阅读说明：本技术 低冲击草皮轮 (Low impact turf wheel ) 是由 R·兹密克 于 2018-11-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种低冲击草皮轮,具有包括内表面和外表面的轮辋,从轮辋的外表面径向向外延伸的多个钉,其中,多个钉将轮辋保持在草皮区域上方,以及轮毂。一种草皮轮,包括具有内表面和外表面的轮辋,多个从轮辋外表面径向向外延伸的钉,其中,所述钉包括杆、套环和凸耳,其中所述凸耳包括有限的表面积以提供触地胎面,以及轮毂。(A low impact turf wheel having a rim with an inner surface and an outer surface, a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the plurality of spikes retain the rim over a turf area, and a hub. A sod wheel comprising a rim having an inner surface and an outer surface, a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the spikes comprise a stem, a collar, and a lug, wherein the lug comprises a limited surface area to provide a ground contacting tread, and a hub.)

1. A low impact turf wheel comprising:

a rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the plurality of spikes retain the rim over a turf area; and

a hub.

2. The turf wheel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spikes provide a ground-contacting tread including the plurality of spikes and tread voids.

3. The turf wheel of claim 2, wherein ground-contacting tread comprises less than about 50% of the surface area of the outer surface of the rim.

4. The turf wheel of claim 2, wherein ground-contacting tread comprises between approximately 30% and 35% of the surface area of the outer surface of the rim.

5. The turf wheel of claim 2, wherein ground-contacting tread comprises between approximately 10% and 50% of the surface area of the outer surface of the rim.

6. The sod wheel of any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of spikes are evenly distributed around the outer surface of the rim.

7. The turf wheel of any of the preceding claims, wherein the hub comprises a central hub, a branched mesh, and a plurality of holes.

8. A turf wheel comprising:

a rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the spikes include a stem, a collar, and a lug, wherein the lug includes a limited surface area to provide a ground-contacting tread; and

a hub.

9. The sod wheel of claim 8, wherein the rod extends perpendicularly from the rim.

10. The turf wheel of claim 8, wherein the collar forms an overhang extending perpendicularly outward from the shaft.

11. The turf wheel of claim 10, wherein the overhang prevents turf material from accumulating on or around the shaft.

12. The sod wheel of claim 8, wherein the plurality of spikes hold the rim over a turf area.

13. The turf wheel of claim 8, wherein the ground-contacting tread includes a surface area that is between approximately 10% and 50% of a total surface area of the outer surface of the rim.

14. The turf wheel of claim 8, wherein the hub further comprises a central hub, a branched mesh, and a plurality of holes.

15. A turf wheel comprising:

a rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the plurality of spikes retain the rim over a turf area and provide a ground-contacting tread;

a non-continuous tread comprising the ground-contacting tread and tread voids; and

a hub.

16. The sod wheel of claim 15, wherein the ground-contacting tread comprises a surface area of approximately 30% of a surface area of the outer surface of the rim and the tread void comprises a surface area of approximately 70% of a surface area of the outer surface of the rim.

17. The turf wheel of any of the preceding claims, wherein the peg further comprises a stem, a collar, and a lug, wherein the lug comprises a limited surface area that engages a turf area.

18. The sod wheel of claim 17, further comprising a contact surface ratio of about 1:3, wherein the contact surface ratio is a ratio of the ground-contacting tread to a surface area of the outer surface of the rim.

19. The turf wheel of any of the preceding claims, wherein the hub comprises a central portion and a branched mesh.

20. The turf wheel of claim 19, wherein the branched webbing extends radially outward from the central hub and is secured to the rim.

21. The turf wheel of claim 20, wherein the branched web comprises a web separated by a plurality of holes.

22. The turf wheel of claim 21, wherein the mesh structure prevents turf material from accumulating in or around the central hub.

23. A turf wheel comprising:

a rim having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the plurality of spikes each include a stem and a lug, wherein the plurality of spikes retain the rim over a turf area and provide a ground-contacting tread;

a non-continuous tread comprising the ground-contacting tread and tread voids; and

a hub.

24. The turf wheel of claim 23, wherein the bar is substantially rectangular in shape.

25. The turf wheel of claim 23, wherein the rod further comprises a rod surface.

26. The turf wheel of claim 23, wherein the lug further comprises a lug surface.

27. The turf wheel of claim 26, wherein the lug face is T-shaped.

Technical Field

The technology of the present disclosure generally relates to a wheel for a lawn mower, and wheels for other outdoor equipment having wheels. The disclosed technology relates to a low impact turf wheel (turf wheel) to significantly reduce the adverse effects of frequent mower travel over turf and to provide pile-up inhibition.

