Most wheeled vehicles are designed for efficient movement on hard road surfaces and packed dirt roads but are less efficient or struggle to operate on more extreme off-road terrains. Converting a wheeled vehicle to a tracked vehicle enables a vehicle to access more extreme terrains; however, this comes at the expense of speed, maneuverability, and efficiency of operation on hard road surfaces.
Conversion of a wheeled vehicle to a tracked vehicle is currently accomplished through commercially available track conversion kits. Conversion requires complete removal of the wheels and installation of a track unit in place of each wheel. This process can take an hour or more to complete. Track units typically limit the top speed of the vehicle to 45 miles per hour/70 kilometers per hour or less. Track units cover a breadth of scales, from small consumer-grade all-terrain vehicles with capacities of a few hundred pounds, to large agricultural equipment with capacities of many tons.
A transforming wheel/track unit would transform from wheeled mode to track mode and back without the need for replacement of the wheels with track units and vice-versa. Preferably, a transforming wheel/track unit would be able to transform between modes while the vehicle is in motion. There are currently no commercially available transforming wheel/track units. As such, it would be desirable to have a vehicle equipped with transport units that can convert on-the-fly between wheeled and track modes.
The Reconfigurable Wheel-Track (RWT) is a novel mechanism that allows a wheel to transform into a track, and vice versa. The wheel mode enables quick travel over smooth terrains, while the track mode increases surface area and allows for travel over extreme terrains. The RWT consists of several main components and systems: a tread that can assume a track shape or a wheel shape, a drive mechanism, support mechanisms, and a reconfiguration mechanism that facilitates the transitions between wheel mode and track mode.
In wheel mode, the tread is supported by a frame and moveable roller wings that form the round wheel shape. When the wheel is in the proper orientation and the device begins its transition, gravity and ground forces on the tread allows the transition from wheel mode to track mode to occur, and vice versa. The frame and a set of idler wheels, as well as a drive sprocket, maintain the track shape when the device is in track mode.
A novelty of this invention is that the mode transition of the RWT can occur on-the-fly, i.e. while the vehicle is in motion. In wheel mode, the entire RWT, including the tread and center assembly, are rotating. As the braking mechanism engages, the center assembly is brought to a stop, while the tread continues to move the vehicle at a constant speed, driven by the drive mechanism that includes a sprocket that engages the tread.
The reconfigurable wheel-track (RWT) is a mechanism that allows a wheel to transform into a track, and vice versa. The wheel permits a vehicle to travel quickly over smooth and semi-rough terrain, then transform rapidly into a powered track for crossing extreme terrain. The RWT consists of several main components: a tread, a drive mechanism for driving the device when in track mode, support mechanisms for the tread when in either wheel mode or track mode and a reconfiguration mechanism that facilitates the transition from a wheel to a track and vice versa.
In the wheel mode, the tread is locked in place with respect to the assembly by a braking mechanism and held rigidly around the circumference by the lower frame and the roller wings, both of which are equipped with rolling bogies around their respective outer edges. Transition to the track mode is accomplished by actuating specialized mechanisms that move component in a way that a new shape is attained. Once in the track mode, the tread is driven by a single sprocket driven by the half shaft of the vehicle. The transition between modes is accomplished on-the-fly, while the vehicle is in motion.
Disclosed herein is a configuration utilizing a single fixed drive sprocket, compared to other RWT mechanisms that use multiple adjustable position drive sprockets. There are two mechanisms which are actuated to affect the transition. Clock-hand linkages lower internal roller wings to bring the tread drive sprocket into contact with the tread. A second mechanism retracts a portion of the lower half of the wheel-tread (the “half-moon”) which simultaneously deploys idler wheels by means of a linkage.
A central frame houses the main drive components, routing the input power from the vehicle half shaft. The lower frame consists of two half-moon pieces joined together and contains a lead screw drive mechanism to raise and lower the central frame with respect to the lower frame for the wheel to track transition. There are small wheel rollers around the periphery of the lower frame and the roller wings to form the wheel shape and support the tread. Large idlers also attach between the lower frame and the central frame and are deployed by relative motion between the two frames. The roller wings rotate via a worm gear drive mechanism around the center of the wheel.
