KR102577130B1 - Wheel unit having a plurality of dividable blocks - Google Patents

Abstract

A wheel unit for overcoming obstacles including a multi-segment block includes a hub portion, a plurality of unit blocks, and a support body. The hub unit rotates by receiving rotational driving force. The unit blocks are spaced apart from the hub portion at a predetermined distance and form the outer shape of the wheel unit. The support connects the hub portion and the unit blocks or is filled between the hub portion and the unit blocks. In this case, as the wheel unit moves on the ground, the unit block changes its contact state with adjacent unit blocks and becomes attached or detached.

Description

{WHEEL UNIT HAVING A PLURALITY OF DIVIDABLE BLOCKS}

The present invention relates to a wheel unit for overcoming obstacles, and more specifically, a deformable structure using the surface tension mechanism of water droplets is applied, and at the same time, it includes a multi-segment block to easily overcome obstacles such as stairs as well as driving on flat surfaces. It relates to a wheel unit for overcoming obstacles that includes a multi-segment block.

Recently, many technologies for wheels that can be driven while freely passing obstacles or stairs have been developed.

In the case of such obstacle-overcoming wheels, representative examples include a variable stiffness structure in which the rigidity of the wheel changes to overcome obstacles, and a variable shape structure in which the structure of the wheel changes significantly to overcome obstacles when facing an obstacle. Of course, the variable shape structure and the variable stiffness structure may be designed in complex relation to each other.

In particular, with regard to the latter variable shape structure, as in Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0083854, the shape of some structures constituting the wheel is deformed or compressed upon contact with an obstacle. We are starting to overcome obstacles through

Furthermore, as in Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0125166, a structure that passes through the ground through shape deformation in which a portion is compressed according to the reaction force received from the ground when passing through the ground is also being developed.

However, the conventional wheel for overcoming obstacles with a variable shape structure has a problem in that the structure of the wheel for implementing the variable shape is designed very complexly, and it does not actually overcome various obstacles effectively, or the wheel structure is damaged in the process of overcoming them. There are various problems, such as the significant time required for deformation and recovery.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0083854 Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0125166

Accordingly, the technical problem of the present invention was conceived from this point, and the purpose of the present invention is to minimize changes in the shape of the wheel when running on the ground by using the principle that the water droplet maintains the shape of the water droplet through surface tension, and to maintain the shape of the wheel. When an obstacle collides with the side, the obstacle can be easily overcome by changing the structure. In particular, in the case of overcoming the obstacle, it is possible to overcome the obstacle through the easy segmentation of the multi-segment blocks, and immediate restoration is possible after overcoming the obstacle. It relates to a wheel unit for overcoming obstacles including multi-segment blocks.

A wheel unit according to an embodiment for realizing the object of the present invention described above includes a hub portion, a plurality of unit blocks, and a support body. The hub unit rotates by receiving rotational driving force. The unit blocks are spaced apart from the hub portion at a predetermined distance and form the outer shape of the wheel unit. The support connects the hub portion and the unit blocks or is filled between the hub portion and the unit blocks. In this case, as the wheel unit moves on the ground, the unit block changes its contact state with adjacent unit blocks and becomes attached or detached.

In one embodiment, when the wheel unit passes through a flat ground, the unit blocks come into close contact with each other, and the support body may apply tension to the unit blocks in the direction of the hub portion.

In one embodiment, the surface tension of a water droplet can be simulated through the adhesion between the unit blocks and the tension applied by the support.

In one embodiment, when the wheel unit overcomes an obstacle, adjacent unit blocks that are in close contact with each other may be released from their close contact state as they come into contact with the obstacle.

In one embodiment, the unit blocks may maintain contact at a contact portion that contacts the obstacle, and may be separated from each other by losing contact as they move away from the contact portion.

In one embodiment, each of the unit blocks includes a body portion including a protruding front portion and a rear portion recessed to be coupled to the front portion, a fixing portion extending from an upper portion of the body portion, and a body portion protruding from a lower portion of the body portion. It may include a support part.

In one embodiment, the support portion may include a support frame extending in a direction parallel to the body portion, and a support protrusion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the support frame.

In one embodiment, when the wheel unit overcomes an obstacle, the support frame and the support protrusion are fixed to a corner of the obstacle, and unit blocks adjacent to each other rotate around the support frame and the support protrusion to Governments may become increasingly distant.

In one embodiment, in unit blocks adjacent to each other, the support protrusions include a first support protrusion protruding from the center of the support frame, forming an insertion space at the center into which the first support protrusion is inserted, and forming an insertion space on both sides of the insertion space. The second support protrusions formed in may be formed alternately.

In one embodiment, the fixing part has a contact surface that slides along the upper surface of the body of an adjacent unit block, and an end portion is formed at an end of the fixing part, and a step may be formed between the upper surface of the body part and the fixing part.

In one embodiment, when the spacing between the support portions of adjacent unit blocks becomes distant, the movement of the end portion of the fixing portion may be restricted by the step of the adjacent unit block.

In one embodiment, each of the unit blocks may include a groove formed at a predetermined length on the front surface of the body portion, and a protrusion protruding from the rear portion of the body portion.

In one embodiment, when the spacing between the support portions of adjacent unit blocks becomes distant, the movement of the protrusion may be restricted by the groove portion of the adjacent unit block.

In one embodiment, the support may further include a control unit that controls the tension applied.

In one embodiment, the control unit increases the amount of tension applied by the support when the wheel unit passes through a ground with relatively constant curvature, and when the wheel unit passes through a ground with relatively large curvature. , the magnitude of tension applied by the support can be reduced.

