The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Radio Controlled (RC) model vehicles have a long history as an enjoyable hobby for people of all ages. Over the years, the RC industry has grown and branched off into many sizeable sub-segments, one of which is off-road racing. Off-road racing has various classes, leagues, and vehicle types for people to experience the thrills of off-road racing in a smaller, sometimes scale versions of full-size vehicles. The intensity and competitiveness of racing has led to full-time four-wheel drive, full electric vs. nitro combustion engine, and innovative use of materials and designs to improve reliability, cost, and lightness.
During extreme racing situations and conditions, components can sometimes break in a primary failure. In some cases, the fracturing of gears and metal in a transmission (for example) have resulted in damage to other components along a driveline. Minimizing potential secondary damage caused by a primary fracture helps in quickly repairing and re-fielding an off-road RC model vehicle after a primary failure.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In accordance with one embodiment, a model vehicle comprising an enclosed driveline is provided. The enclosed driveline comprises a propulsion section including a propulsion housing having a first propulsion access and a second propulsion access. The model vehicle further has a motor drive input associated with the first propulsion access and a motor drive output associated with the second propulsion access. Wherein the motor drive input is coupled to the motor drive output within the propulsion housing.
The model vehicle further comprises a power delivery section, further comprising a power delivery housing having a first power delivery access and a second power delivery access. The power delivery section also comprises a driveshaft passing through the first power delivery access and the second power delivery access and a first washer and a second washer. The first washer is provided in a first washer holder and inhibits contaminants from passing through the first propulsion access while the second washer is provided in a second washer holder and inhibits contaminates from passing through the second propulsion access. Wherein the power delivery housing encloses the driveshaft, the motor drive output is coupled of one end of the driveshaft and wherein failure in one section is inhibited from passing through to another section.
Other or alternative features will become apparent from the following description, from the drawings, and from the claims.
Certain embodiments will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It should be understood, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various technologies described herein. The drawings are as follows:
In the following specification, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known elements have been illustrated in schematic or block diagram form in order not to obscure embodiments of the present disclosure in unnecessary detail.
Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “one aspect,” “an aspect,” or “some aspects” means that a particular feature, structure, method, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or aspect is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” or “in some embodiments” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, methods, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. The words “including” and “having” shall have the same meaning as the word “comprising.”
Moreover, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
In an exemplary embodiment referring generally to
As shown in
Each of the various sections will comprise a housing. In some cases, the various section will share a wall and an output from one section will lead directly into an input into another section. The outputs and inputs are usually shielded by close tolerance to the mechanism passing through, bearings, or washers, among other techniques. The barriers do not need to be waterproof, but use of an enclosed driveline may render the system significantly water resistant.
Turning now to
Looking at
The ratioed output from the propulsion section 200 exits the second propulsion access 230 and enters into the first transmission access 310 provided in the transmission housing 310. As shown in the view in
The second driveshaft 700 transmits the transmission output to the second differential input via the first differential access 620 provided in the differential housing 610. The differential then provides output for the wheels (not shown) via the second differential first access 630 and the second differential second access 640. All of the various accesses provided the respective housings shown in this FIG. are shielded via bearings at the access locations. The bearings help to complete the respective housing enclosures and restrict or inhibit the movement of broken components from one section to another section.
In addition, the heavier dark lines are used to indicate the barriers formed by the housings. In this view, there is a first barrier 140 between the motor 110 and the propulsion section 200, a second barrier 150 between the propulsion section 200 and the transmission section 300, a fourth barrier 160 leaving the third transmission access 340 and a fifth barrier 170 entering into the first differential access 620.
This FIG. shows a motor 110 ultimately providing a power input 120 to the rear wheels (not shown) via the second differential access 630 and the third differential access 640. This exemplary embodiment is a four-wheel drive embodiment. The current route powers the rear wheels (not shown). The transmission section 300 also provides rotative power to the front wheels (also not shown) via the second transmission access 330, the power delivery section 400 and the first differential section 500 (see
In
Referring back to
Although only a few example embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that a wide range of variations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of the present disclosure may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features.
It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6 for any limitations of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words ‘means for’ together with an associated function.
This application (claims the benefit of a related U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/414,088 filed Oct. 7, 2022, entitled “MODEL VEHICLE SEALED DRIVELINE,” to Casey Christen Jens Christensen et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63414088 | Oct 2022 | US |