A wheel and a vehicle each having a simple structure and capable of moving over a step while maintaining stability at flat ground traveling are provided. A wheel includes an outer ring that rotates about a wheel rotational axis, an arm drive gear that rotates independently from the outer ring about the wheel rotational axis, and an arm capable of rotating about an arm rotational axis fixed to the outer ring, the arm being configured to partially protrude outside from an outer peripheral surface of the outer ring in a radial direction as the arm drive gear rotates relative to the outer ring in one direction (normal rotational direction) and to be housed inside in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring as the arm drive gear rotates relative to the outer ring in the other direction (reverse rotational direction) opposite to the one direction.

A convertible ducted fan engine and mounting system. The convertible ducted fan engine has a shroud encircling a mechanical fan. The convertible ducted fan engine includes a fluid-propulsion configuration in which the mechanical fan rotates freely with respect to the shroud to produce thrust through fluid flow, and a drive-wheel configuration in which the shroud rotates about the rotational axis. The mounting system includes at least one gimbal ring and may include a circular track system thereby enabling the convertible engine to be oriented in any direction.

A convertible ducted fan engine and mounting system. The convertible ducted fan engine has a shroud encircling a mechanical fan. The convertible ducted fan engine includes a fluid-propulsion configuration in which the mechanical fan rotates freely with respect to the shroud to produce thrust through fluid flow, and a drive-wheel configuration in which the shroud rotates about the rotational axis. The mounting system includes at least one gimbal ring and may include a circular track system thereby enabling the convertible engine to be oriented in any direction.

A wheel and a vehicle each having a simple structure and capable of moving over a step while maintaining stability at flat ground traveling are provided. A wheel includes an outer ring that rotates about a wheel rotational axis, an arm drive gear that rotates independently from the outer ring about the wheel rotational axis, and an arm capable of rotating about an arm rotational axis fixed to the outer ring, the arm being configured to partially protrude outside from an outer peripheral surface of the outer ring in a radial direction as the arm drive gear rotates relative to the outer ring in one direction (normal rotational direction) and to be housed inside in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring as the arm drive gear rotates relative to the outer ring in the other direction (reverse rotational direction) opposite to the one direction.

A combined road/rail wheel device that is adjustable by an adjusting device between road operation and rail operation, the combined road-/ rail wheel device comprising a wheel that is driven or not driven and configured to rotate about a wheel axis and includes a road tire with a tire running surface at an outer radial circumferential surface of the wheel and an axial inside and an axial outside oriented away from the axial inside; the adjusting device; a wheel flange arranged at the axial inside or the axial outside of the wheel, connected to co-rotate with the wheel and extendable by the adjusting device in its entirety or partially from a radially retracted position for road operation to a radially extended position for rail operation.

A combined road/rail wheel device that is adjustable by an adjusting device between road operation and rail operation, the combined road-/ rail wheel device comprising a wheel that is driven or not driven and configured to rotate about a wheel axis and includes a road tire with a tire running surface at an outer radial circumferential surface of the wheel and an axial inside and an axial outside oriented away from the axial inside; the adjusting device; a wheel flange arranged at the axial inside or the axial outside of the wheel, connected to co-rotate with the wheel and extendable by the adjusting device in its entirety or partially from a radially retracted position for road operation to a radially extended position for rail operation.

Embodiments of collapsible wheels and methods of making collapsible wheels are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

[Technical Field] The present invention relates to a wheel deformation mechanism and a structure of a vehicular shock-absorbing device using the mechanism. [Technical Problem] In the conventional suspension device, there are problems that a vibration damping effect for an in-wheel motor vehicle is too low to alleviate an impact on the wheel and that a mounting space is required on the vehicle body side. There is a problem that since the conventional tire is poor in ability to absorb distortion of a contact patch caused by turning, the contact patch of the wheel is subjected to horizontal friction at the time of direction change. [Solution] An expansion and contraction mechanism as shown in FIG. 1 that connects two rotors and a band-shaped tread by a movable arm is incorporated in a wheel, [Main Use of Invention] The vehicle wheel is expanded and contracted by a rotation speed difference between the two rotors so as to control the posture of the vehicle body.

Wheel having a first part rotable around a central axis, with branches inscribed in a circle whose diameter equals that of the wheel, a circular outer surface of all branches forming a first part of the wheel tread, a second part movable relative to the first part between first closed and second open positions, the second part including branches inscribed in a circle whose center coincides with the central axis, apparatus for moving between first and second positions, the first position where the wheel has a complete circular circumference forming a continuous tread and the second position where the wheel has an incomplete circular circumference forming a discontinuous tread. A third wheel part has teeth whose circular outer surface forms a second part of the wheel tread, the teeth pivotally mounted on the first part, driven by movement of the second part, and movable between two positions.

A wheel-legged amphibious mobile robot with a variable attack angle, which belongs to the technical field of robot structure technology. The robot includes three parts: motion unit, body trunk and power unit. As a key structure, the motion unit mainly includes a moving mechanism, a wheel assembly, a telescopic mechanism and a transmission device. The robot drives the telescopic mechanism to reciprocate linearly through a gear and rack set, and pushes “legs” to expand and retract, so as to realize a mutual switching between a wheeled mode and a gait mode. Under transmission of bevel gear set, the blades can rotate at any same angle at the same time, to change the attack angle and realize the steering. The robot provided by the present disclosure can effectively adapt to a complex and harsh amphibious environment, and meet a series of operation requirements such as rapid movement, obstacle climbing, underwater steering.