Background

Wheel marking and rutting in the grass cutting turf area is unsightly and undesirable. During operation, the mower wheels press the grass blades down towards the soil below, carrying the full weight of the mower. The compressed grass blades cannot return to their upright position quickly enough to be cut by the mower blades, resulting in uneven cutting. When the uncut swath is subsequently popped up, the turf may take on a striped appearance. This is a particularly common problem when the grass is cut when it is wet or humid.

Many robotic lawnmowers operate in a random mode, taking significantly more time to travel on the lawn than in the case of human-controlled lawnmowers. Robotic lawnmowers travel many times over some of the same area of the lawn and any features of the lawnmower that come into contact with the turf can cause observable wear and, in many cases, observable damage to the turf. Furthermore, robotic lawnmower cutting systems typically do not move as much air as conventional lawnmowers due to battery operational limitations. In the absence of air movement, grass that has been pushed or deposited by the mower wheel will not be drawn upwardly into the mower cutting system.

Since robotic lawnmowers can operate for long periods of time without human supervision, there are many instances where these products encounter obstacles and/or difficult terrain. In such a case, conventional robotic lawnmower wheels may not provide sufficient traction for the lawnmower to protect itself from becoming trapped. Thus, the operator needs to position the mower and manually release the mower during operation of the mower.

Furthermore, in order to maintain a large area, many robotic lawnmowers must operate under all weather conditions (i.e., rain or sun exposure). When mowing in wet conditions, conventional road wheels tend to collect cut grass in the form of a continuous band of material around a circumference. These strips or pieces of cut grass are known to form a considerable volume over time and can adversely affect the performance of the mower and/or can separate from the wheels, leaving an undesirable piece of material on the lawn surface.

Disclosure of Invention

The disclosed technology, generally described below, provides a low impact turf wheel that provides for the inhibition of accumulation. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a low impact turf wheel is disclosed. The low impact turf wheel includes a rim having an inner surface and an outer surface; a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the plurality of spikes retain the rim over a turf area; and a hub.

In some embodiments, the plurality of pegs provide a ground-contacting tread comprising a plurality of pegs and a tread void. In some embodiments, the ground-contacting tread includes a surface area that is less than about 50% of the surface area of the outer surface of the rim. In some embodiments, the ground-contacting tread includes a surface area that is between about 30% and 35% of the surface area of the outer surface of the rim. In some embodiments, the ground-contacting tread includes a surface area that is between about 10% and 50% of the surface area of the outer surface of the rim.

In some embodiments, the plurality of spikes are evenly distributed around the outer surface of the rim. In some embodiments, the hub includes a central hub, a branched web, and a plurality of apertures.

In yet another aspect of the disclosed technology, a turf wheel is disclosed. The turf wheel includes a rim having an inner surface and an outer surface; a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the spikes include a stem, a collar, and a lug, wherein the lug includes a limited surface area to provide a ground-contacting tread; and a hub.

In some embodiments, the stem extends perpendicularly from the rim. In some embodiments, the collar constitutes an overhang extending perpendicularly outwardly from the stem. In some embodiments, the overhang prevents the accumulation of turf material on or around the rod. In some embodiments, a plurality of spikes hold the rim over the turf area. In some embodiments, the ground-contacting tread comprises between about 10% and 50% of the total surface area of the rim outer surface. In some embodiments, the hub further comprises a central hub, a branched mesh, and a plurality of apertures.

In yet another aspect of the disclosed technology, a turf wheel is disclosed. The turf wheel includes a rim having an inner surface and an outer surface; a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the plurality of spikes retain the rim over a turf area and provide a ground contacting tread; a non-continuous tread comprising the ground-contacting tread and tread voids; and a hub.

In some embodiments, the ground-contacting tread comprises about 30% of the surface area of the outer surface of the rim, and the tread void comprises about 70% of the surface area of the outer surface of the rim. In some embodiments, the nail further comprises a stem, a collar, and a lug, wherein the lug comprises a limited surface area for engaging a turf area. In some embodiments, the turfgrass wheel further includes a contact surface ratio of about 1:3, wherein the contact surface ratio is a ratio of the ground-contacting tread to the surface area of the outer surface of the rim.

In some embodiments, the hub includes a central portion and a branched web. In some embodiments, the branched mesh extends radially outward from the central hub and is secured to the rim. In some embodiments, the branched mesh comprises a mesh structure separated by a plurality of pores. In some embodiments, the mesh structure prevents the accumulation of turf material in or around the central hub.

