coil spring 6a with the elastic body 6b in a cylindrical shape, the distance between the wire members of the coil spring 6a is widened due to the bending on the outer side surface 6d of each rotating body 6. However, it can rotate smoothly by the elastic body 6b. The coil spring 6a provides strength against the load, and the elastic body 6b provides elasticity at the time of grounding. Therefore, the load bearing performance is high, and at the same time, the vehicle can run while suppressing vibrations, and the ride comfort is also good. .

  Since the gap between the adjacent rotating bodies 6 is small, vibration and noise due to the gap during traveling can be further suppressed. Further, since the gap is almost closed, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as pebbles from being caught in the gap between the two adjacent rotating bodies 6. For this reason, it can prevent beforehand that rotation of the rotary body 6 worsens, riding comfort worsens, or the rotary body 6 and the wheel 2 are damaged. Since the core member 7 is inserted inside the rotator 6, even if a large load is temporarily applied to each rotator 6, the displacement of each rotator 6 can be suppressed, which affects the ride comfort. Can be small. Further, it is possible to prevent the rotating bodies 6 from being greatly deformed and damaged.

  Since each rotating body 6 has a groove 6c on the inner side surface of the elastic body 6b along the gap of the coil spring 6a, when each rotating body 6 is curved, the groove 6c is formed on the inner side surface of each rotating body 6 by the groove 6c. The space | interval of the wire rod of the coil spring 6a can be shortened easily. Thereby, each rotary body 6 can be easily bent, and each rotary body 6 can be easily rotated. Further, in order to facilitate the bending of each rotating body 6, the material selection range is wide and the material cost can be reduced as compared with the case where a material having a large volume compression rate is used for the elastic body 6b.

Since each rotary body 6 is compressed in the axial direction, the durability of the elastic body 6b is higher than when a tensile stress is applied to each rotary body 6. Moreover, it can also suppress that each rotary body 6 displaces to a rotating shaft direction, or a rotating shaft bends with the force from a ground surface.
Moreover, since the integrity of the wheel 2 and each rotating body 6 is enhanced, more comfortable running performance can be ensured while suppressing vibration and noise during running.

The omnidirectional moving wheel 1 may have a bearing in the gap between the inner wall of the rotating body 6 and the core material 7. In this case, when a load is applied to each rotating body 6, the displacement of the rotating shaft can be reduced so as not to affect the riding comfort. Moreover, each rotating body 6 can be rotated while maintaining the curvature of the rotating shaft.
In order to reduce the weight of the wheel 2 with the omnidirectional moving wheel 1, the fixed plate portion 5a and the support plate portion 5b may be formed in a spoke shape like a bicycle wheel.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel 1, each rotating body 6 may be formed by covering the outer side of the elastic body 6b covering the coil spring 6a with a block-pattern wear-resistant covering material. In this case, the block pattern is formed so that the blocks do not interfere with each other on the wheel side surface 6e of each rotating body 6. Thereby, while durability of each rotary body 6 improves, running property can also be improved. Further, by forming the block pattern with an angle with the rotation axis of the wheel 2, vibration due to the block pattern can be prevented. Note that the block pattern may be formed by carving the surface of the elastic body 6b without the covering material.

  The omnidirectional moving wheel 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is used in a moving device such as a wheelchair. The moving device has, for example, a main body, a pair of fixed wheels, and a pair of omnidirectional moving wheels 1, and the fixed wheels are rotatably mounted with the axial direction fixed to the main body. It is preferable that 1 is rotatably attached to the main body so as to support the main body together with the fixed wheels. This moving device has less vibration and noise during traveling due to the omnidirectional moving wheel 1, and has good running performance even on rough roads. Further, the direction can be changed in an arbitrary direction while the axial directions of the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel 1 are fixed.

  In addition, as for a moving apparatus, the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel 1 may be arrange | positioned in the position of the rectangular vertex. In this case, the balance which supports a main body is good and the stability at the time of driving | running | working is good. Moreover, it is easy to grasp a vehicle sense by the position of the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel 1, and the operability is good. In the caster, in order to secure the direction change space, it must be arranged outside the moving device. However, the omnidirectional moving wheel 1 does not need this, so it is narrower than the fixed wheel, so that the whole is trapezoidal. Can be arranged. For this reason, rotation space, such as a wheelchair, can be made small.

Further, in the moving device, two transmission belts may be wound around the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel 1 so as to be paired with each other. In this case, since the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel 1 can be rotated at the same time, the four-wheel drive is performed, and the stability and running performance are good. Even if there is a step, it can be easily overcome.
The moving device is not limited to four wheels, and may be three wheels, five wheels, six wheels, or the like. For example, in the case of three wheels, the omnidirectional moving wheel 1 consists of one, two, or three.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the omnidirectional moving wheel 1 of the embodiment of the present invention travels in all directions. For example, it can be suitably used as wheels for household vacuum cleaners, trolleys, wheelchairs and the like.