According to embodiments of the present invention, based on the principle that water droplets maintain their appearance through surface tension, a force similar to the surface tension of water droplets is simulated through the tension applied by the support and the adhesion between unit blocks, and the wheel The unit maintains its overall shape and can effectively pass through the ground.

On the other hand, by applying the principle that the outer shape collapses when a force exceeding the deformation critical angle is applied to the water droplet, when a unit block contacts an obstacle, the contact state between the unit blocks is maintained in the contact area, but the unit block is maintained inside the contact area. By releasing the adhesion between blocks and segmenting them, effective overcoming of obstacles becomes possible.

In this case, the collapsed part can be easily restored after passing the obstacle through the tension and the structure of the unit blocks, so that the original shape of the wheel can be maintained again, allowing the wheel to overcome obstacles and run smoothly on the ground. there is.

On the other hand, by controlling the tension applied to the unit blocks, the overall degree of deformation of the wheel unit can be controlled, and through this, the degree of deformation of the wheel unit can be controlled depending on a relatively constant ground or a relatively irregular ground to achieve effective ground deformation. Driving becomes possible.

In particular, each of the unit blocks includes a support part, so that the unit block can be maintained supported at the edge of the obstacle, thereby effectively inducing segmentation within the unit blocks, and the support parts adjacent to each other can be used to overcome the obstacle. First and second support protrusions are formed alternately to prevent overlapping with each other, making it possible to stably overcome obstacles while maintaining the structure.

In addition, in the adjacent parts adjacent to the contact part in contact with the obstacle, tensile strain occurs so that the supports of adjacent unit blocks move away from each other. In this case, the movement of the fixing part is restricted by the step between the fixing part and the body, and the movement of the fixing part is limited by the step between the fixing part and the body. Since the formed groove extends only a predetermined distance and the protrusion moves on the groove, the movement of the protrusion is also limited by the groove. Therefore, when tensile deformation occurs, a stable relative positional relationship can be maintained between the unit blocks without a gap exceeding a predetermined distance, so that the structure of the wheel unit is maintained in the adjacent portion even when obstacles are overcome. do.

That is, in a contact part that overcomes an obstacle, adjacent unit blocks are freely segmented on the inside, and even if a predetermined tensile strain occurs in an adjacent part adjacent to the contact part, the relative positions of the inside of the unit blocks are maintained by the fixing part and the protrusion. Since this is limited, a natural relative position between unit blocks is formed as a whole, and stable deformation of the wheel unit can be realized.

Figure 1 is a front view showing a wheel unit for overcoming obstacles according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2a is a schematic diagram showing the application state of the surface tension of a water drop, and Figure 2b is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of change in the contact angle of a water drop depending on the size of the surface tension.
Figure 3a is a front view showing the state in which the wheel unit in Figure 1 passes through the ground, and Figure 3b is a schematic diagram comparing the state in which the wheel unit in Figure 3a passes through the ground with the state of a water droplet.
Figure 4a is a front view showing a state in which the wheel unit of Figure 1 overcomes an obstacle, and Figure 4b is a schematic diagram comparing the state of overcoming an obstacle in Figure 4a with the state of a water droplet.
Figure 5a is a schematic diagram showing the transmission state of force in a state of overcoming an obstacle through a wheel unit according to the prior art, and Figure 5b is a diagram showing a state of force transmission in a state of overcoming an obstacle through the wheel unit of Figure 1. This is a schematic diagram.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are front views showing deformed states of unit blocks at the contact portion A when the wheel unit of FIG. 1 overcomes an obstacle.
FIG. 7A is a front view showing the deformed state of the unit block in the adjacent portion (B) when the wheel unit of FIG. 1 overcomes an obstacle, and FIG. 7B is a perspective view showing the unit block of FIG. 7A from another direction. .
Figure 8 is a front view showing a wheel unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 9A and 9B are images illustrating a state in which the wheel unit of FIG. 1 or 8 actually passes through flat ground, and FIG. 9b is an image illustrating a state in which the wheel unit of FIG. 1 or 8 passes through an obstacle.

Since the present invention can be subject to various changes and can have various forms, embodiments will be described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific disclosed form, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. While describing each drawing, similar reference numerals are used for similar components. Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms.

The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this application, terms such as “comprise” or “consist of” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. No.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a front view showing a wheel unit for overcoming obstacles according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the wheel unit 10 (hereinafter referred to as wheel unit) for overcoming obstacles according to this embodiment includes a plurality of unit blocks 100, a support body 200, a hub unit 300, and a control unit 400. ) includes.

The hub unit 300 is located in the center of the wheel unit 10, and although not shown, receives rotational driving force from the outside and rotates around the central point.

In this case, the hub portion 300 may have a circular cross-section, such as a cylindrical shape, as shown.

The unit blocks 100 are arranged in close contact with each other, as shown in the plurality of individual unit blocks 100, and overall form the external shape of the wheel unit 10.

As will be described later, the unit blocks 100 are designed to maintain adhesion to each other, and accordingly, as shown in FIG. 1, they form the outer shape of the wheel unit 10 and remain in close contact with each other. You can.

Each of the unit blocks 100 is arranged along the radial direction with respect to the center point of the hub portion 300, and each of the unit blocks 100 may be formed to have a predetermined thickness T, It may be formed to have a predetermined width in the depth direction of Figure 1. In this case, it is obvious that the thickness and width of each of the unit blocks 100 can be designed in various ways.