In yet another aspect of the disclosed technology, a turf wheel is disclosed. The turf wheel includes a rim having an inner surface and an outer surface; a plurality of spikes extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rim, wherein the plurality of spikes each include a stem and a lug, wherein the plurality of spikes retain the rim over a turf area and provide a ground-contacting tread; a non-continuous tread comprising the ground-contacting tread and tread voids; and a hub.

In some embodiments, the rod is substantially rectangular in shape. In some embodiments, the rod further comprises a rod surface. In some embodiments, the lug further comprises a lug face. In some embodiments, the lobe face is T-shaped.

Drawings

These and other features and advantages of the disclosed technology are particularly shown in the embodiments that will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial rotated view of an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed technology;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed technology;

FIG. 3 is a partial rotated view of an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed technology;

4A-4B are front and side views, respectively, of an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed technology;

5A-5D are front views of illustrative embodiments of the disclosed technology; and

FIG. 6 is a side view of an illustrative embodiment of the disclosed technology.

It should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are schematic and not drawn to scale. Relative dimensions and proportions of parts of these figures have been shown exaggerated or reduced in size, for the sake of clarity and convenience in the drawings. The same reference numerals are generally used to refer to corresponding or similar features in the different embodiments. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

Detailed Description

The following terms are used throughout the specification, the definitions of which are provided herein to aid in understanding various aspects of the subject disclosure.

As used herein, the terms "low-impact turf wheel," "turf wheel," and "wheel" are used interchangeably and refer to the wheel on most any robotic lawnmower.

As used herein, the terms "robotic lawnmower," "robotic lawnmower," and "lawn mower" are used interchangeably and refer to almost any robotic lawnmower.

As used herein, the terms "turf," "turf material," and "material" are used interchangeably and refer to virtually any type of grass or turf, grass or turf clippings, wet grass or turf, foliage, plantlets or branches, dirt, and/or soil.

As used herein, the term "turf area" refers to various types and kinds of grass, such as those used on lawns, sports fields, and/or other soils, landscapes, or terrain.

The disclosed technology, generally described below, provides a low impact turf wheel 100. With existing products, in contrast to the disclosed technique, the track left by the mower wheel is typically visible for one hour or more after the mowing period. Since many robotic lawnmowers cut grass in a random pattern, these trajectories in random directions can be annoying to the user. This effect becomes worse when the soil is very wet, as the turf laid by the wheels becomes covered with mud, making the track marks more visible.

Thus, the low-impact turf wheel 100 disclosed herein significantly reduces the adverse effects of the robot lawnmower's frequent travel over turf. The features described herein reduce long-term damage to very high traffic areas (on-wire) and in front of charging stations, and also reduce the short-term aesthetic effects that accompany conventional wheels used on existing products.

Referring to fig. 1, a low impact turf wheel 100 is shown. The low impact turf wheel 100 includes a rim 2 having an inner surface 3 and an outer surface 4, a plurality of spikes 6 and a hub 8, the plurality of spikes 6 extending radially outward from the outer surface 4 of the rim 2, the low impact turf wheel 100 being configured and operable to allow turf to pass through the plurality of spikes 6 but to retain the rim 2 over an area of turf when the mower is rolled on a ground surface without flattening, compressing or compacting the turf against the ground surface.

The low-impact turf wheel 100 may be an integrally formed one-piece member. It should be appreciated that the low-impact turf wheel 100 can be formed from almost any material, so long as the material is sufficiently rigid to provide support for the robotic lawnmower, while also being substantially lightweight. In some embodiments, the low-impact turf wheel 100 is made as one piece. In other embodiments, the rim 2 is formed separately from the hub 8, with the rim 2 and hub 8 being attached or fixedly attached to each other to form the sod wheel 100.

The rim 2 is substantially circular having an inner surface 3 and an outer surface 4, the rim 2 having a diameter and a circumference, wherein the outer surface 4 extends circumferentially around the rim circumference. A plurality of spikes 6 are located on the outer surface 4 of the rim 2, and in some embodiments, the plurality of spikes 6 are evenly distributed on the outer surface 4 of the rim 2.

As shown in fig. 2, a plurality of spikes 6 are used to hold the outer surface 4 of the rim 2 over the area of the turf 10, with the understanding that the plurality of spikes 6 support the outer surface 4 of the rim 2 in a position over the turf so that it does not compress the area of the turf or so that the outer surface 4 does not come into direct contact with the ground. The plurality of spikes 6 allow the turf to be brushed against the outer surface 4 and through the plurality of spikes 6, but hold the outer surface 4 of the rim 2 above the turf without flattening, compressing or compacting an area of turf against the ground or damaging individual blades or areas of turf. This minimizes the impact of the wheels on the grass stem and/or turf area (i.e., prevents crushing, flattening, breaking, etc.), which prevents damage and ultimately prevents or reduces uncut grass wheel marks and bands that indicate the path of travel of the robotic lawnmower caused during operation.

