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US 12,344,033 B2Granted
Wheel assembly including hinged outer rim segments and related methods
AssigneeGacw Incorporated
InventorZoltan Kemeny
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheel assembly may include an inner rim, and an outer rim surrounding the inner rim. The outer rim may include outer rim segments each hingeably coupled in end-to-end relation to an adjacent outer rim segment to define the outer rim. The wheel assembly may also include gas springs operatively coupled between the inner and outer rims, and tread members each carried by a respective one of outer rim segments.
Claims19
A wheel assembly comprising:
- an inner rim;
- an outer rim surrounding the inner rim and comprising a plurality of outer rim segments each hingeably coupled in end-to-end relation to an adjacent outer rim segment to define the outer rim;
- a plurality of gas springs operatively coupled between the inner and outer rims, the plurality of gas springs comprising a plurality of inboard gas springs and a plurality of outboard gas springs arranged in pairs so that an inboard gas spring of a given pair is coupled to a respective outer rim segment adjacent a first circumferential end thereof and an outboard gas spring of the given pair is coupled adjacent a second circumferential end of the respective outer rim segment opposite the first circumferential end and crosses the inboard gas spring in a radial direction;
- and
- a plurality of tread members each carried by a respective one of the outer rim segments.
2 more elements
A wheel assembly comprising:
- an inner rim;
- an outer rim surrounding the inner rim and comprising a plurality of outer rim segments each hingeably coupled in end-to-end relation to an adjacent outer rim segment to define the outer rim;
- a plurality of inboard gas springs and outboard gas springs operatively coupled between the inner and outer rims, the plurality of inboard gas springs and outboard gas springs arranged in pairs so that an inboard gas spring of a given pair is coupled to a respective outer rim segment adjacent a first circumferential end thereof and an outboard gas spring of the given pair is coupled adjacent a second circumferential end of the respective outer rim segment opposite the first circumferential end and crosses the inboard gas spring in a radial direction;
- a plurality of hinge retainers serving as lateral stops coupled between the inner and outer rims;
- and
- a plurality of tread members each carried by a respective one of the outer rim segments.
3 more elements
A method of making a wheel assembly comprising:
- hingeably coupling a plurality of outer rim segments in end-to-end relation to an adjacent outer rim segment to define an outer rim;
- operatively coupling a plurality of gas springs between an inner rim and the outer rim, the plurality of gas springs comprising a plurality of inboard gas springs and a plurality of outboard gas springs arranged in pairs so that an inboard gas spring of a given pair is coupled to a respective outer rim segment adjacent a first circumferential end thereof and an outboard gas spring of the given pair is coupled adjacent a second circumferential end of the respective outer rim segment opposite the first circumferential end and crosses the inboard gas spring in a radial direction;
- and
- mounting each of a plurality of tread members on a respective one of the outer rim segments.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.