In a method for monitoring an electromagnetically actuable brake, which has an energizable coil that interacts with a tractive electromagnet situated so as to be linearly movable, and a vehicle having an electromagnetically actuable brake, the current flowing through the coil is acquired, the acquired current value in particular being conveyed to an evaluation unit, the voltage applied at the coil is intermittently increased, and a relative position of the tractive electromagnet with respect to the coil is determined from the thereby induced current characteristic, in particular the characteristic of the current rise, it is particularly determined from the ascertained position whether the brake is in the applied state or in the released state, the tractive electromagnet in particular is arranged as a permanent magnet or has a permanent magnet.

A rolling device for a device to enable the moving of the device along a surface comprises a wheel axle carrying a wheel, a lead screw with a nut, at least one axle support member rotatably connected in one end in a fixed pivot point and in the other end connected to the lead screw nut, and a drive motor connected to the lead screw to rotate the lead screw for displacing the lead screw nut and thereby displacing the wheel between an extended position and a retracted position. Each axle support member supports an end portion of the wheel axle, and the wheel has two side faces. The lead screw is arranged tangentially to the rotational direction of the wheel between the two side faces of the wheel at a distance from the wheel axle larger than the radius of the wheel.

A wheel adapter for a cargo container includes a wheeled adapter body. A container connector on the adapter body is configured for connection to the cargo container. A container elevation bolt threadably engages the adapter body. The container elevation bolt is selectively adjustable to correspondingly adjust an elevation of the adapter body and raise the cargo container for transport.

A driven wheel assembly to provide a zero turn radius without wheel scrubbing. The assembly includes a vertical axis motor driving a vertical drive shaft to drive first and second spaced-apart wheels that are oriented horizontally or perpendicular to the vertical drive shaft for lateral motion of the vehicle. This is combined with an off-axis vertical motor and gear, which rotates or steers, the driven wheel assembly. Instead of a right angle gear drive as found in a conventional drive unit, the driven wheel assembly employs a center differential coupled to the output end of the vertical drive shaft and a hub of each of the first and second wheels and that is positioned in the space between the two wheels. The center differential drives the first and second wheels, and each of the first and second wheels can turn at a different rotational velocity or even in opposite directions.

There is provided a spring-powered drive apparatus including a casing (102), an output shaft (103) mounted on the casing (102) in a relatively rotatable manner, a one way clutch (112) externally fitted on the output shaft (103) in the casing (102) and, a spiral spring (105, 107) housed in the casing and wound by turning of the output shaft (103) in the direction in which the one way clutch (112) transmits torque. Thus, there can be provided a compact spring-powered drive apparatus and a self-propelled caster that can be applied to a work cart or the like.

A caster includes a caster unit and at least one braking unit. The caster unit includes a receptacle, a wheel shaft disposed through the receptacle, a wheel assembly sleeved on the wheel shaft and rotatable relative to the receptacle, and a spring assembly which acts on the receptacle and the wheel shaft. The receptacle is movable relative to the wheel assembly in a vertical direction. The braking unit includes a surrounding teeth structure formed on the wheel assembly and having a hardness ranging from 65 to 75 on a Shore D scale, and a braking piece mounted on the receptacle. The braking piece includes a braking surface in form of a curve surface having a hardness ranging from 40 to 46 on the Shore D scale to be engaged with the surrounding teeth structure to retard rotation of the wheel assembly.

A subject support lift includes a mast portion, a base portion, and a lockable wheel assembly coupled to the base portion. The lockable wheel assembly includes an axle member, a lockable wheel coupled to the axle member, and a pivot member pivotally coupled to the lockable wheel and defining an axis extending in a vertical direction, where the lockable wheel is rotatable about the axis defined by the pivot member. A locking member is coupled to one of the pivot member or the lockable wheel, the locking member being repositionable between a locked position, in which the locking member engages the other of the pivot member or the lockable wheel, and an unlocked position, in which the locking member is spaced apart from the other of the pivot member or the lockable wheel.

A wheel shock absorption structure and a child carrier having the wheel shock absorption structure, including a wheel shaft and a wheel seat connected with a frame, and a lower end of the wheel seat is rotatably connected with a wheel through the wheel shaft. Further including a shock absorber with an elastic structure, an upper end of the shock absorber is removably connected with an upper end of the wheel seat, and the shock absorber rotates synchronously along with the wheel seat; a lower end of the shock absorber is rotatably connected with the wheel shaft which is slidably connected with the lower end of the wheel seat. The shock absorber is driven by sliding of the wheel shaft to generate recoverable elastic deformation to provide damping and buffering. The bending deformation of the shock absorber ensures that the wheel shock absorption structure has a better shock absorbing effect.

A wheelchair can comprise: a frame comprising an upper portion and a lower portion that is coupled to the upper portion so that the upper portion is vertically adjustable with respect to the lower portion. A pair of drive wheels can be coupled to the frame. A plurality (e.g., a pair) of casters are coupled to the frame. Each caster can have a respective swivel axis. At least one caster of the plurality of casters can be configured to be locked to prevent swiveling about its respective swivel axis and unlocked to enable swiveling about its respective swivel axis.

An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a transport drive and control system arranged for autonomous movement of the robot over a floor for performing cleaning operations. The robot chassis carries a first cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to suction loose particulates up from the cleaning surface and a second cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arraigned to apply a cleaning fluid onto the surface and to thereafter collect the cleaning fluid up from the surface after it has been used to clean the surface. The robot chassis carries a supply of cleaning fluid and a waste container for storing waste materials collected up from the cleaning surface.