MECANUM WHEELED VEHICLE

Abstract

Mecanum wheeled vehicle for transporting a payload, having multiple, mecanum wheel drives (2), in each case including at least one mecanum wheel and at least one electromotive, drive, having control means (13) configured for controlling the mecanum wheel drives (2) for an omnidirectional operation, having a chassis (6), the weight force of which can be supported on a base (U) via the mecanum wheels (3) as well as via support means (6) of the vehicle provided additionally to the mecanum wheels (3), wherein the mecanum wheels (3), together with the assigned drives, are mounted resiliently relative to the chassis using force storage means (4) for limiting the weight force proportion of the chassis (5) to be supported via the mecanum wheels (3) on the base (U) and a possible payload (10) to be carried by the chassis.

Claims

1. Mecanum wheeled vehicle for transporting a payload, having multiple mecanum wheel drives (2), in each case including at least one mecanum wheel and at least one electromotive drive, having control means (13) configured for controlling the mecanum wheel drives (2) for an omnidirectional operation, having a chassis (6), the weight force of which can be supported on a base (U) via the mecanum wheels (3) as well as via support means (6) of the vehicle provided additionally to the mecanum wheels (3), wherein the mecanum wheels (3), together with the assigned drives, are mounted resiliently relative to the chassis using force storage means (4) for limiting the weight force proportion of the chassis (5) to be supported via the mecanum wheels (3) on the base (U) and a possible payload (10) to be carried by the chassis.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the support means (6) comprise at least one load wheel rotatable around a rotational axis (7) when driving the vehicle, which is rotatable around a joint axis upon a change of direction of the vehicle and/or wherein the support means (6) comprise a rotatably arranged ball for supporting on the base (U).

3. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the force storage means (4) are configured and arranged in such a way that when the chassis (5) is not loaded with a payload (10), the support means (6) are arranged above a support plane defined by the mecanum wheels (3) and when being applied with a payload (10), lower toward the base (U) with simultaneous increase of the spring tension of the force storage means (4), in particular together with the chassis (5).

4. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the distance between a support area (6) formed by the support means (6) and the support plane defined by the mecanum wheels (3) is adjustable.

5. Vehicle according to claim 3, wherein when loaded with a payload (10), a maximum spring travel component of the force storage means (4) parallel to an adjustment direction of the chassis (5) without payload (10) is greater than the distance measured in the same direction between a support area of the support means (6) and the support plane defined by the mecanum wheels (3).

6. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the support means (6) are not mounted resiliently relative to the chassis (5), or are mounted resiliently relative to the chassis (5) in such a way that a spring rigidity of the support force storage means is greater than a spring rigidity of the force storage means (4).

7. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a prestress of the force storage means (4) and/or a spring travel of the force storage means for adjusting the maximum weight proportion to be supported on the base by the mecanum wheels (3) is adjustable manually or by means of actuator means.

8. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mecanum wheeled vehicle (1) comprises measuring means (11) for determining a weight force or a weight force proportion of the chassis (5) and/or of a payload (10), and wherein the measuring means (11) are connected, in a signal-conductive manner, to control means (13) for actuating actuator means for adjusting the prestress of the force storage means (4) and/or the spring travel depending on the sensor signal of the measuring means (11).

9. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a loading device is arranged on the chassis (5) for receiving a payload (10).

10. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a lifting means (15) for lifting a payload (10) relative to the chassis (5) are arranged on the chassis (5).

11. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mecanum wheels (3) together with the drives are arranged on the chassis (5) via pivotable support arms (14) mounted resiliently by means of torsion springs, in such a way that the spring tension of the force storage means (4) changes by pivoting the support arms (14) and/or wherein the spring prestress of the force storage means (4) is adjustable by actively adjusting the pivoting angle of the support arms (14) manually or by using actuator means.

12. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mecanum wheels (3) comprise multiple rims having in each case rotatably mounted rolls arranged in a manner to be distributed over the circumference thereof relative to the respective rim and wherein two neighboring ones of the rims are connected to one another via damping means which are configured to allow for an dampened, limited relative movement of the rims in the circumferential direction and/or perpendicular to a mecanum wheel rotational axis and/or perpendicular to a rim rotational axis of the rims and/or in manner as to allow for a tilted angle to one another.

13. System including a mecanum wheeled vehicle (1) according to claim 1, and a payload (10) carried by said vehicle, wherein a weight force of the payload (10) is supported on a base (U) proportionately via the mecanum wheels (3) and proportionately via the support means (6).

14. System according to claim 13, wherein when applied with a payload (10), the force storage means (4) can be compressed by a remaining spring travel for balancing an unevenness of the base (U).

