Wheel base and method for adjusting length thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12515744-B2
Application number	US-202318309140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2023
Priority date	Dec 22, 2022
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

An embodiment wheel base includes a first base including a first wheel, a second base including a second wheel and coupled to the first base, a locking unit including a driving part and a fixing part operated by the driving part and selectively coupled to a plurality of fixing reception parts in the second base for coupling between the first and second bases, and a processor electrically connected to the locking unit, wherein, in response to receiving a base length adjustment command, the processor initializes a position value of the driving part acquired by a position value acquisition part, drives the driving part to achieve an unlocked state, and in response to an absolute value of the position value of the driving part acquired after the driving part is driven being less than or equal to a first reference position value, determines that an unlocking failure has occurred.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wheel base comprising:
a first base comprising a first wheel; a second base comprising a second wheel and coupled to the first base; a locking unit comprising:
a driving part configured to generate a driving force and coupled to the first base; and
a fixing part configured to be operated by the driving part and selectively coupled to a plurality of fixing reception parts provided in the second base to mediate coupling between the first base and the second base; and
a processor electrically connected to the locking unit, wherein, in response to receiving a base length adjustment command, the processor is configured to:
initialize a position value of the driving part acquired by a position value acquisition part installed in the driving part;
drive the driving part to achieve an unlocked state in which the fixing part coupled to a first fixing reception part among the plurality of fixing reception parts is separated from the first fixing reception part; and
in response to an absolute value of the position value of the driving part acquired after the driving part is driven to achieve the unlocked state being less than or equal to a first reference position value, determine that an unlocking failure has occurred.

2 . The wheel base of claim 1 , wherein in determining that the unlocking failure has occurred, the processor is configured to:
drive the driving part to achieve a locked state in which the fixing part is coupled to the first fixing reception part; and return to a state of initializing the position value of the driving part.

3 . The wheel base of claim 2 , wherein in determining that the unlocking failure has occurred, the processor is configured to count the number of failures.

4 . The wheel base of claim 3 , wherein before initializing the position value of the driving part, the processor is configured to check the number of failures and generate an alarm in response to the number of failures being greater than or equal to a reference number of failures.

5 . The wheel base of claim 1 , wherein in response to the absolute value of the position value of the driving part acquired after the driving part is driven to achieve the unlocked state being greater than the first reference position value, the processor is configured to:
operate the first wheel or the second wheel to adjust a distance between the first wheel and the second wheel; and drive the driving part to achieve a locked state in which the fixing part is coupled to a second fixing reception part different from the first fixing reception part among the plurality of fixing reception parts.

6 . The wheel base of claim 5 , wherein, in response to the absolute value of the position value of the driving part acquired after the driving part is driven to achieve the locked state being greater than a second reference position value, the processor is configured to determine that a locking failure has occurred.

7 . The wheel base of claim 6 , wherein in determining that the locking failure has occurred, the processor is configured to:
drive the driving part so that the fixing part is in the unlocked state; drive the driving part so that the fixing part is in the locked state; and return to a state of initializing the position value of the driving part.

8 . The wheel base of claim 7 , wherein in determining that the locking failure has occurred, the processor is configured to count the number of failures.

9 . The wheel base of claim 8 , wherein before initializing the position value of the driving part, the processor is configured to check the number of failures and generate an alarm in response to the number of failures being greater than or equal to a reference number of failures.

10 . The wheel base of claim 6 , wherein in determining that the locking failure has occurred, the processor is configured to:
count the number of failures; drive the driving part so that the fixing part is in the unlocked state; drive the driving part so that the fixing part is in the locked state; acquire the position value of the driving part; in response to the absolute value of the acquired position value of the driving part being greater than the second reference position value, determine that the locking failure has occurred; and check the number of failures and generate an alarm in response to the number of failures being greater than or equal to a reference number of failures.

11 . A method for adjusting a length of a wheel base, wherein the wheel base comprises a first base comprising a first wheel, a second base comprising a second wheel and coupled to the first base, and a locking unit selectively coupled to a plurality of fixing reception parts provided in the second base to mediate coupling between the first base and the second base, the method comprising:
receiving a base length adjustment command; initializing a position value of the locking unit; performing a first unlocking operation of separating the locking unit which is coupled to a first fixing reception part among the plurality of fixing reception parts from the first fixing reception part; and in response to an absolute value of the position value of the locking unit acquired after the first unlocking operation being less than or equal to a first reference position value, determining that an unlocking failure has occurred.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein in determining that the unlocking failure has occurred, the method further comprises:
performing a first locking operation of coupling the locking unit to the first fixing reception part; and performing a first return operation of returning to a state of initializing the position value.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising performing an unlocking failure-counting operation of counting the number of failures after determining that the unlocking failure has occurred.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein before initializing the position value and in response to the number of failures being greater than or equal to a reference number of failures, the method further comprises generating an alarm.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein in response to the absolute value of the position value of the locking unit acquired after the first unlocking operation being greater than the first reference position value, the method further comprises:
operating the first wheel or the second wheel to adjust a distance between the first wheel and the second wheel; and performing a second locking operation of coupling the locking unit to a second fixing reception part different from the first fixing reception part among the plurality of fixing reception parts.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising, in response to the absolute value of the position value of the locking unit acquired after the second locking operation being greater than or equal to a second reference position value, determining that a locking failure has occurred.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein after determining that the locking failure has occurred, the method further comprises:
performing a second unlocking operation of separating the locking unit from the second fixing reception part; performing a re-locking operation of coupling the locking unit to the second fixing reception part; and performing a second return operation of returning to a state of initializing the position value.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising, after determining that the locking failure has occurred, performing a locking failur

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Mobinn Inc

Inventors

• Jo Sun Myoung
• Choi Jin
• Chung Hoon

Classifications

• G05B23/0259 Primary

  characterized by the response to fault detection · CPC title

• B62D63/00

  Motor vehicles or trailers not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B62D21/14 Primary

  of adjustable length or width · CPC title

• B25J5/007 Primary

  mounted on wheels · CPC title