View (A) of
With reference to
The transition between wheel mode and track mode is achieved through the use of roller wings 310 and lift mechanism 309. Roller wings 310 are attached to a central pivot by clock hand-style linkages 311. The clock hand linkages 311 and wings 310 are connected through a guide slot 502, which provides additional support and hard stops for the limits of travel of the roller wings 310. Motion of the clock hand linkages 311 is achieved by worm 403 and worm gear 318. Two sections of worm gear 318 are fixed to the lower frame 314 (one for each clock hand linkage 311). Rotation of the worm 403 by a motor 402 and gear system 404, 406 move the clock hand linkages 311.
Lifting mechanism 309 can be seen in
One of the challenges of the wheel-track mechanism is providing power to the tread drive sprockets. The single fixed-sprocket half-moon concept provides a simple type of power transmission. It uses a single, fixed position tread drive sprocket, illustrated by reference number 816 in
With reference to
Input shaft 812 is connected to a chain and sprocket drive 804, which transmits the input power to the tread drive axle and provides the necessary speed ratio increase to maintain a constant vehicle stub shaft speed whether in wheel or track mode. The tread drive sprocket 816 is mounted on bearings on the axle. It is coupled to the axle via a pneumatic clutch/brake assembly 802 which connects the drive sprocket 816 to the frame 301. This dual clutch/brake arrangement allows for flexibility of power transmission during mode transition.
To route pneumatic and electrical power from the vehicle into the assembly, rotary unions and slip rings are used. The clutch and brake assembly 802 at sprocket 816 also requires adding additional rotary union. This rotary union is attached to the sprocket drive axle, which is hollow and cross drilled to provide a route for the pneumatic power to the clutch.
As would be realized by one of skill in the art, the exact arrangements of components in the foregoing description are provided to explain the invention. Other arrangements are possible and will still be considered within the scope of the invention.
This application is a national phase filing under 35 U.S.C. § 371 claiming the benefit of and priority to International Patent Application No. PCT/US2020/030404, filed Apr. 29, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/840,217, filed Apr. 29, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
This invention was made with government support under contract W56HZV-16-C-0026 awarded by the DARPA. The government has certain rights in the invention.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2020/030404 | 4/29/2020 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2020/223305 | 11/5/2020 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2173793 | Doblhoff | Sep 1939 | A |
5492390 | Kugelmann, Sr. | Feb 1996 | A |
6422576 | Michaeli et al. | Jul 2002 | B1 |
9522708 | He | Dec 2016 | B2 |
9796434 | Alidan | Oct 2017 | B2 |
20080061627 | Spector | Mar 2008 | A1 |
20110037311 | Stolkin | Feb 2011 | A1 |
20140035355 | He | Feb 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
102514446 | Jun 2012 | CN |
104443088 | Mar 2015 | CN |
105564148 | May 2016 | CN |
105774930 | Jul 2016 | CN |
105882774 | Aug 2016 | CN |
109131610 | Jan 2019 | CN |
109383646 | Feb 2019 | CN |
109649075 | Apr 2019 | CN |
111096113 | May 2020 | CN |
210455005 | May 2020 | CN |
210617739 | May 2020 | CN |
2019025929 | Feb 2019 | WO |
Entry |
---|
CN-105882774-A translation (Year: 2016). |
CN-109383646-A (Year: 2019). |
International Search Report and Written Opinion for International Patent Application No. PCT/US20/30404 mailed on Aug. 3, 2020, 8 pages. |
Reconfigurable Wheel Track & Extreme Travel Suspension By DARPA' (DPCcars) Jun. 24, 2018 (Jun. 24, 2018) [online] retrieved from <URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iq0Dh0Czls> entire document, especially demonstration 0:00-0:29. |
International Search Report and Written Opinion for International Patent Application No. PCT/US2020/030392 mailed on Aug. 4, 2020, 9 pages. |
International Search Report and Written Opinion for International Patent Application No. PCT/US20/30395 mailed on Aug. 3, 2020, 8 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20220169324 A1 | Jun 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62840217 | Apr 2019 | US |