However, it is sufficient for the thickness T of each of the unit blocks 100 to have a minimum thickness sufficient to maintain the external shape of the wheel unit 10 through the surface tension mechanism of water molecules, which will be described later.

In addition, each of the unit blocks 100 has the same shape, and the specific shape will be described in detail with reference to the drawings below.

In this case, the closely attached unit blocks 100 may be released from the close contact state shown in FIG. 1, that is, detached, upon contact with an obstacle, etc., as described later in the description, and these unit blocks 100 Obstacles are overcome through adhesion and detachment between them.

The support 200 connects the hub portion 300 and the unit blocks 100, and as shown, may be a wire having a predetermined tension. However, the support 200 is not limited to wire, and any support that connects the hub portion 300 and the unit blocks 100 and can apply tension is sufficient.

The plurality of supports 200 have one end fixed along the circumferential surface of the hub unit 300 and the other end fixed to the unit blocks 100.

In this case, the support body 200 may be connected one by one to each of the unit blocks 100, and through this, a predetermined tension may be applied to each of the unit blocks 100.

In contrast, although not shown, considering that the unit blocks 100 are in close contact with each other, the support 200 may not have one spoke connected to each of the unit blocks 100, and may be connected at regular intervals. It may be connected only to unit blocks 100 that are spaced apart from each other.

The support 200 has a predetermined tension, and accordingly, tension, which is a pulling force, is applied between the hub portion 300 and the unit blocks 100 to maintain the position of the unit blocks 100. and prevents the unit blocks 100 from being separated to the outside.

In addition, in the case of this embodiment, the support body 200 applies an overall constant tension to all of the unit blocks 100, except when the wheel unit 10 passes through an obstacle, which will be described later, which results in When the water drop maintains its external shape, the attractive force between water molecules inside the water drop is simulated to form the attractive force inside the wheel unit 10.

As described above, in this embodiment, the surface tension of a water droplet maintaining its outer shape can be effectively simulated through the tension provided by the support 200 and the adhesion between the unit blocks 100.

Figure 2a is a schematic diagram showing the application state of the surface tension of a water drop, and Figure 2b is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of change in the contact angle of a water drop depending on the size of the surface tension.

Before explaining how the wheel unit 10 in the present embodiment described above simulates the surface tension of a water drop, the change state according to the application state and contact angle of the surface tension of the water drop will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. do.

When a water droplet contacts the surface and maintains a spherical state due to surface tension, the water molecules inside the water droplet receive the same force from the surrounding molecules, but the water molecules on the surface only exert force in a specific direction, as shown. You will receive it.

The balance of forces inside and on the surface of these water molecules is as shown in Figure 2a. In particular, when the attractive force between water molecules increases, the inward pulling force increases, and this increase in surface tension Accordingly, the more stable spherical form of the water molecule is maintained.

That is, as shown in Figure 2b, as the attractive force between water molecules decreases, the surface tension with the surface decreases, and the contact angle (θ) of the water droplet decreases accordingly.

In other words, this means that by increasing the attraction between the water molecules of the water droplet, the surface tension increases, which increases the contact angle of the water droplet and forms a more spherical water droplet.

That is, in the case of the wheel unit 10 in this embodiment, the generation of surface tension due to the application of attraction between water molecules is simulated, and as described above, the tension provided by the support 200 Through the adhesion between the unit blocks 100 and the unit blocks 100, it is possible to effectively simulate the surface tension when a water droplet maintains its external shape.

In the end, the wheel unit 10 simulates that the outer surface of the water droplet is maintained by applying a surface tension mechanism by placing molecules that are incompressible or difficult to compress beyond a certain level, and the unit blocks 100 And through the previously described connection relationship and connection structure of the support 200, this surface tension mechanism can be applied.

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Meanwhile, how the shape maintenance state according to the surface tension of the water droplet in FIGS. 2A and 2B is applied to the wheel unit 10 of this embodiment is as follows.

Figure 3a is a front view showing the state in which the wheel unit in Figure 1 passes through the ground, and Figure 3b is a schematic diagram comparing the state in which the wheel unit in Figure 3a passes through the ground with the state of a water droplet.

Referring to FIG. 3A, when the wheel unit 10 passes through the ground 1, the unit blocks 100 are in close contact with each other by a structure to be described later, and at the same time, the support 200 is attached to the unit. Applying tension to the blocks 100 in the direction of the hub portion 300 is the same as described above.

In this state, when the wheel unit 10 passes through the ground, as shown in FIG. 3A, the lower side of the wheel unit 10 in contact with the ground 1 may be deformed into a somewhat compressed form. However, the overall appearance of the wheel unit 10 can be maintained.

That is, as the wheel unit 10 rotates, the overall outer shape of the wheel unit 10 is maintained except that only the lower portion located at the bottom is compressed somewhat.

This state of the wheel unit 10 passing through the ground 1 can be simulated as a case where water droplets contact the ground, as shown in FIG. 3b. In this case, the entire wheel unit 10 is covered with water droplets. If simulated, the wheel unit 10 can be interpreted as passing through the ground while maintaining a contact state with the surface 1 at a predetermined contact angle θ.

In this case, the contact angle (θ) must maintain an obtuse angle, and as the contact angle increases, the shape becomes more circular or spherical.

In contrast, the state in which the surface tension of the water droplet collapses and the water droplet loses its shape in FIGS. 2A and 2B is explained as follows when applied to the wheel unit 10 of this embodiment.

Figure 4a is a front view showing a state in which the wheel unit of Figure 1 overcomes an obstacle, and Figure 4b is a schematic diagram comparing the state of overcoming an obstacle in Figure 4a with the state of a water droplet.

