JP2009214611A - Wheel for celestial running vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheel for a celestial running vehicle that can deliver a sufficient and essential running performance to the vehicle by securing a sufficient ground contact length, in addition to a relatively simple structure, lightweight and less sliding portions. <P>SOLUTION: The wheel 1 equipped on a vehicle running on the surface of a celestial body, comprises: a hub body 2 rotating around the rotating shaft center; a ground contact body 9 contacting to the surface of the celestial body and rotating around the rotating shaft center, the ground contact body being arranged outside the hub body 2 in the radial direction; and a load supporting means 7 connecting the hub body 2 to the ground contact body 9 to support a radial directional load, the load supporting means being arranged in the circumferential direction and extending in the radial direction. The load supporting means 7 elastically deforms and protrudes outward in the width direction while reducing the distance between the hub body 2 and the ground contact body 9, based upon the radial directional load. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wheel mounted on a celestial vehicle that travels on the surface of a celestial body such as a planet and a satellite, and more particularly to a wheel that sufficiently exhibits the inherent traveling performance of the vehicle.

Conventionally, what was described in patent document 1 is known as a wheel with which vehicles which run under the surrounding environment different from the earth, such as a planet and a satellite, are attached. In the wheel described in this document, the inner ring connected to the axle and the outer ring contacting the surface of the celestial body are connected to each other via spokes, and a rigid body is used for these outer rings and spokes. The wheel is only slightly elastically deformed with respect to the load (radial compressive force) from the vehicle. Such a wheel is less likely to adversely affect running performance when used on a celestial body having a gravity equal to or higher than that of the earth and having a relatively hard surface.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-002204

  However, for example, when used on a celestial body whose gravity is extremely smaller than the ground surface, such as the moon, and whose surface is formed of sand or the like having a very small particle diameter, the elastic deformation of the wheels is small. As a result, the contact length is not sufficiently secured, and the contact pressure of the wheel locally increases. A local increase in contact pressure can cause wheel slipping and thus make the vehicle unable to travel. In particular, sandy ground is excavated at the stepping end side of the wheel due to the maximization of the ground pressure, and the wheel tends to sink into the sandy ground. This is a fatal problem for a vehicle traveling by remote control unless it has a means for escaping from an inoperable state.

  On the other hand, a crawler can be considered as a drive system that can secure a sufficient contact length even when used in a low-gravity environment and a celestial body having a sandy surface to avoid the above-described problems. The crawler reliably brings about stable running due to its characteristics, but has a large number of sliding parts, which induces a new problem. That is, there is a problem that the sand that has risen with the traveling surely enters the sliding part and is damaged early. In particular, in the low-gravity environment as described above, the sand that has once soared floats for a long time, so that the suspended sand more easily enters the sliding portion. The complexity of each part is another factor that increases the possibility of failure. In space equipment, weight reduction is one of the important issues, but in the case of a crawler, there is also a problem that the number of parts is large and the weight is increased, so that the issue cannot be achieved. Due to these damages, breakdowns, and concerns about weight increase, there are few achievements of crawlers being applied to celestial vehicles.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve these problems, and its purpose is based on the premise that the structure is relatively simple, lightweight, and there are few sliding parts. Another object of the present invention is to provide a celestial traveling vehicle wheel capable of ensuring a sufficient ground contact length and sufficiently exhibiting the original traveling performance of the vehicle.

  To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a celestial traveling vehicle wheel mounted on a vehicle traveling on the surface of a celestial body, a hub body rotating around a rotation axis, and a radial direction with respect to the hub body. A grounding body that is arranged outward and contacts the surface and rotates around the rotation axis, and extends in the radial direction and arranged in a plurality in the circumferential direction, and connects the hub body and the grounding body to each other and also in the radial direction. Load supporting means for supporting the load of the load, and the load supporting means elastically protrudes and deforms outward in the width direction while reducing a distance between the hub body and the grounding body based on the load. It is a wheel for astronomical vehicles characterized by these. Here, “celestial bodies” include satellites, planets, asteroids, and comets. The “radial direction” here means the radial direction of the wheel, the “width direction” means the width direction of the wheel, and the “circumferential direction” means the circumferential direction of the wheel. Furthermore, the "hub body" here may be directly connected to the axle of the vehicle, or may be indirectly connected to the axle of the vehicle via another member such as a wheel or a spoke.

