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US 4,715,460 AGranted
Omnidirectional vehicle base
AssigneeInternational Texas Industries, Inc.
InventorRobert E. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An omnidirectional wheelchair base 7 includes upper 10 and lower 20 flexible base plates held in spaced-apart alignment by a pair of front supports 14 and 16 and a rear support 18. A pair of front wheels 22 and 26 are provided, each mounted on the front supports 14 and 16, respectively, and each having an axis of rotation wherein the angle between the axes of rotations of each of the front wheels is less than 180.degree.. A rear wheel is mounted on the rear support and has an axis of rotation less than 180.degree. from each of the front wheels.
Claims24
An vehicle base comprising:
- an upper flexible base plate;
- a lower flexible base plate;
- a pair of front supports and a rear support disposed between and attached to the upper and the lower base plates to maintain the plates at a fixed separation;
- a pair of front wheels each mounted on one of the front supports and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the respective axes of rotations of each of the front wheels being less than 180.degree.;
- and
- a rear wheel mounted on the rear support and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the axis of rotation of the rear wheel and the axis of rotation of either front wheel being less than 180.degree..
3 more elements
An omnidirectional vehicle base comprising:
- an upper base plate;
- a lower base plate;
- a pair of front supports and a rear support disposed between and attached to the upper and the lower base plates to maintain the plates at a fixed separation;
- a pair of front wheels each mounted on one of the front supports and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the respective axes of rotations of each of the front wheels being less than 180.degree.;
- a rear wheel mounted on the rear support and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the axis of rotation of the rear wheel and the axis of rotation of either front wheel being less than 180.degree.;
- wherein each of the front and rear wheels includes a frame and a plurality of rollers disposed about the circumference of the wheel and attached to the frame, each roller having an axis of rotation corresponding to a chord of the circumference of the wheel on which it is disposed.
3 more elements
An omnidirectional vehicle base comprising:
- an upper baseplate;
- a lower baseplate;
- a pair of front supports and a rear support disposed between and attached to the upper and lower baseplates to maintain the plates at a fixed separation;
- a pair of front wheels, each mounted on one of the front supports and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the respective axes of rotations of each of the front wheels being less than 180.degree..
- a rear wheel mounted on the rear support and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the axis of rotation of the rear wheel and the axis of rotation of either front wheel being less than 180.degree.;
- and
- wherein each of the front and rear wheels includes a frame and a plurality of rollers disposed about the circumference of the wheel and attached to the frame, each roller having an axis of rotation corresponding to a chord of the circumference of the wheel on which it is disposed, and each roller comprising:
- a central portion and two end portions, each end portion being spaced apart by a bearing from the central portion;
- and
- a roller axle extending through the center of each of the end and central portions and through the bearings;
- wherein the diameter of each roller varies from a first larger amount at the center of the length of the roller to a second smaller amount at each end of the roller for providing each wheel with a substantially circular periphery.
8 more elements
A vehicle base comprising:
- an upper flexible base plate;
- a lower flexible base plate;
- a pair of front supports and a rear support disposed between and attached to the upper and the lower base plates to maintain the plates at a fixed separation;
- a rear wheel mounted on the rear support and having an axis of rotation;
- and
- a pair of front wheels each mounted on one of the front supports and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the respective axes of rotations of each of the front wheels being less than 180.degree., and the axis of each front wheel being approximately 104.75.degree. forward from the axis of the rear wheel.
3 more elements
A wheel capable of revolution about an axis and translation along the axis comprising:
- hub means adapted to be rotatably coupled to the axis;
- a plurality of pairs of projecting members extending outwardly from the hub means, each pair of the members including means for receiving an axle;
- roller means disposed about each axle, each roller means including a central portion extending between the pair of members and two end portions disposed at opposite ends of the central portion, each end portion spaced from the central portion by one of the projecting members;
- and
- fastening means for securing each axle to a corresponding pair of members.
2 more elements
A vehicle base comprising:
- an upper flexible baseplate;
- a lower flexible baseplate;
- a pair of front supports and a rear support disposed between and attached to the upper and the lower baseplates to maintain the plates at a fixed separation;
- an additional support extending between the upper and lower base plates and disposed between the front supports and rear support, the additional support extending above the upper baseplate and including means for receiving a base of a chair;
- a pair of front wheels each mounted on one of the front supports and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the respective axes of rotations of each of the front wheels being less than 180.degree.;
- and
- a rear wheel mounted on the rear support and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the axis of rotation of the rear wheel and the axis of rotation of either front wheel being less than 180.degree..
4 more elements
A wheel capable of revolution about an axis and translation along the axis comprising:
- hub means adapted to be rotatably coupled to the axis;
- a plurality of pairs of projecting members extending outwardly from the hub means, each projecting member including a recess at the end thereof contoured to receive the exterior surface of a bearing;
- an axle supportably mounted by each bearing;
- roller means disposed about each axle, each roller means including a central portion extending between the pair of members and two end portions disposed at opposite ends of the central portion, each end portion being spaced from the central portion by one of the projecting members;
- and
- fastening means for securing each axle to a corresponding pair of members.
3 more elements
A vehicle base comprising:
- an upper flexible baseplate;
- a lower flexible baseplate;
- a pair of front supports and a rear support disposed between and attached to the upper and the lower baseplates to maintain the plates at a fixed separation;
- a pair of front wheels each mounted on one of the front supports and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the respective axes of rotation of each of the front wheels being less than 180.degree.;
- and
- a rear wheel mounted on the rear support and having an axis of rotation, the angle between the axis of rotation of the rear wheel and the axis of rotation of either front wheel being less than 180.degree.;
- wherein each front wheel and the rear wheel have a plane of rotation perpendicular to its respective axis of rotation, the planes of rotation of the wheels intersecting to form a triangle.
4 more elements
A wheel capable of revolution about an axis and translation along the axis comprising:
- a hub;
- a plurality of pairs of projecting members extending outwardly from the hub, each pair of members including means for receiving an axle;
- a plurality of first rollers each disposed about an associated axle, each roller including a central portion extending between a pair of members and two end portions each having opposite sides and being disposed at opposite ends of the central portion, one side of each end portion being spaced from the central portion by one of the projecting members and the other side of each end portion having a concave surface facing away from the central portion and defining a concave region;
- a plurality of second rollers each disposed about an associated axle, each roller including a central portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the central portion of a first roller and two end portions disposed at opposite ends of the central portion, each end portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of an end portion of a first roller, and each end portion being spaced from the central portion by one of the projecting members;
- fastening means for securing each axle to a corresponding pair of members;
- and
- wherein the first rollers alternate with the second rollers about the circumference of the wheel.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.