Patent Application
20170349042
The present invention is generally related to universal wheels, and more particular to a universal wheel driven by two driving elements so that the wheel provides movements toward various directions around 360 degrees.
When a wheel on a vehicle or other device is turned, the vehicle or the device usually can only move forward or backward, and cannot spin in place.
For example, for curbside parking, a driver of the vehicle should have certain skill and experience to operate the vehicle so as to avoid scratch or collision to the vehicle. There are universal wheels that can be turned in place within 360 degrees, but these universal wheels usually involve a number of wheel members and as such are complicated and costly.
Therefore, the present invention teaches a universal wheel that can be turned 360 degrees when standing in place, and can be moved forward, laterally, slantwise, rotationally, or in a combination of these operations.
The universal wheel includes a base member, a connection member, a wheel member, a first driving element, and a second driving element. The connection member has a first end fixed to a top side of the base member. The wheel member is rotatably joined to the base member. The first driving element is configured on the base member for rotating the base member laterally within 360 degrees. The second driving element is coupled to the wheel member for rotating the wheel member.
The first end of the connection member is threaded through the top side of the base member and joined to a first fastening element so that the first end of the connection member is fixed to a bottom face of the top side of the base member.
The first end of the connection member is configured with flange segments for locking with the first fastening element.
A second end of the connection member is threaded through a second fastening element, and the first driving element engages the second fastening element so that the base member is rotatable laterally.
The first driving element is a motor.
The second driving element engages an axle of the wheel member so that the wheel member is turned clockwise or counterclockwise around the axle.
The second driving element is a motor.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
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While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention.
