RUNNING GEAR

Abstract

Aspects of the invention are directed to running gear for transport devices comprising a guide ring, a wheel carrier configured and arranged to be pivoted within the guide ring about a vertical main axis of rotation and two wheels configured and arranged to be rotated about a common axis of rotation, and an inner ring pivotably mounted in the guide ring via a rotary bearing about the main axis of rotation, and the wheel carrier is pivotably mounted via at least one pivot bearing about a pivot axis perpendicular to the main axis of rotation.

Claims

1. Running gear for transport devices comprising a guide ring; a wheel carrier configured and arranged to be pivoted within the guide ring about a substantially vertical main axis of rotation; two wheels coupled to the wheel carrier and configured and arranged to be rotated about a common axis of rotation; and an inner ring pivotably mounted in the guide ring about the main axis of rotation via a rotary bearing, and the wheel carrier is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis arranged essentially perpendicular to the main axis of rotation via at least one pivot bearing.

2. The running gear according to claim 1, wherein the two wheels are configured and arranged to be driven independently of one another.

3. The running gear according to claim 2, further including two drive motors provided in the wheel carrier, each of the two drive motors are connected to one of the two wheels.

4. The running gear according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary bearing is a rolling bearing.

5. The running gear according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivot axis is arranged perpendicular to the main axis of rotation and to the common axis of rotation of the wheels.

6. The running gear according to claim 1, characterized in that the alignment of the wheels which determines the direction of travel, takes place via the rotary bearing, the main axis of rotation of which is aligned substantially perpendicular to a road surface plane, and the level compensation angle is up to +/−15°.

7. The running gear according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivot axis and the axis of rotation lie in a common plane which, in a state of use, runs parallel to a road surface plane.

8. The running gear according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide ring has a cylindrical bore configured and arranged to accommodate the rotary bearing.

9. A transport device comprising: a plurality of running gears, each of the plurality of running gears including a guide ring, a wheel carrier configured and arranged to be pivoted within the guide ring about a substantially vertical main axis of rotation, two wheels coupled to the wheel carrier and configured and arranged to be rotated about a common axis of rotation, and an inner ring pivotably mounted in the guide ring about the main axis of rotation via a rotary bearing, and the wheel carrier is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis arranged essentially perpendicular to the main axis of rotation via at least one pivot bearing; and characterized in that the common axes of rotation, for each of the plurality of running gears, are aligned relative to one another.

10. The transport device according to claim 9, characterized in that the transport device is configured and arranged to travel straight ahead in a main direction of movement, wherein the directions of travel of the plurality of running gears are parallel.

11. The transport device according to claim 9, further including an energy supply and at least one energy storage device for the energy supply, wherein the energy storage device is configured and arranged to be charged by the energy supply without direct electrical contact.

12. The transport device according to claim 9, further including one or more devices configured and arranged to facilitate automated transport, reception and delivery of transport goods, transport containers or pallets.

13. The transport device according to one of claim 9, characterized in that the one or more devices includes automated handling devices, automated working devices, complex robot systems, camera systems, and other equipment configured and arranged for performing tasks in particularly hazardous or inaccessible areas, and the transport device is configured and arranged to move in response to the wheels in coordination with the movement of the one or more devices.

14. A method for operating a transport device including the following steps: cornering in any main direction of movement and travel speed, and controlling the rotational speeds of the wheels so that the travel directions of the running gears are aligned to a vanishing point derived from a trajectory of the desired path of movement at a distance from the center of movement of the transport device by means of the axes of rotation, and controlling the curved path speed of the transport device by controlling the individual rotational speeds of the wheels.

15. The method for operating a transport device according to claim 14, further including the steps of rotating stand about the vanishing point at a rotational speed, aligning the running gears to the vanishing point at a distance from the center of rotation of the transport device by means of the axes of rotation by controlling the rotational speeds of the wheels, and controlling the rotational speed of the transport device by means of the individual rotational speeds of the wheels.

16. The method for operating a transport device according to claim 14, further including the step of navigation using laser scanners for safe operation.

17. The running gear according to claim 3, wherein the two drive motors are connected to the wheel via a transmission.

18. The running gear according to claim 6, wherein the main axis of rotation is aligned substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the road surface plane and the level compensation angle is +/−5°.

19. The transport device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of running gears includes three or more running gears.

20. The transport device of claim 13, wherein the automated handling devices includes one or more of the following: gripping, supporting, holding and clamping devices; the automated working devices includes one or more of the following: riveting, screwing, welding, painting, grinding and polishing devices; the complex robot systems includes one or more of the following: joint-arm robots and snake arms; and the other equipment includes one or more of the following: remotely controlled detectors, devices for salvaging and/or defusing potentially dangerous objects.