Referring to FIG. 4A, when one side of the lower part of the wheel unit 10 collides with an obstacle 6 such as a staircase located on the ground 1, the wheel unit 10 ) begins to deform at the collision location.

That is, referring to the simulation of this collision situation as a water droplet collision state as shown in FIG. 4b, when the wheel unit 10 collides with the obstacle 6, the contact portion A with the obstacle 6 The contact angle θ of the outer shape of the wheel unit 10 rapidly exceeds the so-called deformation critical angle (for example, 180 degrees).

In this way, at the moment when the deformation critical angle is exceeded, a large deformation occurs suddenly in the water droplet and the shape of the water droplet collapses, similarly, the wheel unit 10 also collapses its shape at the contact portion A, forming an obstacle 6 ), the unit blocks 100 are deformed on the inside while reflecting the shape.

However, in this case, since the hub portion 300 of the wheel unit 10 continuously rotates, even if the contact portion A is in a collapsed state, the hub portion 300 centers around the contact portion A. ) rotates, the wheel unit 10 overcomes the obstacle 6.

As described above, the wheel unit 10 in this embodiment has an overall circular or spherical shape in the same way that water droplets maintain their shape through surface tension when simply passing through the flat ground 1. It passes through the ground (1) while maintaining its position, but when it collides with an obstacle (6), the adhesion state of the unit blocks (100) collapses around the collision location, and the external shape of the obstacle (6) is reflected, causing damage to the local area. The shape of the wheel unit 10 is changed, thereby overcoming the obstacle 6.

Meanwhile, as described above, even if the unit blocks 100 are out of close contact at the contact portion A, the outer peripheral surfaces of the unit blocks 100 are designed to be in close contact with each other, so that a predetermined adhesive force can be provided. , Through this, the close contact state of the unit blocks 100 can be restored.

Figure 5a is a schematic diagram showing the transmission state of force in a state of overcoming an obstacle through a wheel unit according to the prior art, and Figure 5b is a diagram showing a state of force transmission in a state of overcoming an obstacle through the wheel unit of Figure 1. This is a schematic diagram.

Before explaining detailed structural modifications when the wheel unit 10 overcomes obstacles such as stairs according to this embodiment, regarding the force transmission state when the wheel unit 10 overcomes stairs. Explain.

In this case, in order to explain the advantages of the wheel unit 10 in this embodiment, the wheel unit 11 in the conventional unit is detachable from each other in that the unit blocks 101 forming the outer perimeter are fixed to each other in close contact. Assume that it has an unstructured structure.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, in the wheel unit 10 in the prior art, the outer surface as well as the inner surface of the unit block 101 are formed as a continuously extending curved structure without a separate segmented structure.

In the process of overcoming the stairs by contacting the wheel unit with the above structure, when an external force is applied from the stairs to the outer surface of the unit block 101, one of the outer surfaces is in contact with the stairs. Compression occurs in this part, and accordingly, tension occurs in the inner surface facing the outer surface.

However, in the case of the unit block 101, the outer surface as well as the inner surface are not disconnected from each other, that is, because they are a curved structure that extends continuously without being segmented, the compressive force and the tensile force are maintained at similar levels. Accordingly, a neutral surface on the unit block 101 is formed along the center of the unit block 101.

Furthermore, in the case of the inner surface of the unit block 101, since it is a continuously extending surface without being segmented, only a tensile strain within a certain range can be realized depending on the material of the inner surface, etc., and tensile strain outside the above range can be achieved. Tensile strain cannot be implemented in the unit block 101.

Therefore, through the wheel unit in the prior art as shown in FIG. 5A, when passing an obstacle such as the stairs, if it is outside the range of the tensile strain, the wheel unit hits the stairs and bounces off the stairs. A problem arises that cannot be overcome.

On the other hand, as in the wheel unit 10 according to the present embodiment shown in Figure 5b, the unit blocks 100 are detachable from each other, so the inner surfaces of the unit blocks 100 can be segmented from each other. When a segmental structure is included, when an external force is applied from the step, the tensile strain of the inner surface is not limited by the segment, that is, the tensile strain increases infinitely (Max. Tensile strain is possible) It can be.

In this way, since the tensile strain applied to the inner surface is not limited to a specific range, a neutral surface on the unit block 100 is formed close to the outer surface, and at the same time, the tensile strain of the inner surface is As it becomes possible to significantly implement, the wheel unit 10 can overcome the stairs very easily.

That is, when the wheel unit 10 is in contact with the stairs, the unit block 100 is freely deformed, including the inner surface, centered on the outer surface of the unit block 100 in contact with the stairs. Therefore, by the rotational driving force of the wheel unit 10, the wheel unit 10 is rotated around the outer surface of the unit block 100 in contact with the staircase and deformed to match the external shape of the staircase. It is possible, and therefore the stairs can be easily overcome.

As described above, when contacting an obstacle such as a staircase, the unit block 100 can be freely deformed through segmentation, and since there is no limit to the tensile strain, it is possible to easily overcome the obstacle.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are front views showing deformed states of unit blocks at the contact portion A when the wheel unit of FIG. 1 overcomes an obstacle.

First, before explaining the deformed state of the unit blocks in the contact portion (A), referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the detailed structure of each of the unit blocks 100 and the connection and disconnection states between adjacent unit blocks. Explain.

Each of the unit blocks 100 includes a body portion 110, a groove portion 120, a protruding portion 130, a fixing portion 140, and a support portion 150.

