Multi-tread vehicles and methods of operating thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10023250-B2
Application number	US-201615179473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Jun 10, 2016
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

Provided are multi-tread vehicles and methods of operating such vehicles to access small interior spaces. A multi-tread vehicle may include two or more tread sections such that each pair of adjacent tread sections is interconnected by a connector section. Furthermore, each pair may have one or more degrees of articulations, such as being pivotable with respect to each other around one or more axis and/or being bendable with respect to each other around one or more axis. These articulation degrees may be provided by the connector section and/or by couplings between the connector section and each tread section. In some embodiments, each tread section may include two portions detachably coupled to each other. This detachable coupling may be used for disassembly of the multi-tread vehicle after or even during its use, for example, when only a portion of the vehicle needs to be retrieved from an interior space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-tread vehicle comprising:
a first tread section comprising a first front tread portion and a first rear tread portion coupled to the first front tread portion,
the first front tread portion comprising a first front right tread and a first front left tread,
the first rear tread portion comprising a first rear right tread and a first rear left tread,
the first front right tread and the first front left tread having different lengths,

a second tread section comprising a second front tread portion and a second rear tread portion coupled to the second front tread portion,
the second front tread portion comprising a second front right tread and a second front left tread,
the second rear tread portion comprising a second rear right tread and a second rear left tread; and

a connector section coupled to the first rear tread portion and to the second front tread section.

2. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first rear tread portion is detachably coupled to the first front tread portion using a first detachable tread coupling, and wherein the second rear tread portion is detachably coupled to the second front tread portion using a second detachable tread coupling.

3. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first rear tread portion of the first tread section comprises a rear tread pivot coupling pivotably coupled to a front connector pivot coupling of the connector section.

4. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the second front tread portion of the second tread section comprises a front tread pivot coupling pivotably coupled to a rear connector pivot coupling of the connector section.

5. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the multi-tread vehicle is foldable between an extended state and a folded state, and wherein in the extended state the first front right tread and the second front right tread are collinear, and wherein in the folded state the first front left tread is disposed between the first front right tread and the second front right tread.

6. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 5 , wherein in the folded state the first front left tread is adjacent to and parallel to the second front right tread.

7. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the first front tread portion comprises a first front pivot axis and a first rear pivot axis, wherein the second front tread portion comprises a second front pivot axis, and wherein a distance between the first rear pivot axis and the second front pivot axis is equal to a square root of a sum of a square of a distance between the first front pivot axis and first rear pivot axis and a square of a distance between the first front pivot axis and the second front pivot axis.

8. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the distance between the first front pivot axis and the second front pivot axis is equal to a width of the first tread section.

9. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the first rear tread portion comprises a rear pivot drive engaging the connector section for pivoting the connector section relative to the first rear portion.

10. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the first rear portion comprises a rear tread pivot coupling engaging a front connector pivot coupling of the connector section.

11. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a front end of the connector section is bendable relative to a rear end of the connector section around a front bend axis parallel to a plane defined by the first rear right tread and the first rear left tread.

12. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 11 , wherein a front connector pivot coupling of the connector section is bendable relative to a rear connector pivot coupling of the connector section around the front bend axis.

13. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the front end of the connector section is further bendable relative to the rear end of the connector section around a rear bend axis parallel to the plane defined by the first rear right tread and the first rear left tread.

14. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the connector section comprises a front connector bend drive for bending the front end relative to the rear end of the connector section around the front bend axis.

15. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the connector section comprises a front connector portion and a rear connector portion detachably coupled to the front connector portion using a detachable connector coupling.

16. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first front right tread and the first rear left tread have same lengths.

17. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the first rear left tread overlaps a right tread gap between the first front right tread and the first rear right tread.

18. The multi-tread vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first rear right tread and the first front left tread have same lengths.

19. A method for accessing an interior space of aircraft using a multi-tread vehicle, the method comprising:
positioning the multi-tread vehicle at an opening to the interior space of aircraft,
the multi-tread vehicle comprising a first tread section comprising a first front tread portion and a first rear tread portion coupled to the first front tread portion, a second tread section comprising a second front tread portion and a second rear tread portion coupled to the second front tread portion, and a connector section coupled to the first rear tread portion and to the second front tread portion;

advancing at least the first tread section of the multi-tread vehicle into an opening to the interior space; and
bending a front end of the connector section relative to a rear end of the connector section around a front bend axis parallel to a plane defined by the first rear tread portion using a front connector bend drive of the connector section.

20. A multi-tread vehicle comprising:
a first tread section comprising a first front tread portion and a first rear tread portion coupled to the first front tread portion,
the first front tread portion comprising a first front right tread and a first front left tread,
the first rear tread portion comprising a first rear right tread and a first rear left tread,

a second tread section comprising a second front tread portion and a second rear tread portion coupled to the second front tread portion,
the second front tread portion comprising a second front right tread and a second front left tread,
the second rear tread portion comprising a second rear right tread and a second rear left tread; and

a connector section coupled to the first rear tread portion and to the second front tread section,
a front end of the connector section being bendable relative to a rear end of the connector section around a front bend axis parallel to a plane defined by the first rear right tread and the first rear left tread,
the connector section comprising a front connector bend drive for bending the front end relative to the rear end of the connector section around the front bend axis.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Podnar Gregg W

Classifications

• B64F5/45

  Repairing leakages in fuel tanks · CPC title

• B60D1/00

  Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices (fifth-wheel traction couplings B62D53/08) · CPC title

• B64F5/40

  Maintaining or repairing aircraft · CPC title

• B64F5/50

  Handling or transporting aircraft components · CPC title

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title