# US 2019/0168832 A1 · System for transferring rotational, mechanical motion into sinusoidal wave-like motion > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168832 A1 - Document ID: US20190168832A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/078,661 - Filed: 2017-02-21 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-23 - Assignees: B.G. Negev Technologies and Applications Ltd., At Ben-Gurion University - Applicants: B.G. Negev Technologies and Applications Ltd., At Ben-Gurion University - Inventors: David ZARROUK - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168832A1 ## CPC - B62D 57/032: with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid (B62D57/024 takes precedence) - B62D 57/02: with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members - B62D 57/028: having wheels and mechanical legs (B62D57/024 takes precedence; ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle, wholly or in part B60S9/00) - F04B 19/00: Machines or pumps having pertinent characteristics not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F04B1/00 - F04B17/00 - F04B 19/08: Scoop devices - F16H 25/14: with reciprocation perpendicular to the axis of rotation (crank or eccentric gearings without swinging connecting-rod F16H21/36) - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) - F16H: GEARING ## Abstract The present invention relates to a device and method for transferring rotational, mechanical motion into sinusoidal wave-like motion. The device comprises at least one motor, generating rotational movement around a first Cartesian axis; an elongated rod, curved in the form of a helix, substantially aligned along said first Cartesian axis, and rotated by the at least one motor; a surface comprised of discrete, connected hollow elements, wherein: (i) the curved rod is interlaced within the said discrete hollow elements, such that the surface is undulated, and the rotation of the curved rod dynamically changes the surface's shape, moving the discrete hollow elements along a second perpendicular Cartesian axis, thus creating a wave like motion; (ii) the width of each said discrete hollow element is slightly larger than the diameter of the helix-shaped rod, so as while rotating, the elongated rod is freely movable within the cavity of the discrete hollow elements, along the third perpendicular Cartesian axis; (iii) the said surface interacts with the surrounding medium or base-surface upon-which the device is moving, wherein said interaction is generated by said wave-like motion, such that the said interaction creates a propelling force that drives said device forward or backward along the said first Cartesian axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for transferring rotational, mechanical motion into sinusoidal wave-like motion, said device comprising: a. at least one motor, generating rotational movement around a first Cartesian axis; b. an elongated rod, curved in the form of a helix, substantially aligned along said first Cartesian axis, and rotated by the at least one motor; c. a surface comprised of discrete, connected hollow elements, wherein: i. the curved rod is interlaced within the said discrete hollow elements, such that the surface is undulated, and the rotation of the curved rod dynamically changes the surface's shape, moving the discrete hollow elements along a second perpendicular Cartesian axis, thus creating a wave like motion; ii. the width of each said discrete hollow element is slightly larger than the diameter of the helix-shaped rod, so as while rotating, the elongated rod is freely movable within the cavity of the discrete hollow elements, along the third perpendicular Cartesian axis; iii. the said surface interacts with the surrounding medium or base-surface upon-which the device is moving, wherein said interaction is generated by said wave-like motion, such that the said interaction creates a propelling force that drives said device forward or backward along the said first Cartesian axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the discrete hollow elements individually rotate about the said second Cartesian axis during the said wave-like motion, so as to apply a force component in the direction of the first Cartesian axis on the base surface, at the point of contact of each discrete hollow element with the base surface, thus propelling the device forward in the direction of the first Cartesian axis direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein if the device is set to move upon a horizontal surface, the said wave-like motion will include movement of the discrete hollow elements along the vertical axis, and thus will enable the device to overcome obstacles in its path by climbing over them. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2 wherein if the device is set to move upon a horizontal surface, the said force component in the direction of the first Cartesian axis will be applied by both the lower and upper discrete hollow elements, so as to enable the device to advance through horizontal narrow passageways defined by walls that are in contact with the device from above and below. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein if the device is set to move through vertical narrow passageways defined by walls that are in contact with the device on both sides of the wave-like shaped surface, the said force component in the direction of the first Cartesian axis will be applied by discrete hollow elements on both sides of the wave-like shaped surface, so as to enable the device to advance upwards or downwards through the said narrow vertical passageway. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the pitch of the helix-shaped rod corresponds with the wave length of the created wave-shaped surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the said connected discrete elements are implemented as a plurality of hollow links connected in series, wherein the said helix-shaped rod passes through the said plurality of hollow links. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein each link comprises a hollow rectangular shape with two side members, a top member and a bottom member, forming the rectangular shape. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein each link comprises two distal arms extending distally from the side members, one distal arm from each side member; and each link comprises two proximal arms extending proximally from the side members, one proximal arm from each side member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the angle between each distal arm and the side member it extends from is substantially a right angle; and wherein the angle between each proximal arm and the side member it extends from is substantially a right angle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein each pair of distal arms of each of the links in the series, which has a distal link, connects to the proximal arms of the distal adjacent link in the series. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein a. each proximal arm and each distal arm comprises an aperture; b. the proximal and distal arms comprise inner recessed regions; c. each pair of distal arms of each of the links in the series that has a distal link, connect to the proximal arms of the distal adjacent link in the series; d. the recessed regions of the distal arms of the link face the recessed regions of the proximal arms of the distal link such that the apertures in each distal arm of the link are aligned with the corresponding apertures on the same side, in each proximal arm of the distal link forming pairs of aligned apertures; and e. connecting means are inserted into each pair of aligned apertures. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein the motor is placed within a housing, and said housing is connected by means of hinge joints to two proximal arms extending proximally therefrom; and wherein the two proximal arms are connected at their proximal ends to the most distal link in the series of connected links to the most distal link's distal arms. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The device of claim 13, wherein the two proximal arms extending proximally from the motor housing each comprise an aperture near their proximal ends which are placed in a manner such that they are aligned with the corresponding apertures of the distal arms of the most distal link in the series of connected links forming pairs of aligned apertures; and wherein connecting means are inserted into each pair of aligned apertures. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein the top member and/or the bottom member of each rectangular link includes protrusions that elongate the distance between the center of the said rectangular links and their point of contact with the ground, thus increasing the device's travelled distance within each full rotation of the helix-shaped rod. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein the protrusions of each adjacent pair of rectangular links are designed in a spatially complementary manner, so as not to interfere with one another's movement, and not collide during the wave-like motion of the said surface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein the protrusions of each adjacent group of three or more rectangular links are designed in a spatially complementary manner, so as not to interfere with one another's movement, and not collide during the wave-like motion of the said surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one wheel located at one extremity of the device along the first Cartesian axis, enabling a user to steer the device in a preferred direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, further comprising a microcontroller, enabling a user to control at least one of the following parameters of the device's motion: a. speed of motor rotation; b. velocity of the wave-like motion of the undulated surface; c. speed of the device's propagation upon the base surface; d. direction of the device's propagation along the first Cartesian axis; e. steering direction of the at least one wheel. ### Claim 20 A device for transferring rotational, mechanical motion at a first Cartesian axis, into cyclic motion along a second perpendicular Cartesian axis, said device comprising: a. at least one motor, generating rotational movement around a first Cartesian axis; b. an elongated rod curved in a specific shape, substantially aligned along said first Cartesian axis, and rotated by the at least one motor; c. a surface comprised of discrete, connected hollow elements, wherein: i. the curved rod is interlaced within the said discrete hollow elements, such that the surface is shaped, and the rotation of the curved rod dynamically changes the surface's structure in accordance with the curved rod specific shape, moving the discrete hollow elements along a second perpendicular Cartesian axis, thus creating a cyclic motion; ii. the width of each said discrete hollow element is slightly larger than the diameter of the curved shaped rod, so as while rotating, the elongated rod is freely movable within the cavity of the discrete hollow elements, along the third perpendicular Cartesian axis; iii. the said surface interacts with the surrounding medium or base-surface upon which the device is moving, wherein said interaction is generated by said cyclic motion, such that the said interaction creates a propelling force that drives said device forward or backward along the said first Cartesian axis. ### Claim 21 A method for transferring rotational, mechanical motion at a first Cartesian axis, into sinusoidal wave-like motion along a second perpendicular Cartesian axis, said method comprising: a. generating rotational movement around a first Cartesian axis of an elongated rod curved in a helix shape, substantially aligned along said first Cartesian axis, and rotated by the at least one motor; b. moving the elongated rod within the cavity of connected discrete hollow elements, such that the discrete hollow elements form a surface having wave like shaped, and the rotation of the curved rod dynamically changes the surface's structure in accordance with the curved rod specific shape, moving the discrete hollow elements along a second perpendicular Cartesian axis, thus creating a wave like motion; wherein the said surface interacts with the surrounding medium or base-surface upon which the device is moving, wherein said interaction is generated by said wavelike motion, such that the said interaction creates a propelling force that drives said device forward or backward along the said first Cartesian axis. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The robotic device according to claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the helix rod is round.