15. Method for operating a mecanum wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein one part of the weight force of the chassis (5) and/or of a possible payload (10) is supported on the base (U) via the mecanum wheels (3) and the other part of the weight force via the support means (6).

16. Method according to claim 15, wherein the weight force of a payload (10) is measured, and wherein a prestress of the force storage means (4) and/or a spring travel of the force storage means (4) is/are adjusted depending on the measured weight force.

17. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the multiple mecanum wheel drives (2) comprises three or four mecanum wheel drives.

18. Vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the loading device is a hopper.

19. Vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the lifting means (15) are drivable by means of an actuator and include a piston cylinder drive and/or a scissor joint drive having a lifting fork (16) or a lifting platform.

20. Method according to claim 16, wherein the weight force of the payload (10) is measured on the mecanum wheeled vehicle (1).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The drawings show in:

[0031] FIG. 1a a mecanum wheeled vehicle configured according to the concept of the invention for carrying loads without payload,

[0032] FIG. 1b the mecanum wheeled vehicle according to FIG. 1a having a load placed thereon,

[0033] FIG. 2 a view on an embodiment designed according to the concept of the invention of a mecanum wheeled vehicle from below;

[0034] FIG. 3 an alternative embodiment of a mecanum wheeled vehicle in a side view in a significantly schematized illustration,

[0035] FIG. 4 a significantly schematized view of an alternative embodiment of a mecanum wheeled vehicle configured according to the concept of the invention with lifting means arranged on a chassis, here exemplary including a lifting fork, and

[0036] FIG. 5 an also significantly schematized alternative embodiment of a mecanum wheeled vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In the figures, the same elements and elements having the same function are denoted with the same reference characters.

[0038] FIGS. 1a and 1b show the basic principle of a mecanum wheeled vehicle 1 configured according to the concept of the invention. This includes a total of four mecanum wheel drives 2 which delimit the edges of an imaginary rectangle and of which only two drives spaced apart in the direction of a longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 can be seen in the side view. The two further mecanum wheel drives are located behind in the drawing plane. Each mecanum wheel drive 2 includes a mecanum wheel 3 having an electromotive drive (not shown) arranged thereon. All drives are connected in a manner known per se to control means (not illustrated) for individually driving the mecanum wheels 3 to ensure an omnidirectional operation.

[0039] It can be seen, that the mecanum wheels 3 are mounted resiliently relative to a chassis 5 via force storage means 4, which chassis carries the mecanum wheels 3 with the drives thereof. The force storage means 4 are merely exemplarily represented as a spiral spring within the scope of a simplified illustration. Other resilient mountings are of course also possiblewhat is essential is that at least one spring force component oriented perpendicular to a base U acts between the chassis 5 and the mecanum wheels 3.

[0040] Besides the mecanum wheels 3, the chassis 5 carries support means 6 fixedly connected thereto, here in the form of load wheels in each case rotatably mounted around a rotational axle 7 as well as around a joint axle 8 oriented perpendicular thereto.

[0041] The support means 6 are directly drivable neither around the rotational axle 7 nor around the joint axle 8 using a separate drive but rotate or pivot there-around depending on a movement of the mecanum wheeled vehicle 1 due to the drive of the mecanum wheels 3.

[0042] FIG. 1a shows a state without payload. A weight, in the exemplary embodiment essentially caused by the chassis 5, acts on the mecanum wheels 3 via the force storage means 4 so that these support the entire weight on the base in the state shown. The support areas 9 (desired contact area to the base) formed by the support means 6, specifically by the load wheels, are spaced apart from the base U.

[0043] FIG. 1b shows the mecanum wheeled vehicle 1 according to FIG. 1A with the payload (load) 10 placed thereon. Said load has a weight F of X Nm. Due to the payload 10 or due to the weight F thereof, the force storage means 4 are stressed by traveling a spring travel in which the chassis 5 with payload 10 automatically adjusts downward against the spring force of the force storage means 4 in the weight direction until the support means 6 support on the base with the support area 9 thereof. A marginal residual spring travel of the force storage means remains for balancing unevenness of the base U (residual resilience). By a corresponding selection of the force storage means 4 and the remaining residual spring travel or the residual resilience, the weight to be supported by the mecanum wheels 3 is limited. In other words, only a portion of the weight of the payload 10 is supported on the base via the mecanum wheels 3 and the other portion via the support means. The force storage means 4 are selected such that sufficient traction of the mecanum wheels 3 is provided based on the payload 10 or the corresponding total weight to move the mecanum wheeled vehicle (omnidirectionally).