The body portion 110 forms the central body of the unit block 100 and may have a predetermined width in the direction perpendicular to the drawings of FIGS. 6A and 6B. The width of the body portion 110 can be designed in various ways.

The body portion 110 includes an upper surface 111 forming an upper surface and a lower surface 112 forming a lower surface.

In this case, the lower surface 112 extends in a flat shape in one direction, but the upper surface 111 extends in the same direction as the lower surface 112 and then extends as a curved surface curved downward at the front end.

The body portion 110 includes a front portion 115 that extends to the upper surface 111 and forms the front of the body portion 110, and a rear portion of the body portion 110 at the rear of the front portion 115. It further includes a rear portion 116 forming the rear.

The front portion 115 extends from the upper surface 111 and is formed to protrude, and the rear portion 116 is formed to be concave and recessed differently from the front portion 115.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 6A, in unit blocks adjacent to each other, the front part 115 of the unit block located at the rear end may be positioned to be inserted into and in close contact with the rear part 116 of the unit block located at the front end. That is, the front part 115 is located in the rear recessed part 117 formed by the rear part 116 of an adjacent unit block, and can be in close contact with the rear part 116.

Accordingly, the protruding shape of the front part 115 is such that the front part 115 and the rear part 116 have the same curvature so that they can be inserted in close contact with the recessed part of the rear part 116. The shape must be designed with an extending surface.

Meanwhile, the body portion 110 further includes a front recessed portion 113 extending from the front end of the lower surface 112 and a rear protrusion 118 extending from the rear end of the lower surface 112.

The front recessed portion 113 is recessed and extended in a concave round shape on an extension surface extending from the front end of the lower surface 112 to the front portion 115. That is, the front part 115 forms a curved surface that protrudes as a whole from the front end of the lower surface 112, but the front recessed part 113 extends to be recessed.

Additionally, the rear protrusion 118 protrudes and extends in a convex round shape on an extension surface extending from the rear end of the lower surface 112 to the rear portion 116. That is, from the rear end of the lower surface 112 to the rear portion 116, an overall concave curved surface is formed, but the rear protrusion 118 extends to protrude.

In this case, the concave recessed shape of the front recessed portion 113 may be formed with the same curvature as the convex protruding shape of the rear protrusion 118 to enable close contact with each other.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the adjacent unit blocks 100 are in close contact with each other, the rear protrusion 118 of the unit block located at the front end is the front recess ( 113) comes into close contact.

Meanwhile, the groove portion 120 is formed with a predetermined length between the front portion 115 and the front recessed portion 113, and is formed as a groove recessed for a predetermined distance in a direction perpendicular to the drawing, and the front portion ( 115) and a predetermined step are formed on the side.

Additionally, the protrusion 130 is formed to protrude a predetermined length from the rear surface 114 and is located on the groove 120 of an adjacent unit block.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, when adjacent unit blocks are in close contact with each other, the protrusion 130 of the unit block located at the front end is located on the groove 120 of the unit block located at the rear end, and The protrusion 130 can move its position on the groove 120 extending a predetermined length. That is, the protrusion 130 may slide and move on the groove 120.

However, as shown in Figure 6a, when adjacent unit blocks are in close contact with each other, the protrusion 130 is located at the bottom of the groove 120, and although not shown, the relative positions of the unit blocks are changed. Accordingly, the position of the protrusion 130 may also change on the groove 120.

As described above, as the protrusion 130 is formed to be located on the groove 120, the adhesion force when the unit blocks are in close contact with each other can be improved, even when the relative positions of the unit blocks are changed. , within a certain range, the protrusion 130 can be located on the groove 120, so that adhesion to each other can be maintained or relative positional movement can be limited.

The fixing part 140 extends from the upper side of the body part 110 and includes a fixing protrusion 141, a contact surface 142, and an end portion 143.

The fixing protrusion 141 extends from the rear side of the upper surface 111 of the body portion 110 and the rear portion 116, and forms a predetermined step 119 with respect to the extended surface of the upper surface 111. It extends upward toward the rear end of the body portion 110.

In this case, the contact surface 142 forms the lower surface of the fixing part 140 and corresponds to a surface continuously extending from the rear part 116.

In addition, the end portion 143 is formed at the rearmost end of the contact surface 142 and forms the rear end of the fixing portion 140 and is formed to protrude.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the fixing part 140 is such that, when adjacent unit blocks are in close contact with each other, the contact surface 142 of the unit block located at the front end is connected to the upper surface 111 of the unit block located at the rear end. ) is placed in close contact with the top.

Accordingly, the curvature of the curved surface formed by the contact surface 142 may be the same as the curvature formed by the upper surface 111.

Meanwhile, the end portion 143 of the unit block located at the front end may be located at the step 119 formed at the connection between the upper surface 111 and the fixing portion 140 in the unit block located at the rear end. . Accordingly, the end portion 143 is located at the step 119, thereby limiting changes in the relative positions of adjacent unit blocks, which will be described later.

The support portion 150 is coupled to the lower surface 112 and includes a support frame 151 and a first support protrusion 152 or a second support protrusion 153.

In this case, the first support protrusions 152 and the second support protrusions 153 are formed alternately with respect to the unit blocks. That is, if the unit block located at the front end includes the first support protrusion 152, the unit block located at the rear end includes the second support protrusion 153.

Specifically, the support frame 151 is fixed on the lower surface 112, and since the lower surface 112 extends in a plane, the support frame 151 also extends in a plane like the lower surface 112. .

The first support protrusion 152 or the second support protrusion 153 extends a predetermined length from the lower surface of the support frame 151 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the support frame 151.