  In such a celestial traveling vehicle wheel, when the wheel contacts the grounding surface, the load supporting means for connecting the hub body and the grounding body in the grounding region is based on the load of the vehicle. And elastically projecting and deforming outward in the width direction while reducing the distance. As a result, the grounding body in the grounding region is deformed corresponding to the shape of the grounding surface, the grounding length of the grounding body is increased, and the grounding pressure is reduced. This is caused by the elastic change of the load support means in the width direction of the wheel, which is not limited in distance, that is, the load support means is elastically deformed outward in the width direction in this way to support the load. This is because the elastic modulus of the load support means can be made relatively small so that the elastic deformation can be reliably and sufficiently performed even at a low load.

  According to the celestial vehicle wheel of this invention, even when used in a celestial body having a low-gravity environment and a sandy surface, the wheel is greatly elastically deformed and a sufficient contact length can be ensured, that is, the wheel is grounded. Since the pressure can be reduced, there is no possibility that the wheels will run idle or sink into the sand, so that the vehicle can sufficiently exhibit its original running performance. In addition, the wheel of the present invention has a very simple structure compared to a crawler and the like, and since there is no sliding part and there is no risk of sand or dust intrusion, the possibility of damage or failure is low, and the number of parts is small. It is lightweight.

  As described above, the celestial vehicle wheel according to the present invention can be used particularly effectively when used in a celestial body having a low-gravity environment and a sandy surface. It is suitable to be used as a wheel for a lunar traveling vehicle used on the moon surface formed of sand or the like.

  In the astronomical vehicle vehicle wheel according to the present invention, the load support means is preferably a leaf spring that is bent or curved in advance so as to elastically project and deform outward in the width direction based on a radial load. . It is more preferable that the leaf springs are disposed so as to face each other in the width direction, and it is more preferable that the leaf springs opposed to each other in the width direction are integrally formed.

  Moreover, the celestial body traveling vehicle wheel of the present invention preferably further comprises tension applying means for applying a circumferential tension to the grounding body, and the tension applying means is constituted by a U-shaped leaf spring. Is more preferable.

  Furthermore, in the astronomical vehicle vehicle wheel according to the present invention, it is preferable that the grounding body is constituted by an endless belt extending continuously in the circumferential direction.

  Alternatively, in the celestial body traveling vehicle wheel of the present invention, it is preferable that the grounding body is constituted by divided segments divided in the circumferential direction, and such divided segments more preferably extend linearly in the width direction.

  In the celestial body traveling vehicle wheel of the present invention, it is preferable that the grounding body has a stepped portion extending in the width direction on a surface in contact with the surface of the celestial body.

  In addition, in the celestial body traveling vehicle wheel of the present invention, it is preferable that the grounding body has a metal fiber on a surface in contact with the surface of the celestial body.

  According to the celestial body traveling vehicle wheel of the present invention, it is possible to ensure a sufficient contact length and sufficiently exhibit the vehicle's original traveling performance on the premise that there are few sliding parts and complicated parts. .

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a celestial traveling vehicle wheel of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 shows a celestial traveling vehicle wheel (hereinafter simply referred to as a “wheel”) according to an embodiment according to the present invention in a state before being mounted on a vehicle. It is a schematic perspective view abbreviate | omitted and shown with an imaginary line. 2 is a cross-sectional view in the width direction schematically showing a part of the cross-section in the width direction of the wheel shown in FIG. 1, wherein (a) shows a state before grounding, and (b) shows a state after grounding. It is shown. 3 is a schematic side view of the wheel shown in FIG. 1, (a) shows a state before grounding, and (b) shows a state after grounding. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view in the width direction schematically showing a part of a wheel of another embodiment according to the present invention in the same cross section as FIG. FIG. 5 is a view schematically showing a part of a wheel according to another embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a side view, and (b) is an AA line in FIG. 5 (a). FIG. FIG. 6 is a wheel side profile diagram showing a state where buckling occurs in the grounding body. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a wheel of another embodiment according to the present invention in a state before being mounted on a vehicle, with a part shown by a solid line and a remaining part omitted by a virtual line.