21. The method for operating a transport device of claim 16, wherein the laser scanners includes two laser scanners and the step of navigating further includes rotating laser beams of the two laser scanners in a sweeping and overlapping fashion over circular surface portions, facilitating a 360° panoramic view in a plane of the road surface.

Description

[0033] The invention is explained in more detail below using the non-restrictive figures, wherein:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a running gear (wheel unit) according to the invention in plan view;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows the wheel unit in a view in the direction of travel;

[0036] FIG. 3 shows the wheel unit in inclined view from above and in section along the section line A-A of FIG. 1;

[0037] FIG. 4 shows the wheel unit in inclined view from below with cut open rotary and tilting bearing;

[0038] FIG. 5 shows the wheel unit in mounting position in driving direction with inclined position of the drive wheels due to unevenness of the ground with cut open rotary and tilting bearing;

[0039] FIG. 6 shows a transport device in a schematic view with four drive systems aligned in parallel and travelling straight ahead;

[0040] FIG. 7 shows the transport device with four drive systems aligned for rotation on the stand in a schematic view from below;

[0041] FIG. 8 shows the transport device with four drive systems aligned for cornering in a schematic view from below;

[0042] FIG. 9 shows the transport device with four drive units in inclined view from below with additional navigation/safety sensors;

[0043] FIG. 10 shows the transport device with four drive units in view from below with additional navigation/safety sensors and their detection areas.

[0044] The drive system according to the invention consists of a guide ring 1, a wheel carrier 2 for the two separately driven drive wheels 3 and 3a, with the common axis of rotation 10, the drive motors 4 and 4a and the pivot bearing 5, which forms the pivot axis 6, the rotary bearing 7, which forms the main axis of rotation 9, and the inner ring 8.

[0045] The vertical forces are transferred from the guide ring 1 via the rotary bearing 7 to the rotary pivot ring, namely the inner ring 8, the pivot bearing 5 and further on to the wheel carrier 2 and to the drive wheels 3 and 3a, wherein the drive wheels can align themselves unhindered around the main axis of rotation 9 in any direction of travel and can align themselves unhindered around the pivot axis 6 to compensate for uneven ground. Horizontal forces resulting from the forward movement of the transport device 11 and the transverse forces during cornering are absorbed by the inner ring 8, the rotary bearing 7 and the guide ring 1.

[0046] Through defined individual control of the speeds of the drive wheels 3 and 3a, the individual drive units are aligned in relation to their main axis of rotation 9, so that a transport device 11 carried out with them can be maneuvered almost without restriction, i.e. forwards, backwards, sideways, in any path curve and rotating at the stand, in the plane.

[0047] For navigation and safe autonomous operation, laser scanners 14 and 14a are provided, which enable 360° panoramic view in the plane.

[0048] The power supply is preferably electrical, wherein state-of-the-art accumulators are used to store the electrical energy, which can also be recharged at the same time during load operation. The charging process is contact-free or by means of contacts.

[0049] FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 represent different movement patterns of a transport device 11 with four running gears arranged at the corners of the transport device 11. FIG. 6 shows an essentially linear movement in which all running gears have parallel axes of rotation 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d of their wheels 3, 3a. Thus all their driving directions 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d are parallel and point in the same direction. This results in a linear main direction of movement 12 for the transport device 11.

[0050] In the rotary movement shown in FIG. 7, all axes of rotation 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d meet in a vanishing point 13a, which thus represents the rotary axis. The vanishing point 13a is arranged essentially in the middle of the transport device 11, whereby the directions of travel 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, which are tangential to a movement circle, lead to a circular main direction of movement 12. Thus the transport device 11 rotates around itself.

[0051] In FIG. 8, the vanishing point 13a is arranged outside the transport device 11, which is why the directions of travel 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d each have different directions. The running gears are aligned with the vanishing point 13a derived from the trajectory of the desired path of movement at a distance 13 from the center of motion of the transport device 11 by means of the rotational axes 10a to 10d by controlling the rotational speeds of the wheels 3, 3a and the curve path speed of the transport device 11 is controlled by controlling the individual rotational speeds of the wheels.

[0052] In FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, laser scanners 14, 14a are arranged at two opposite corners of the transport device 11, which can scan approx. one three-quarter circle each by scanning laser beams 15, 15a as surface portions 16, 16a of the environment. This arrangement allows the direct vicinity of the transport device 11 to be scanned on all sides. This is guaranteed by overlapping surfaces.