Resilient wheels

A wheel, comprising:

• a hub assembly;
• a flexible rim;
• a spoke band assembly extending from the hub assembly to the flexible rim to form a plurality of spokes, the spoke band assembly comprising a plurality of spoke bands;
• spoke hinge assemblies including universal hinge joints, configured to attach each spoke of the plurality of spokes to the flexible rim and support two directions of rotation of each spoke of the plurality of spokes with respect to the flexible rim;
• wherein each spoke is formed from the plurality of spoke bands separated apart by a plurality of diverters;
• wherein the plurality of diverters are part of the hub assembly;
• wherein each spoke has a spoke length defined to be a distance along the spoke from a point of contact of the spoke on the flexible rim to a point of origin of the spoke at the hub assembly;
• and
• wherein the spoke band assembly is configured such that contact of the flexible rim with an object as the wheel moves forward causes the spoke length of a number of the spokes to shorten and the spoke length of an equal number of the spokes to lengthen.

A wheel, comprising:

• an axle assembly, including:
• a central axle;
• and
• one or two spoke band retention flanges configured to align a plurality of spoke bands across a surface of a plurality of diverters;
• a hub assembly, including:
• the axle assembly;
• and
• the plurality of diverters;
• a spoke band assembly, including the plurality of spoke bands;
• and
• a flexible rim;
• wherein the spoke band assembly extends from the hub assembly to the flexible rim to form a plurality of spokes, each spoke being formed from the plurality of spoke bands separated apart by the plurality of diverters, each spoke having a spoke length defined to be a distance along the spoke from a point of contact of the spoke on the flexible rim to a point of origin of the spoke at the hub assembly;
• wherein the spoke band assembly is configured such that contact of the flexible rim with an object as the wheel moves forward causes the spoke length of a number of the spokes to shorten and the spoke length of an equal number of the spokes to lengthen;
• and
• wherein the one or two spoke band retention flanges aligns the spoke band assembly into one central plane normal to the central axle.

A method comprising:

• approaching an obstruction with a wheel, the wheel including:
• a hub assembly;
• a flexible rim;
• a spoke band assembly extending from the hub assembly to the flexible rim to form a plurality of single-band spokes, the spoke band assembly comprising a plurality of distinct spoke bands;
• wherein each spoke of the plurality of single-band spokes is formed from distinct spoke bands separated apart by a plurality of single band diverters and a plurality of dual band diverters;
• wherein the plurality of single band diverters and the plurality of dual band diverters are part of the hub assembly, and each of the plurality of dual band diverters is configured to press against two adjacent spoke bands of the plurality of distinct spoke bands and rotate in the same direction as the two adjacent spoke bands, resulting in each of the two adjacent spoke bands traveling in opposite directions;
• wherein each spoke has a spoke length defined to be a distance along the spoke from a point of contact of the spoke on the flexible rim to a point of origin of the spoke at the hub assembly;
• and
• wherein the spoke band assembly is configured such that contact of the flexible rim with an object as the wheel moves forward causes the spoke length of a number of the spokes to shorten and the spoke length of an equal number of the spokes to lengthen;
• and
• traversing over the obstruction through rotation of the wheel and wave motion of the wheel, wherein the wave motion includes a complementary shortening and elongating of the plurality of single-band spokes as the hub assembly travels along an advance spoke and the advance spoke rotates downward and becomes a grounded spoke, wherein the advance spoke is elongated and the grounded spoke is shortened, and wherein the complementary shortening and elongating of the plurality of single-band spokes is due to the dual band diverters pressing against the two adjacent spoke bands.