  In FIG. 1, a wheel 1 includes a hub body 2 connected to an axle (not shown) of a vehicle. The hub body 2 includes a disk part 3 having a disk shape and an annular part 5 provided on the outer periphery of the disk part 3. In this embodiment, the disk portion 3 and the annular portion 5 are integrally formed. However, they may be formed separately and subsequently fixed to each other with a fixing tool such as a bolt, or instead of the disk portion. A rigid spoke extending in the radial direction may be used.

  In the vicinity of both ends in the width direction on the outer peripheral surface of the hub body 2, thin leaf springs 7 are arranged as load support means that extend outward in the radial direction and are arranged over the entire circumference. The leaf springs 7 can be arranged at an appropriate pitch in the circumferential direction. However, care must be taken so that the leaf springs 7 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction come into contact with each other during travel and do not hinder the elastic deformation of the leaf springs 7. In this embodiment, the hub body 2 and the leaf spring 7 are fixed by screws 8, but instead of this, a fixing tool such as a rivet may be used or they may be welded together. As shown in FIG. 2A, the leaf spring 7 is curved in advance so as to protrude outward in the width direction so as to project and deform outward in the width direction based on a radial load. Accordingly, the leaf spring 7 connects the hub body 2 and an endless belt 9 as a grounding body, which will be described later, and supports a radial load. In the illustrated example, the leaf spring 7 curved in advance is shown, but a leaf spring (not shown) that is bent in advance so as to be elastically bent outward in the width direction when a load is applied (at the time of grounding) may be used. In addition, the leaf spring 7 on one side and the leaf spring 7 on the other side in the width direction may be arranged so as to face each other in the width direction so that the circumferential position is the same as shown in the drawing, although illustration is omitted. The positions in the circumferential direction may be varied. From the viewpoint of pressing an endless belt 9 as a grounding body, which will be described later, evenly against the grounding surface by the restoring force of the leaf spring 7, it is preferable that the leaf springs 7 have the same circumferential position. Further, the leaf springs 7 facing each other in the width direction may be separated, but from the viewpoint of further reducing the number of parts, it is preferable to integrally form them as shown in FIG. In this case, the end of one leaf spring may be on the hub body side or the grounding body side.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, an endless belt 9 extending continuously in the circumferential direction, for example, used for an endless track, is stretched over the outer end portion of each leaf spring 7 in the radial direction. The endless belt 9 constitutes a grounding body that comes into contact with the grounding surface during vehicle travel and rotates about the same axis as the hub body 2. As shown in the figure, the endless belt 9 may be a single endless belt formed by connecting a plurality of pieces to each other with pins (not shown). ). In this embodiment, the leaf spring 7 and the endless belt 9 are fixed to each other by screws, but instead of this, other fixing tools such as rivets may be used, or they may be welded together. Further, in order to further suppress the slip with the ground contact surface during traveling, it is preferable to provide a stepped portion 10 extending in the width direction on the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt 9, and from the same viewpoint, a metal fiber (illustrated) is provided on the surface. (Omitted) is preferably provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, when the wheel 1 of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle and grounded to the grounding surface G, the hub body 2 and the endless belt 9 in the grounding region are mutually connected. The leaf springs 7 to be connected are crushed by a load from the vehicle and bent in a curved shape. At this time, since the leaf spring 7 has a curved shape that protrudes outward in the width direction in advance, it elastically protrudes and deforms outward in the width direction based on the load of the vehicle. That is, the leaf spring 7 between the hub body and the endless belt 9 before entering the contact area as shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A enters the contact area as shown in FIG. ) And FIG. 3B, it is compressed in the radial direction to bend in a curved shape, and greatly protrudes and deforms outward in the width direction. As a result, the endless belt 9 in the contact area is deformed corresponding to the shape of the contact surface G, the contact length of the endless belt 9 is increased, and the contact pressure is reduced. Therefore, even when used in a low-gravity environment and a celestial body having a sandy surface, the wheel 1 is greatly elastically deformed and a sufficient contact length can be secured, that is, the contact pressure of the wheel 1 can be reduced. There is no fear that the wheel 1 will idle or sink into the sand, and therefore the vehicle can sufficiently exhibit its original running performance. Further, the wheel 1 of the present invention has a very simple structure as compared with a crawler and the like, and since there is no sliding part and there is no possibility of intrusion of sand or dust, the possibility of damage or failure is low, and the number of parts is also small. It is lightweight because there are few.

