IP Library Granted Patent US 11,505,004
Granted Patent B2
US 11,505,004 · App. 16/685,395 · Granted Nov 22, 2022

Flexible wheel

Inventors: Sun-Myoung Jo (Yeoju-si, KR); Jung-Woo Lee (Seoul, KR); Hoon Chung (Busan, KR); Jin Choi (Seoul, KR)
Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation
B60C7/24B60C7/143B60C7/146B60B9/26B60C7/10B60C7/107
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,505,004
App. No.
16/685,395
Granted
Nov 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A flexible wheel may include a flexible tire section which is deformable in a radial direction from a circumference thereof, and an anti-bending guide section coupled with the flexible tire section. The anti-bending guide section is connected to a driving shaft, and the flexible tire section and the anti-bending guide section are concentric. The flexible tire section includes a ring-shaped outer layer, one or more inner layers, and a plurality of spokes. In addition, the anti-bending guide section includes a plurality of plates, a hub, and a plurality of guides.

Claims (24)

1. A flexible wheel for connecting to a driving shaft on which a fixing nut is mounted, the flexible wheel comprising:

a flexible tire section being deformable in a radial direction from a circumference thereof; and

an anti-bending guide section coupled with the flexible tire section,

wherein the anti-bending guide section is connected to the driving shaft, and the flexible tire section and the anti-bending guide section are concentric,

wherein the anti-bending guide section comprises;

a plurality of plates formed integrally with one or more inner layers of the flexible tire section;

a hub provided with a plurality of through hinges passing through the plates and the one or more inner layers; and

a plurality of guides, each of which being formed in a form of bar having a width, being hingedly fixed to an outer layer of the flexible tire section through one end thereof and having a slit formed therein, and

wherein each of the through hinges is moved in the slit in a longitudinal direction of the respective guides.

2. The flexible wheel of claim 1 , wherein the flexible tire section comprises;

a ring-shaped outer layer;

one or more inner layers having an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the outer layer and being concentric with the outer layer; and

a plurality of spokes formed to extend from an inner circumferential surface of the outer layer to an outer circumferential surface of a first inner layer or formed to extend from an inner circumferential surface of the first inner layer to the outer circumferential surface of a second inner layer.

3. The flexible wheel of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of spokes are rounded in a rotational direction of the flexible tire section to have a streamline shape.

4. The flexible wheel of claim 3 , wherein the spokes generate a supporting force and a climbing force when the flexible wheel goes up stairs.

5. The flexible wheel of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of spokes extends from the second inner layer having the smallest inner diameter among the one or more inner layers and passes through the first inner layer towards the outer layer while having a variable curvature.

6. The flexible wheel of claim 1 , wherein the hub comprises a hub body to which the plurality of through hinges are perpendicularly fixed.

7. The flexible wheel of claim 6 , wherein a fastening hole through which the driving shaft passes is formed at a center of the hub body in a state where the driving shaft passes through the fastening hole, so that the flexible tire section and the anti-bending guide section are subordinated to the driving shaft.

8. The flexible wheel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plates comprise:

a first plate being in contact with the one or more inner layers; and

a second plate overlapping the first plate to cover first guides arranged on one surface of the first plate.

9. The flexible wheel of claim 8 , wherein second guides are arranged on one surface of the second plate, the plates further comprises a third plate overlapping the second plate to cover the second guides arranged on one surface of the second plate, and the first guides which are in contact with the first plate and the second guides which are in contact with the third plate form a predetermined angle so as not to overlap each other.

10. The flexible wheel of claim 8 , wherein the anti-bending guide section further comprises a fixing plate which is symmetrical with the first plate with respect to the flexible tire section, and fixing members are mounted on the plurality of through hinges passing through the fixing plate to allow the flexible tire section and the anti-bending guide section to be assembled integrally with each other.

11. An equipment, capable of being moved without any restriction, to which the flexible wheel according to claim 1 is applied.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
To: KIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064401/0721 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 15, 2019
From: JO, SUN-MYOUNG; LEE, JUNG-WOO; CHUNG, HOON; CHOI, JIN
To: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY; KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051022/0801 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2019-0023846 · Feb 28, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200276865A1 · Sep 3, 2020
Cited By (3)
US 12,269,531 US 12,515,744 US 12,594,785