It is a perspective view which shows the omnidirectional movement wheel of embodiment of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the omnidirectional movement wheel shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the roll support pillar of the omnidirectional movement wheel shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the coil spring of the omnidirectional movement wheel shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the rotary body of the omnidirectional movement wheel shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the curved state of the rotary body of the omnidirectional movement wheel shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the curved state of the rotary body of the omnidirectional movement wheel shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheel omnidirectional 2 Wheel 3 Roll 4 Wheel main body 5 Rotating body support part 6 Rotating body 6a Coil spring 6b Elastic body 7 Core material 8 Cap 9 Roll support pillar

  The omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention has a plurality of rotating bodies and wheels, and each rotating body has flexibility capable of bending a rotating shaft, and surrounds the outer periphery of the wheel in a ring shape. Each wheel is compressed in the direction of the rotation axis of each rotating body and is provided on the wheel so that it can be rotated around a rotation axis of a curve along the same vertical plane with respect to the rotation axis of the wheel. It has the rotating body support part which supports the rotating shaft both ends rotatably.

In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, since each rotating body is curved so as to surround the outer periphery of the wheel in a ring shape, it can be grounded by point contact. For this reason, the traveling surface may not be a smooth flat surface, and the vehicle can travel even on rough roads and curved surfaces having irregularities. In addition, since each rotating body is provided in a curved shape, each rotating body can be arranged so as not to overlap with an adjacent rotating body. For this reason, even if each rotating body is formed with a thickness having sufficient strength and elasticity, a gap between adjacent rotating bodies can be reduced, and vibration and noise during traveling can be suppressed.
Since the wheel has a rotating body support part that rotatably supports both ends of the rotating shaft of each rotating body, when a load is applied to each rotating body, the displacement of the rotating shaft is reduced so as not to affect the riding comfort. can do. Moreover, each rotating body can be rotated while maintaining the curvature of the rotating shaft.
Since each rotating body is compressed in the axial direction, its durability can be improved as compared with the case where tensile stress is applied to each rotating body. In addition, it is possible to suppress the displacement of each rotating body in the direction of the rotation axis or the deflection of the rotation axis by the force from the ground plane.

  In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, each rotating body is preferably arranged such that the outer side surface is continuous with the outer side surface of the adjacent rotating body. The outer side surface of the rotator is a side surface of the rotator on the side of contact with the ground, and “continuous” means a state in which the rotator is substantially continuous even if there is a slight gap. In this case, since the gap between the adjacent rotating bodies on the outer side surface of the rotating body becomes small, it is possible to further suppress vibration and noise due to the gap during traveling. In addition, by securing an appropriate gap on the wheel side surface of the rotating body, the roll support column can have a wedge-shaped cross section, and its strength can be ensured.

  An omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention has a plurality of core members, each rotating body is formed of a cylindrical body, each core member is inserted into each rotating body, and both ends thereof are coupled to the rotating body support portion. It is preferable. In this case, the curved shape of the rotating body can be forced to a preferable shape by the shape of the core material, and excessive displacement is suppressed by supporting the rotating body wall even when an overload is applied to each rotating body. Can be reduced, and the impact on ride comfort can be reduced. In addition, the rotating body can be prevented from being greatly deformed and damaged. It is further preferable that the inner wall of each rotating body and the core material are rotatably supported by a bearing or the like.

  In addition, each roll 3 is attached with the rotating body 6 compressed in the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 1, each rotating body 6 is arranged such that the outer side surface 6 d is substantially continuous with the outer side surface 6 d of the adjacent rotating body 6. Each rotating body 6 is arranged from the wheel side surface 6e to the outer side surface 6d so that the clearance between the adjacent rotating bodies 6 is substantially closed by each rotating body support portion 5.

  The omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention has a plurality of rotating bodies and wheels, and each rotating body has flexibility capable of bending a rotating shaft, and surrounds the outer periphery of the wheel in a ring shape. Each wheel is compressed in the direction of the rotation axis of each rotating body and is provided on the wheel so that it can be rotated around a rotation axis of a curve along the same vertical plane with respect to the rotation axis of the wheel. It has the rotating body support part which supports both ends of these so that rotation is possible, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each roll 3 is curved so as to surround the outer periphery of the wheel 2 in a ring shape, and is disposed between two roll support columns 9. Each roll 3 is fixed by fitting the center fixing portion 8a of the cap 8 into the rotating body fixing hole 5c so that each engaging protrusion 8e engages with each notch 5f. Each engaging protrusion 8e engages with each notch 5f, so that the center fixing portion 8a and the core member 7 of the cap 8 are not rotated together with the rotating body 6. Each roll 3 is held between two roll support columns 9, and the rotating body 6 and the core material 7 are held in a shape obtained by curving a cylinder in an arc shape. Each rotating body 6 is supported at both ends of the rotating body by two rotating body support portions 5. Each rotating body 6 is provided on the wheel 2 so as to be rotatable around a rotational axis of a curve along the same vertical plane with respect to the rotational axis of the wheel 2.

An omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention has a plurality of rotating bodies and wheels, each rotating body is formed by covering a coil spring with an elastic body, and has flexibility capable of bending a rotating shaft, Curved so as to surround the outer periphery of the wheel in a ring shape, and each wheel is compressed in the direction of the rotation axis of each rotating body so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis of a curve along the same vertical plane with respect to the rotation axis of the wheel. The wheel has a rotating body support portion that rotatably supports both ends of each rotating body.

In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, each rotating body is formed by covering a coil spring with an elastic body. Therefore, by appropriately selecting the diameter of the coil spring and the coil diameter, the diameter of the coil spring can be determined. Sufficient resistance strength against direction collapse can be obtained. Further, by appropriately selecting the free length, the number of turns, etc., the displacement due to the load of the rotating body rotating shaft can be made sufficiently small, and the ground contact outer peripheral contour is not easily broken. In addition, on the outer side surface of each rotating body, the distance between the wire rods of the coil spring is increased due to the bending, but it can be smoothly rotated by the elastic body. The coil spring provides strength against the load, and the elastic body provides elasticity at the time of ground contact. Therefore, the load resistance can be improved, and at the same time, the vehicle can run while suppressing vibrations, and the ride comfort can be improved. In the omnidirectional moving wheel according to the present invention, it is preferable that the rotating body is formed by covering a coil spring with an elastic body in a cylindrical shape.

Claims (16)

Having a wheel and a plurality of rotating bodies,
Each rotating body has flexibility capable of bending the rotation axis, and is curved so as to surround the outer periphery of the wheel in a ring shape, and each has a curved rotation axis along the same vertical plane with respect to the rotation axis of the wheel. That the wheel is rotatably provided as a center,
Features omnidirectional moving wheels.   The omnidirectional moving wheel according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body is formed by coating a coil spring in a cylindrical shape with an elastic body.   3. The omnidirectional device according to claim 1, wherein each of the rotating bodies is arranged such that an outer side surface thereof is continuous with an outer side surface of an adjacent rotating body along a circle centering on a rotation axis of the wheel. Moving wheels.   The omnidirectional moving wheel according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the wheel has a rotating body support portion that rotatably supports both ends of the rotating shaft of each rotating body.   Each of the rotating bodies includes a cylindrical body, the wheel includes a rotating body support portion that rotatably supports both ends of the rotating shaft of each rotating body, and each core member includes an inner portion of each rotating body. The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the omnidirectionally moving wheel is inserted into the rotating body support portion and both ends thereof are coupled to the rotating body support portion.   The omnidirectional moving wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rotating body is compressed in an axial direction.   The omnidirectional moving wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wheel has a plurality of plate members that block gaps between two adjacent rotating bodies.   The rotating body includes a spring formed by connecting a plurality of rings arranged at intervals in parallel with an elastic material, a spring having a double wall structure in which coil springs are stacked on the inside and outside, and a plurality of coil springs having the same pitch. A multi-spindle spring, bamboo shoot spring, bellows, coil spring of irregular cross-section wire rod, compression coil spring or tension coil spring arranged in the axial direction is covered with an elastic body in a cylindrical shape. Item 8. The omnidirectional moving wheel according to item 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.   The wheel includes a wheel body and a plurality of rotating body support portions, each rotating body includes a cylindrical body, each rotating body support portion is radially fixed to the outer periphery of the wheel body, and each of two adjacent rotating bodies is The omnidirectionally moving wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the omnidirectionally moving wheel is disposed between and supports each rotating body so as to be rotatable on an inner periphery of an end thereof.   The rotating body is formed by covering a coil spring with an elastic body in a cylindrical shape, and has a groove on a side surface along a gap of the coil spring. Or the omnidirectional moving wheel of 9.   The omnidirectional moving wheel according to claim 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 9, wherein the rotating body is formed of a coil spring in which a wire is covered with an elastic body.   The rotating body has a cylindrical side surface, a side surface continuously curved in a convex shape from both ends to the center, or a side surface in which both end portions are concave and the central portion is continuously curved in a convex shape. Item 12. The omnidirectional moving wheel according to any one of items 1 to 11.   A moving apparatus comprising the omnidirectional moving wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 12 in a main body. A main body, a pair of fixed wheels, and at least one omnidirectional moving wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
The fixed wheel is rotatably mounted with the axial direction fixed to the main body,
The omnidirectional moving wheel is rotatably attached to the main body so as to support the main body together with the fixed wheel.   The moving device according to claim 14, wherein the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel are arranged at a vertex of a rectangle.   16. The moving apparatus according to claim 15, wherein two transmission belts are wound around the fixed wheel and the omnidirectional moving wheel so as to be paired with each other.

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