  In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a plurality of U-shaped leaf springs 11 are arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt 9 so that the opening faces the inner peripheral surface. It is preferable to arrange. The U-shaped leaf spring 11 is disposed between the leaf spring 7 and another leaf spring 7 adjacent in the circumferential direction of the leaf spring 7 when viewed in the wheel width direction. Thereby, circumferential tension is applied to the endless belt 9 and buckling (buckling phenomenon) of the endless belt 9 in the ground contact region is suppressed, so that slip of the endless belt 9 with respect to the ground contact surface G is further suppressed, and more It becomes possible to give a stable running to the vehicle. In particular, this is an advantageous form when the wheel 1 is in an uphill state. The buckling referred to here is, as shown in the wheel side profile diagram of FIG. 6, while the stepping portion and the kicking-out portion of the grounding body (for example, endless belt 9) support the load during traveling, This is a phenomenon in which the section between the stepping-in part and the kicking-out part buckles and rises from the ground contact surface G. The U-shaped leaf spring 11 constitutes tension applying means for applying circumferential tension to the endless belt 9.

  Incidentally, the grounding body may be divided segments 13 divided in the circumferential direction as shown in FIG. 7 instead of the endless belt 9 described above. The divided segment 13 can be fixed to one end of a curved leaf spring 7 extending radially outward from the hub body 2 with a fixing tool such as a screw or a rivet, or can be fixed by welding. Moreover, in this embodiment, it is preferable to arrange the U-shaped leaf spring 15 between the divided segments 13 adjacent in the circumferential direction so that the opening faces outward in the radial direction. In this way, the shape of the wheel 1 can be reliably held, and excessive approach or contact between the circumferentially adjacent segment segments 13 during traveling can be prevented. The plate spring 15 can be made to function as the tension applying means (U-shaped plate spring 11) described in the previous embodiment, and buckling of the divided segments 13 during traveling can be prevented. The arrangement position and the number of the U-shaped leaf springs 15 do not limit the present invention. For example, the U-shaped leaf springs 15 may be provided between the leaf springs 7 extending radially outward from the hub body 2. You may provide in the center part of the width direction. From the viewpoint of more stably holding the shape of the wheel 1 and enhancing the function as the tension applying means, it is preferable to provide the wheel 1 in the vicinity of both ends in the width direction as in the illustrated example. Further, it is preferable that each divided segment 13 be arranged along the width direction from the viewpoint of improving the grip force with the ground contact surface, and in order to further suppress the slip with the ground contact surface, For example, a claw-like stepped portion 17 extending in the width direction is preferably provided on the surface on the side in contact with the grounding surface. From the same viewpoint, it is preferable to provide metal fibers (not shown) on the surface. According to this, the vehicle can further demonstrate the running performance of the main body.

  By appropriately selecting the dimensions and materials of the parts constituting the celestial body traveling vehicle wheel according to the present invention and the elastic coefficients of the elastic bodies (the leaf springs 7 and the U-shaped leaf springs 11 and 15), etc. Can be adapted to the environment of the celestial body used (temperature, gravity, surface condition, etc.) and the form and application of the vehicle.

