Frictional propulsion device and vehicle using same

A frictional propulsion device, comprising:

• a body frame;
• a main wheel including an annular core member having a rotational center line extending laterally and a plurality of driven rollers fitted on and arranged circumferentially along the annular core member so as to be rotatable around tangential lines of the annular core member at respective positions thereof on the annular core member;
• a support shaft supported by the body frame and extending laterally across an interior of the main wheel;
• a pair of drive disks positioned on either side of the main wheel and rotatably supported by the support shaft;
• a plurality of drive rollers supported along an outer periphery of each drive disk so as to be each rotatable around a rotational center line extending in a skewed relationship to a rotational center line of the corresponding drive disk, an outer circumferential surface of each drive roller being in engagement with an outer circumferential surface of the driven rollers;
• a drive unit supported by the body frame to individually rotatively drive the drive disks;
• and
• a plurality of guide rollers rotatably supported by the body frame and engaging at least one of the driven rollers not engaged by any of the drive rollers from either side.