WHEEL RE-CONFIGURATION METHOD AND RECONFIGURABLE WHEEL FOR IMPLEMENTATION THEREOF Russian patent published in 2019 - IPC B62D57/28 B60B19/00 

FIELD: machine building.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of robotics and can be used in planet research vehicles for the purpose of improving their cross-country capacity, adaptation of the planet research vehicle to various types of soils and reduction of power consumption during movement. Method of wheel re-configuration consists in splitting its rim by a number of independent sectors of equal size, changing length of its spokes between hub and sector of rim and turning sectors of rim by turning corresponding spokes by 90 degrees relative to their axis. Reconfigurable wheel comprises a hub, a rim with a tire, divided into sectors, and a mechanism responsible for changing the shape of the wheel. Each sector in its geometric centre on the inner side is attached to its spoke, the axes of each spoke are located perpendicular to the axis of the hub and are in the same plane coinciding with the plane of rotation of the wheel. Telescopic mechanism is distributed over spokes, at that, wheel diameter is changed by telescopic retraction/retraction of the spoke, and the rim width is changed due to rotation of the rim sector by 90 degrees around the pin axis. In the hub there arranged are torque distribution devices driven by common drive.

EFFECT: technical result is increase in navigation ability of planet research vehicle.

2 cl, 6 dwg