Wheel and mobility including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12415380-B2
Application number	US-202217890333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2022
Priority date	Apr 14, 2022
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A mobile apparatus is provided. The mobile apparatus may include: a body including a material of which a shape is reversibly deformable; a first link rotatably coupled to the body; a second link having one side rotatably coupled to the first link and the other side rotatably coupled to the body; a first shaft provided in a region, in which the first link is rotatably coupled to the body, and inserted into the first link and the body; a second shaft provided in a region, in which the second link is rotatably coupled to the first link, and inserted into the first link and the second link; and a third shaft provided in a region, in which the second link is rotatably coupled to the body, and inserted into the second link and the body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel comprising:
a body comprising a material of which a shape is reversibly deformable;
a first link rotatably coupled to the body;
a second link having one side rotatably coupled to the first link and the other side rotatably coupled to the body;
a first shaft disposed in a region, in which the first link is rotatably coupled to the body, and inserted into the first link and the body;
a second shaft disposed in a region, in which the second link is rotatably coupled to the first link, and inserted into the first link and the second link;
a third shaft disposed in a region, in which the second link is rotatably coupled to the body, and inserted into the second link and the body; and
a first bearing disposed in the first link in a region, in which the first shaft passes through the first link,
wherein the first shaft passes through the first bearing, and
wherein the first bearing comprises:
a first bearing inner race coupled to the first shaft; and
a first bearing outer race disposed on an outside of the first bearing inner race and coupled to the first link.

2. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the first shaft is provided inward from the second shaft in a radial direction of the body.

3. The wheel of claim 2 , wherein the second shaft is provided inward from the third shaft in the radial direction.

4. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the first shaft, the second shaft, and the third shaft are provided in parallel to each other.

5. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the first link and the second link are spaced apart from the body in a width direction of the body.

6. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first link and the body is greater than a distance between the second link and the body.

7. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein in a region, in which the second shaft passes through the first link and the second link, the first link is inserted into the second link.

8. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein in a region, in which the second shaft passes through the first link and the second link, the second link is inserted into the first link.

9. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the first shaft is inserted into a first body through-hole formed in the body, and
wherein the wheel further comprises a first spacer which is inserted into the first body through-hole to accommodate the first shaft.

10. The wheel of claim 9 , wherein the third shaft is inserted into a second body through-hole formed in the body, and
wherein the wheel further comprises a second spacer which is inserted into the second body through-hole to accommodate the third shaft.

11. The wheel of claim 1 , further comprising a second bearing disposed in the first link in a region, in which the second shaft passes through the first link, and
wherein the second shaft passes through the second bearing.

12. The wheel of claim 1 , further comprising a nut coupled to the first shaft,
wherein the nut is disposed on a side of the body in a width direction of the body.

13. The wheel of claim 1 , further comprising a nut coupled to the second shaft,
wherein the nut is disposed outward from the first link.

14. The wheel of claim 1 , further comprising a nut coupled to the third shaft,
wherein the nut faces the second link with the body therebetween in a width direction.

15. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises:
an inner region that forms an inside of the body in a radial direction;
an outer region which is spaced outward from the inner region in the radial direction and forms an outside of the body; and
a spoke region configured to connect the inner region to the outer region,
wherein the first shaft is inserted into the inner region, and
the third shaft is inserted into the outer region.

16. The wheel of claim 15 , wherein the spoke region comprises a plurality of spokes along a circumferential direction of the body, and
wherein each of the spokes has a shape which is biased in the circumferential direction toward the outside of the body in the radial direction.

17. The wheel of claim 1 , wherein an angle is formed between a longitudinal direction of the first link and a longitudinal direction of the second link, and
wherein the longitudinal direction of the first link and the longitudinal direction of the second link are non-parallel.

18. The wheel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second bearing disposed in a region, in which the second shaft passes through the first link, wherein the second shaft passes through the second bearing.

19. A mobile apparatus comprising a wheel,
wherein the wheel comprises:
a body of which shape is reversibly deformable;
a first link rotatably coupled to the body;
a second link, wherein a first side of the second link is rotatably coupled to the first link and a second side of the second link is rotatably coupled to the body;
a first shaft disposed in a region, in which the first link is rotatably coupled to the body, and inserted into the first link and the body;
a second shaft disposed in a region, in which the second link is rotatably coupled to the first link, and inserted into the first link and the second link;
a third shaft disposed in a region, in which the second link is rotatably coupled to the body, and inserted into the second link and the body; and
a first bearing disposed in the first link in a region, in which the first shaft passes through the first link,
wherein the first shaft passes through the first bearing, and
wherein the first bearing comprises:
a first bearing inner race coupled to the first shaft; and
a first bearing outer race disposed on an outside of the first bearing inner race and coupled to the first link.

20. The mobile apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the wheel further comprises a second bearing disposed in a region, in which the second shaft passes through the first link, wherein the second shaft passes through the second bearing,
wherein the second bearing comprises:
a second bearing inner race coupled to the second shaft; and
a second bearing outer race disposed on an outside of the second bearing inner race and coupled to the first link.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Mobinn Inc

Inventors

• Jo Sun Myoung
• Choi Jin
• Chung Hoon

Classifications

• B60C7/146

  extending substantially radially, e.g. like spokes · CPC title

• B60B9/26 Primary

  comprising resilient spokes · CPC title

• B60B2380/00

  Bearings · CPC title

• B60B2900/551

  Handling of obstacles or difficult terrains · CPC title

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title