Thus, as shown, the support frame 151 and the first support protrusion 152, or the support frame 151 and the second support protrusion 153, when observed from the side, are overall 'a' 'It can have a shape.

As described above, when the support portion 150 is observed from the side, it has an 'ㄱ' shape, so it can pass through obstacles 6 such as stairs having a vertical cross-section, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In this case, more effective support or fixation with the obstacle 6 is possible, making it easier to overcome the obstacle.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 7B, which will be described later, for example, the support portion 150 of the unit block located at the front end includes the second support protrusion 153, and the support portion 150 of the unit block located at the rear end includes the first support protrusion 153. In the case of including the support protrusion 152, the second support protrusion 153 includes a pair of protrusions spaced apart from each other to form an insertion space 154 at the center, and the first support protrusion 152 It may include one protrusion in the center, which is the location where the insertion space 154 is formed.

Therefore, as shown in Figure 6b, as adjacent unit blocks overcome the obstacle 6, when adjacent support portions 150 overlap each other, the first support protrusion 152 forms the insertion space ( 154), it is possible to prevent the problem of limiting the relative positions of adjacent unit blocks due to overlapping of adjacent support portions 150.

That is, since the positions between adjacent unit blocks are not limited by the supports 150, when overcoming various types of obstacles 6, regardless of the overlapping positions of the supports 150, Effective overcoming of obstacles (6) becomes possible.

Hereinafter, referring again to FIGS. 6A and 6B, when the wheel unit 10 passes an obstacle, a change in position between adjacent unit blocks will be described.

First, referring to FIG. 6A, when the wheel unit 10 contacts the obstacle 6, the support protrusions 152 and 153 of any unit block among the unit blocks are on the upper surface of the obstacle 6. It comes into contact with the surface first.

However, until the contact occurs, the unit blocks remain in close contact with each other as shown in FIG. 6A. In a state where these unit blocks are in close contact, as described above, the rear protrusion 118 is located on the front recessed portion 113, the protrusion 130 is located on the groove 120, and the rear protrusion 118 is located on the front recessed portion 113. The front part 115 is maintained in close contact with the rear recessed part 117 formed at 116.

Additionally, the contact surface 142 of the fixing part 140 remains in close contact with the upper surface 111. In this case, the end portion 143 of the fixing portion 140 is spaced apart from the step 119 by a predetermined distance.

As shown in FIG. 6A, when the wheel unit 10 rotates using the support protrusions 152 and 153 in contact with the upper surface of the obstacle 6 as a support point, the corresponding unit block to which the support protrusions 152 and 153 are coupled Rotational torque is generated.

Accordingly, rotational deformation occurs relative to adjacent unit blocks, and this rotational deformation plays a role in inducing the collapse of the surface tension mentioned above.

Meanwhile, in general, when an external force is applied in the direction of the hub portion of the wheel unit, if the force exceeds a critical point that can collapse the surface tension, the wheel unit may be deformed into the shape of an obstacle. There is a problem that it is difficult to apply the magnitude of external force to the wheel unit.

In order to solve this problem, in this embodiment, a method of applying torque to the unit block using the support protrusions 152 and 153 is used to apply torque to the unit block with a force less than the magnitude of the external force in the direction toward the hub portion 300. It was also possible to implement surface tension collapse. Therefore, when the surface tension is collapsed through this process, the shape of the wheel unit 10 may be deformed to match the surface shape of the obstacle 6, as shown in FIG. 6B.

That is, as the wheel unit 10 rotates, the unit block in contact with the obstacle 6 changes position so that the 'L' shape of the support part 150 is fixed to the corner of the obstacle 6. , the unit block located at the front of the contacted unit block moves forward according to the rotation of the wheel unit 10.

Thus, the gap between the support parts 150 of the unit block at the front end and the unit block at the rear end is narrowed, and the gap between the fixing parts 140 is increased. That is, the unit blocks adjacent to each other rotate around the edges of the adjacent fixing parts 140, that is, the obstacle 6.

As previously explained with reference to FIG. 5B, when the unit blocks include a structure in which the inner surfaces can be segmented, when a compressive force is applied to the outer surface and a tensile force is applied to the inner surface, the tensile strain is determined by the segmented structure. It is the same as applying a state in which infinite increase is possible because it is not limited by .

That is, in the case of the unit blocks adjacent to each other, a compressive force is applied to the support parts 150 corresponding to the outer side, so that the gap between the adjacent support parts 150 is narrowed, but the fixing parts corresponding to the inner side are narrowed. Since 140 can be segmented, the tensile strain is not limited. Accordingly, the segmented state of the unit blocks as shown in FIG. 6B is induced, and a large deformation large enough to match the external shape of the obstacle 6 can be implemented.

Accordingly, in unit blocks adjacent to each other, the fixing portion 140 is spaced apart from the upper surface 111 of the adjacent unit block, and similarly, the rear portion 116 is also spaced apart from the front portion 115 of the adjacent unit block. and the protrusion 130 is also spaced apart from the groove 120 of an adjacent unit block.

In this case, the degree of separation increases as the distance from the support part 150 increases, and the degree of separation from the upper surface 111 of the fixing part 140 becomes the largest.

As described above, in the contact portion (A), since the inner surface of the wheel unit 10 includes a structure that can be segmented, the tensile strain is not limited by such segmentation, leading to the so-called effect of collapsing surface tension. You can.

In this case, the wheel unit 10 as a whole rotates and moves forward while the surface tension is collapsed at the contact portion A, so that the wheel unit 10 can effectively overcome the obstacle 6. do.

