US 8,753,155 B2Granted

Wheel with folding segments

AssigneeDraganfly Innovations Inc.

InventorsOrville Olm, Zenon Dragan, Greg Wood

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A circular folding wheel has a center wheel section encompassing the center of a circle and adapted to be mounted to an axle at the center, with a side substantially corresponding to a chord of the circle. A wheel segment is pivotally attached to the center wheel section about a pivot axis extending along the side of the center wheel section. The wheel segment is movable from a rolling orientation, where the outer edge of the wheel segment is aligned with an outer edge of the center wheel section such that the folding wheel takes a rolling circular shape, to a folded orientation where the wheel segment extends laterally away from the pivot axis. Two, three, or more wheel segments can be pivotally attached to corresponding sides of the center wheel section.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A folding wheel having a rolling shape substantially corresponding to a circle with a wheel diameter and a center, the folding wheel comprising:

a center wheel section encompassing the center and adapted to be mounted to an axle at the center, and having a first side substantially corresponding to a first chord of the circle and a second side opposite the first side and substantially corresponding to a second chord of the circle;
a first wheel segment pivotally attached to the center wheel section about a first pivot axis extending along the first side of the center wheel section;
a second wheel segment pivotally attached to the center wheel section about a second pivot axis extending along the second side of the center wheel section;
wherein the first and second wheel segments are movable from a rolling orientation, where outer edges of the first and second wheel segments are aligned with an outer edge of the center wheel section such that the folding wheel takes the rolling shape, to a folded orientation where the first and second wheel segments extend laterally away from the respective first and second pivot axes.

1 more element

A folding wheel having a rolling shape substantially corresponding to a circle with a wheel diameter and a center, the folding wheel comprising:

a center wheel section encompassing the center and adapted to be mounted to an axle at the center, and having a side substantially corresponding to a chord of the circle;
a wheel segment pivotally attached to the center wheel section about a pivot axis extending along the side of the center wheel section;
wherein the wheel segment is movable from a rolling orientation, where an outer edge of the wheel segment is aligned with an outer edge of the center wheel section such that the folding wheel takes the rolling shape, to a folded orientation where the wheel segment extends laterally away from the pivot axis.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/739,419Filed 11 Jan 2013
Priority: CA 278707522 Aug 2012
Published: US 2014/0057505 A127 Feb 2014
Granted: 17 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B60B 15/00
Wheels or wheel attachments designed for increasing traction
B60B 3/00
Disc wheels, i.e. wheels with load-supporting disc body
B60B 19/02
Wheels not otherwise provided for or having characteristics specified in one of the subgroups of this group: convertible, e.g. from road wheel to…
B60F 3/0007
Amphibious vehicles, i.e. vehicles capable of travelling both on land and on water; Land vehicles capable of travelling under water: arrangement…