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US 7,980,335 B2Granted
Omni-directional wheel
AssigneeFoster-Miller, Inc.
InventorSteven D. Potter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An omni-directional wheel includes a hub rotatable about a wheel axis and a first row of angled rollers about the hub each rotatably supported by the hub. There is at least a second row of angled rollers about the hub each also rotatably supported by the hub. The rollers of the second row are axially offset along the wheel axis from the first row, and rotationally offset from the first row about the wheel axis, and not coaxial with the rollers of the first row.
Claims25
An omni-directional wheel comprising:
- a hub rotatable about a wheel axis;
- a first row of angled rollers about the hub each rotatably supported by the hub;
- and
- at least a second row of angled rollers about the hub each rotatably supported by the hub, the second row of rollers axially offset along the wheel axis from the first row and rotationally offset from the first row about the wheel axis, wherein the rollers of the second row are not coaxial with the rollers of the first row.
1 more element
An omni-directional vehicle having at least three omni-directional wheels each comprising:
- a hub rotatable about a wheel axis;
- a first row of angled rollers about the hub each rotatably supported by the hub;
- and
- at least a second row of angled rollers about the hub each rotatably supported by the hub, the second row of rollers axially offset along the wheel axis from the first row and rotationally offset from the first row about the wheel axis,
- wherein the rollers of the second row are not coaxial with the rollers of the first row, and the rollers of both rows have a substantially common roller angle, wherein the roller angle is defined as the angle between a plane perpendicular to an axis of the respective roller and a plane perpendicular to the wheel axis.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.