In particular, in this embodiment, the support force for the edge of the obstacle 6 is maintained high due to the shape of the support portion 150, so the support force at the contact portion A with the obstacle 6 is improved, and the contact portion Since the wheel unit 10 can rotate around (A) and move forward, it is possible to more effectively overcome the obstacle 6.

Meanwhile, as described above, even if the surface tension is collapsed in the contact portion (A) and the position of the adjacent unit blocks is changed to a segmented structure, the adjacent unit blocks are adjacent to each other in the adjacent portion (B) adjacent to the contact portion (A). Adhesion between the wheels must be maintained, and through this, it is possible to effectively overcome the obstacle 6 without deforming the overall external shape of the wheel unit 10.

That is, in addition to the separation of the unit blocks 100 that were in close contact with each other in the contact portion A, unit blocks located in the adjacent portion B in front are spaced a predetermined distance forward with respect to the contact portion A. In (100), the inner portions, that is, the surfaces facing the hub portion 300, are compressed and deformed against each other.

Likewise, the inner portions of the unit blocks 100 located in the rear adjacent portion B, which is spaced a predetermined distance backward based on the contact portion A, are compressed and deformed.

That is, in the contact portion (A), a pair of unit blocks 100 adjacent to each other are released from a close contact state, but in the adjacent portions (B) at the front and rear ends of the contact portion (A), the unit blocks 100 adjacent to each other are released. ) are compressed and deformed against each other.

In this case, when the inner portions of the unit blocks 100 are compressed in the adjacent portions B, the unit blocks 100 may be separated or irregular due to the shape or structural characteristics of the unit blocks 100. Location changes can be minimized.

Hereinafter, the deformed state of the unit blocks in the adjacent portion B will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

That is, Figure 7a is a front view showing the deformation state of the unit block in the adjacent portion (B) when the wheel unit of Figure 1 overcomes an obstacle, and Figure 7b shows the unit block of Figure 7a from another direction. It is a perspective view.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, in the adjacent portion B, the unit blocks relatively adjacent to each other are deformed so that the support portions 150 located on the outside become distant due to tensile force, while the support portions 150 located on the inside are separated from each other. The fixing parts 140 are deformed so that the distance between them is close to each other due to compressive force.

However, in the case of this embodiment, the fixing part 140 extends from the upper surface 111 to form a predetermined step 119, and accordingly, the end portion of the fixing part 140 of the unit block located at the front end ( 143) is located at the step 119 of the unit block located at the rear end, thereby restricting further movement of the end portion 143.

Therefore, even when adjacent unit blocks are in close contact with each other at the inner portions of the adjacent portion B due to compressive force, the movement of the end portion 143 is restricted by the step 119, so that the movement of the end portion 143 is restricted to a certain level or more. They do not adhere closely to each other and can absorb the applied compressive force.

In particular, since the end portion 143 and the step 119 are normally maintained at a predetermined distance apart as shown in FIG. 6A, there is a predetermined amount of space that can be compressed by the compressive force at the adjacent portion (B). A moving distance can be secured, and even if a compressive force exceeding the moving distance is applied, the convex shape of the end portion 143 can be maintained in close contact with the concave shape of the step portion 119, effectively absorbing a certain portion of the compressive force. can do.

Accordingly, the unit blocks do not deviate from their positions or their relative positions do not change irregularly, and the overall shape of the wheel unit 10 can be kept constant.

As described above, the unit blocks 100 are designed to be in close contact with each other or freely articulated, and further to limit relative position changes, so that the overall shape of the wheel unit 10 does not collapse and obstacles such as stairs 6 ) can be overcome very effectively.

Figure 8 is a front view showing a wheel unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Since the wheel unit 20 according to this embodiment is substantially the same as the wheel unit 10 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7B except for the support body 201, the same reference numbers are used for the same components. Descriptions that are used and overlapped are omitted.

Referring to FIG. 8, the wheel unit 20 according to this embodiment is characterized in that the hub portion 300 and the unit blocks 100 are filled with the support body 201.

In this case, the support 201 may be formed of a material having a predetermined elasticity and filled between the hub portion 300 and the unit blocks 100. Additionally, the material of the support 201 is not limited.

The support 201 connects the hub portion 300 and the unit blocks 100 and applies tension in the same manner as the support 200 described above. In the present embodiment, the support 201 ) is characterized in that it is filled with a filler rather than the shape of a wire.

Furthermore, although not shown, depending on the embodiment, the support 201 is filled between the hub portion 300 and the unit blocks 100, and at the same time, a wire as the support 200 described above is connected to the hub. Additional connections may be made between the unit 300 and the unit blocks 100.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are images illustrating a state in which the wheel unit of FIG. 1 or 8 actually passes through flat ground, and FIG. 9b is an image illustrating a state in which the wheel unit of FIG. 1 or 8 passes through an obstacle.

Referring to FIG. 9A, when the wheel units 10 and 20 described in FIG. 1 or 8 pass through the flat ground 1, the unit blocks 100 are in contact with the ground 1. ) can be maintained in closer contact, and the supports 200 and 201 connecting the unit blocks 100 and the hub portion 300 can be maintained in a loosely connected state.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 9B, when the wheel units 10 and 20 described in FIG. 1 or 8 pass through an obstacle 6 such as a staircase, at the contact portion A with the obstacle 6, As explained, the outer portions of the unit blocks are closely adhered to each other, but the inner portions are segmented, simulating the collapse of the surface tension of water droplets. In addition, at the front or rear adjacent portion (B) adjacent to the contact portion (A), the unit blocks come into close contact with each other as compressive force is applied to the inner portion. The unit blocks effectively absorb this compressive force, thereby forming the wheel unit (10) as a whole. While maintaining the shape, it rotates around the contact portion (A), making it possible to effectively overcome obstacles.

