Centrifugal wheel
View Patent ↗A centrifugal wheel apparatus for a vehicle having a plurality of pivoting elements attachable to an interior of a vehicle wheel that, when subjected to centripetal force, pivot away from the vehicle wheel and toward a pneumatic tire attached to the vehicle wheel to reshape the pneumatic tire into a dome thereby decreasing surface contact between the vehicle and a surface so that the vehicle may travel with less resistance and increased economy.
1. A vehicle wheel element attachable to a vehicle, the vehicle wheel element comprising:
a pivot element mounted to a vehicle wheel that is moveable from a retracted configuration to an extended configuration relative to an outer surface of the vehicle wheel; and
a deformable element that changes shape depending on whether the pivot element is in the retracted configuration or the extended configuration,
wherein the deformable element has an internal surface portion that has (i) a non-deformed configuration when the pivot element is in the retracted configuration and (ii) a domed configuration when the pivot element is in the extended configuration.
2. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot element contacts the deformable element during movement between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration and the pivot element pushes against the deformable element to reshape the deformable element in the extended configuration.
3. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot element is mounted closer to an axis of the vehicle wheel relative to the deformable element which is mounted further from the axis of the vehicle wheel.
4. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot element is biased to the retracted configuration via a spring element.
5. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a biasing element attached to the pivot element to bias the pivot element toward an axis of the vehicle wheel.
6. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , wherein the deformable element is a tire.
7. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle wheel element is operable to be retrofit to the vehicle wheel.
8. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot element automatically moves to the extended configuration when the pivot element is subjected to centrifugal force.
9. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot element automatically moves back and forth from the retracted configuration and the extended configuration depending on a velocity of the vehicle.
10. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a locking element to lock the pivot element in the retracted configuration.
11. A vehicle wheel element attachable to a vehicle, the vehicle wheel element comprising:
a deformation element operable to decrease friction of the vehicle, the deformation element mounted to the vehicle and moveable from a first configuration in which the vehicle is subject to a first degree of friction to a second configuration in which the vehicle is subject to a second degree of friction, and
a deformable element that changes shape depending on whether the deformation element is in the first configuration or the second configuration,
wherein,
the second degree of friction is less than the first degree of friction, and
the deformable element is biased and assumes a domed configuration when the deformation element is in the second configuration.
12. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 11 , wherein the deformation element contacts the deformable element during movement between the first configuration and the second configuration and the deformation element pushes against the deformable element to reshape the deformable element in the second configuration.
13. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 11 , wherein the deformation element is mounted closer to an axis of a wheel of the vehicle relative to the deformable element which is mounted further from the axis of the wheel of the vehicle.
14. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 11 , wherein the deformation element is biased to the first configuration via a spring element.
15. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a biasing element attached to the deformation element to bias the deformation element toward an axis of a wheel of the vehicle.
16. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 11 , wherein the deformable element is a tire.
17. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 11 , wherein the vehicle wheel element is operable to be retrofit to a wheel of the vehicle.
18. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 11 , wherein the deformation element automatically moves to the second configuration when the deformation element is subjected to centrifugal force.
19. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 11 , wherein the deformation element automatically moves back and forth from the first configuration and the second configuration depending on a velocity of the vehicle.
20. The vehicle wheel element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a locking element to lock the deformation element in the first configuration.