[0044] An embodiment is particularly preferably in which the pre-stressing of the force storage means 4 is adjustable, in particular depending on the payload 10 to be loaded and/or a pretension of optional support force storage means not shown with which the support means 6 can be mounted resiliently relative to the chassis 5 if necessary. It is also conceivable to adjust the distance of the support area based on the state according to FIG. 1a without a load relative to the base for adjusting the spring travel and therefore of a residual spring travel of the spring.

[0045] Very particularly preferably, at least one of the above-mentioned adjustments is effected depending on the weight to be determined or a weight proportion of the payload 10 to be determined. To that end, for example measuring means 11 (force measuring means) can be provided as indicated in FIG. 1, for example on the chassis 5, with which the weight of a payload can be determined. Depending on the weight which can alternatively also be determined from outside the mecanum wheeled vehicle 1, one of the above-mentioned adjustments is effected manually or via actuator means, wherein it is very particularly preferably if this is effected automatically depending on a sensor signal of the measuring means 11 by corresponding controls of the actuator means using the control means.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a possible embodiment of a mecanum wheeled vehicle 1 which is configured according to the concept of the invention from below. The four mecanum wheel drives 2 limiting the edges of a virtual rectangle can be discerned, which in each case include a mecanum wheel 3 which is drivable using a drive, here in each case an electromotive drive 12 for ensuring omnidirectional operation. Here, the drives 12 are driven in a distinct direction and/or with a distinct speed by control means 13.

[0047] Each mecanum wheel includes a multitude of rolls, preferably barrel-shaped rolls arranged distributed over the circumference of the wheel, the roll rotational axes thereof are arranged at an angle relative to the mecanum wheel rotational axes, wherein preferably the mecanum wheel rotational axes of two neighboring mecanum wheels align and the mecanum wheel rotational axes of two pairs of mecanum wheels are aligned in parallel to one another.

[0048] The chassis 5 can be discerned, relative to which the mecanum wheel drives 2 are mounted resiliently. The chassis 5 additionally carries support means 6 for carrying a load.

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of a mecanum wheeled vehicle 1 in a significantly schematized manner. The mecanum wheel drives 2 are pivotably hinged on the chassis 5 via support arms 14. Force storage means 4 in the form of torsion springs are assigned to the support arm 14, wherein the torsion springs can be tensioned preferably with separate drives not shown for varying the pretension of the force storage means. Of course, differently designed springs, e.g. gas pressure springs or spiral springs can be used additionally or as an alternative to torsion springs.

[0050] It can be discerned here as well, that support means 6 are provided next to the mecanum wheels 3, with which a part of a payload to be carried can be supported on a base.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a mecanum wheeled vehicle 1 in a significantly schematized view which in terms of the basic structure thereof corresponds to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1a to 2. Lifting means 15 (distance variation means) are located on the chassis 5 for changing a distance between a bearing surface 17 defined by the lifting means 15 for a load to be transported and the chassis 5. In the specific exemplary embodiment, the lifting means 15 include a lifting fork 16 which is arranged height-adjustable relative to the chassis 5 with a suitable, for example electromotive drive.

[0052] Alternative lifting means 15, for example in the form of a piston cylinder arrangement, a spindle drive or a scissor joint drive or the like drives of height-adjustable platforms are realizable. Preferably, the drives include a motor, in particular an electric motor.

[0053] FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a mecanum wheeled vehicle 1 with mecanum wheel drives 2 and support means 6 which are lifted from the base in analogy to the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1a and 1b when applied with a payload. The support means 6 include rolls arranged rotatable and steerable which are installed at a height-adjustable chassis portion of the chassis 5 which is referred to as carrier element 18 in the exemplary embodiment shown which in turn is installed height-adjustable on the chassis 5. In other words, the support means 6 are fixed height-adjustable on the chassis 5. The carrier element 18 supports on the chassis 5 via a spring element 19 and serves for receiving a payload. Here, the spring rigidity of the spring element 19 is lower than the spring rigidity of the force storage means 4 whereby the carrier element 18 lowers when loading with a load until the support means 6 or the support area thereof reaches the base, wherein, in this state, a residual spring travel of the force storage means 4 is ensured so that only a proportional weight force is supported on the base via the mecanum wheels 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0054] 1 mecanum wheeled vehicle [0055] 2 mecanum wheel drive [0056] 3 mecanum wheels [0057] 4 Force storage means [0058] 5 Chassis [0059] 6 Support means [0060] 7 Rotational axis ZDR-P- [0061] 8 Joint axis [0062] 9 Support area [0063] 10 Payload [0064] 11 Measuring means [0065] 12 Drives of the mecanum wheel drives [0066] 13 Control means [0067] 14 Support arms [0068] 15 Lifting means [0069] 16 Lifting fork [0070] 17 Bearing surface [0071] 18 Carrier element [0072] 19 Spring element [0073] 20 U Base