  Further, the above description shows only a part of the embodiment of the present invention, and these configurations can be combined with each other or various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. . For example, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the load supporting means applicable to the celestial traveling vehicle wheel of the present invention has three pivot portions 19 that extend in the radial direction and face each other in the width direction. A plurality of plate members 21 having a circumferential shape may be arranged in the circumferential direction, and a coil spring 23 for urging the plate members 21 inward in the width direction may be provided between the plate members 21 facing each other in the width direction. . However, from the viewpoint of weight reduction and reduction in the number of parts, it is preferable to use the leaf spring 7 of the above-described embodiment as the load support means. Further, a coil spring or the like may be used in place of the U-shaped plate springs 11 and 15 as tension applying means for applying a circumferential tension to the grounding body.

  According to the present invention, on the premise that there are few sliding parts and complicated parts, it is possible to ensure a sufficient ground contact length and to fully exhibit the original running performance of the vehicle.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the celestial body vehicle wheel of the embodiment according to the present invention in a state before being mounted on the vehicle, with a part shown by a solid line and a remaining part omitted by a virtual line. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in the width direction schematically showing a part of a cross-section in the width direction of the vehicle body vehicle wheel shown in FIG. 1, wherein (a) shows a state before grounding, and (b) shows a state after grounding. It is shown. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the celestial traveling vehicle wheel shown in FIG. 1, wherein (a) shows a state before grounding, and (b) shows a state after grounding. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view in the width direction schematically showing a part of a celestial traveling vehicle wheel of another embodiment according to the present invention in the same cross section as FIG. It is a figure which shows roughly a part of wheel for celestial vehicles of other embodiments according to this invention, respectively, (a) is a side view, (b) is an AA line of Drawing 5 (a). FIG. It is a wheel side surface outline figure for astronomical traveling vehicles which shows the state where buckling occurred in the grounding object. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the wheel for astronomical travel vehicles of the other embodiment according to this invention in the state before mounting | wearing a vehicle, abbreviate | omitting the remaining part by the phantom line while showing a part with a continuous line. It is a figure which shows schematically the wheel for astronomical traveling vehicles of other embodiment according to this invention in the earthing | grounding state, (a) is a side view, (b) is BB of FIG. 8 (a). It is width direction sectional drawing which follows a line.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheel 2 Hub body 3 Disk part 5 Annular part 7 Leaf spring 9 Endless belt 11 U-shaped leaf spring 13 Divided segment 15 U-shaped leaf spring 17 Step part

Claims (11)

In the celestial traveling vehicle wheel mounted on the vehicle traveling on the surface of the celestial body,
A hub body that rotates around a rotation axis;
A grounding body that is disposed radially outward with respect to the hub body and that contacts the surface and rotates about the axis of rotation;
A load supporting means extending in the radial direction and arranged in the circumferential direction, connecting the hub body and the grounding body to each other and supporting a radial load;
The astronomical vehicle wheel according to claim 1, wherein the load support means elastically protrudes and deforms outward in the width direction while reducing a distance between the hub body and the grounding body based on the load.   2. The astronomical vehicle wheel according to claim 1, wherein the load support means is a leaf spring that is bent or curved in advance so as to project and deform outward in the width direction based on the load.   The celestial traveling vehicle wheel according to claim 2, wherein the leaf springs are arranged to face each other in the width direction.   The celestial traveling vehicle wheel according to claim 3, wherein the leaf springs facing each other in the width direction are integrally formed.   The celestial traveling vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising tension applying means for applying circumferential tension to the grounding body.   The celestial traveling vehicle wheel according to claim 5, wherein the tension applying means is a U-shaped leaf spring.   The celestial traveling vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the grounding body is an endless belt extending continuously in a circumferential direction.   The celestial traveling vehicle wheel according to claim 1, wherein the grounding body is a divided segment divided in a circumferential direction.   The celestial traveling vehicle wheel according to claim 8, wherein the divided segment extends linearly in the width direction.   The celestial traveling vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the grounding body has a stepped portion extending in the width direction on a surface in contact with the surface.   The celestial body traveling vehicle wheel according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the grounding body has a metal fiber on a surface in contact with the surface.

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