According to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, based on the principle that a water drop maintains its external shape through surface tension, a force similar to the surface tension of a water drop is simulated through the tension applied by the support and the adhesion between unit blocks. As a result, the wheel unit can maintain its overall shape and effectively pass through the ground.

On the other hand, by applying the principle that the outer shape collapses when a force exceeding the deformation critical angle is applied to the water droplet, when a unit block contacts an obstacle, the contact state between the unit blocks is maintained in the contact area, but the unit block is maintained inside the contact area. By releasing the adhesion between blocks and segmenting them, effective overcoming of obstacles becomes possible.

In this case, the collapsed part can be easily restored after passing the obstacle through the tension and the structure of the unit blocks, so that the original shape of the wheel can be maintained again, allowing the wheel to overcome obstacles and run smoothly on the ground. there is.

On the other hand, by controlling the tension applied to the unit blocks, the overall degree of deformation of the wheel unit can be controlled, and through this, the degree of deformation of the wheel unit can be controlled depending on a relatively constant ground or a relatively irregular ground to achieve effective ground deformation. Driving becomes possible.

In particular, each of the unit blocks includes a support part, so that the unit block can be maintained supported at the edge of the obstacle, thereby effectively inducing segmentation within the unit blocks, and the support parts adjacent to each other can be used to overcome the obstacle. First and second support protrusions are formed alternately to prevent overlapping with each other, making it possible to stably overcome obstacles while maintaining the structure.

In addition, in the adjacent parts adjacent to the contact part in contact with the obstacle, tensile strain occurs so that the supports of adjacent unit blocks move away from each other. In this case, the movement of the fixing part is restricted by the step between the fixing part and the body, and the movement of the fixing part is limited by the step between the fixing part and the body. Since the formed groove extends only a predetermined distance and the protrusion moves on the groove, the movement of the protrusion is also limited by the groove. Therefore, when tensile deformation occurs, a stable relative positional relationship can be maintained between the unit blocks without a gap exceeding a predetermined distance, so that the structure of the wheel unit is maintained in the adjacent portion even when obstacles are overcome. do.

That is, in a contact part that overcomes an obstacle, adjacent unit blocks are freely segmented on the inside, and even if a predetermined tensile strain occurs in an adjacent part adjacent to the contact part, the relative positions of the inside of the unit blocks are maintained by the fixing part and the protrusion. Since this is limited, a natural relative position between unit blocks is formed as a whole, and stable deformation of the wheel unit can be realized.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following patent claims. You will understand that it is possible.

10, 20: wheel unit 100: unit block
110: body part 120: groove part
130: protrusion 140: fixed portion
150: support 200: support
300: hub unit 400: control unit
500: space A: contact part
B: Adjacent part

Claims (15)

A hub portion that rotates by receiving rotational driving force;
a plurality of unit blocks spaced apart from the hub portion at a predetermined distance and forming the outer shape of the wheel unit; and
Includes a support connecting the hub portion and the unit blocks or filling between the hub portion and the unit blocks,
As the wheel unit moves on the ground, the unit block changes its contact state with adjacent unit blocks and becomes attached or attached,
When the wheel unit overcomes an obstacle, at the contact portion that contacts the obstacle, the outer peripheral surfaces of adjacent unit blocks are in close contact with each other and the inner surfaces are segmented from each other,
Each of the unit blocks includes a body portion including a protruding front portion and a rear portion recessed to be coupled to the front portion, a fixing portion extending from an upper portion of the body portion, and a support portion protruding from a lower portion of the body portion. Characteristic wheel unit. The method of claim 1, wherein when the wheel unit passes through a flat ground,
A wheel unit, wherein the unit blocks are in close contact with each other, and the support body applies tension to the unit blocks in the direction of the hub portion. delete delete delete delete The method of claim 1, wherein the support unit,
a support frame extending in a direction parallel to the body portion; and
A wheel unit comprising a support protrusion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the support frame. The method of claim 7, wherein when the wheel unit overcomes an obstacle,
The support frame and the support protrusion are fixed to the edge of the obstacle,
A wheel unit, wherein unit blocks adjacent to each other rotate around the support frame and the support protrusion so that the distance between the fixing parts increases. In clause 7,
In unit blocks adjacent to each other, the support protrusions are,
First support protrusions protruding from the center of the support frame, forming an insertion space in the center for insertion of the first support protrusions, and second support protrusions formed on both sides of the insertion space are formed alternately. wheel unit. According to paragraph 1,
The fixing part has a contact surface that slides along the upper surface of the body of an adjacent unit block, and an end portion is formed at the end of the fixing part,
A wheel unit, characterized in that the upper surface of the body portion and the fixing portion form a step. The method of claim 10, when the spacing between the supports of adjacent unit blocks becomes distant,
A wheel unit, wherein movement of the end portion of the fixing portion is restricted by the step of an adjacent unit block. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the unit blocks is:
A groove portion formed at a predetermined length on the front surface of the body portion; and
A wheel unit comprising a protrusion protruding from the rear portion of the body portion. The method of claim 12, when the spacing between the supports of adjacent unit blocks becomes distant,
A wheel unit, wherein the movement of the protrusion is restricted by the groove of an adjacent unit block. delete delete

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