It should be understood that the plurality of spikes 6 may be formed of the same or different material as the material comprising the rim 2. It should also be understood that the size and number of spikes 6 is a function of the diameter of the rim 2, the mass of the object being supported (e.g., a robotic lawnmower), and the composition of the turf area over which the low-impact turf wheel 100 will operate.

Referring to fig. 1-2, the spikes 6 include a stem 16, a collar 18, and lugs 20 at the distal end of the spikes 6, and because of the combination of the stem 16, collar 18, and lugs 20, the plurality of spikes 6 provide better traction under many adverse conditions, the traction being provided by the plurality of spikes 6 extending radially outward from the outer surface 4 of the rim 2.

In the case of soft or loose turf, a plurality of spikes 6 may penetrate the area of the turf 10, thus engaging more spikes 6 to further increase traction. Since the spikes 6 are offset from one another, the open spacing of the spikes 6 allows deeper engagement of objects, such as rocks or branches, allowing multiple spikes 6 to "crawl" through large objects located within the turf area.

The rods 16 extend perpendicularly from the outer surface 4 of the rim 2, and in some embodiments, the rods 16 are substantially rectangular in shape, wherein the rods 16 have a length greater than their width. It should be understood that the rods 16 may be formed in any shape sufficient to retain the wheel rim 2 over the area of the turf 10 and also to enter the turf with minimal interference or damage to the turf.

Collars 18 extend perpendicularly outwardly from the rod 16 to form overhangs 22. collars 18 prevent turf material from slowly accumulating on the sides of the rod 16, preventing turf material from accumulating on the rim 2 or obstructing the rim 2 by preventing or minimizing the accumulation of turf material on or around the rod 16, further preventing the turfgrass wheel 100 from being impacted by turf material.

The lugs 20 abuttingly engage the collar 18, and in some embodiments the lugs 20 are substantially trapezoidal in shape. It should be understood that the lugs 20 may be any shape that allows penetration of the turf area to provide high traction. It should also be understood that the lugs 20 may be formed of the same or different material as the material from which the stem 16 is constructed.

As shown in fig. 2, the lugs 20 also include a limited surface area with the lug face 24 directly contacting an area of the turf 10, the lugs 20 providing a discontinuous tread that minimizes the impact of the wheel on the grass blades, thereby reducing or preventing damage to the turf. In combination, the lugs 20 reduce the number of blades of grass that are compressed as the mower moves over the turf, thereby reducing wheel marking and the swath of uncut grass. It should be understood that the lug face 24 may comprise a square, circular, triangular, rectangular, or nearly any other shape in right cross-section.

Referring to fig. 1, 3 and 4A, a hub 8 is shown. In some embodiments, the hub 8 includes a central portion 26, a branched web 28, and a plurality of holes 30, the central portion 26 being used to mount the turf wheel 100 to the robotic lawnmower. For example, the central portion 26 is configured for receiving and operatively connecting the hub 8 to a drive shaft, a drive mechanism (e.g., a motion drive such as a gear motor), an axle, or the like (the previously listed components are not shown in the figures). In other embodiments, the hub 8 may include only the central portion 26.

As shown in fig. 4A, the branched mesh 28 extends radially outward from the central portion 26 and is secured to the rim 2, and in some embodiments, the branched mesh 28 comprises a mesh structure. In some embodiments, the branched mesh 28 includes a plurality of holes 30.

The branched web 28 of the turf wheel 100 further reduces material costs and provides a lightweight mower wheel.

Referring to fig. 4A-B and 5A-D, turf wheel 100 provides a ground-contacting tread 32 (shown in phantom in fig. 4A). Ground-contacting tread 32 includes a combination of surface areas provided by the ground-contacting lug surfaces 24. The plurality of spikes 6 providing the lugs 20 and lug faces 24 are offset from one another but evenly distributed around the outer surface 4, as shown in fig. 4A-4B. In some embodiments, the plurality of spikes 6 includes a first series of spikes 12 and a second series of spikes 14, and in some embodiments, the first series of spikes 12 and the second series of spikes 14 are offset from one another to provide the ground contacting tread 32.

The ground-contacting tread 32 also provides a discontinuous tread surface that prevents turf or cut grass from binding together at the outer surface 4 of the rim 2 and forming a continuous strip of material. This allows the low impact turf wheel 100 to operate consistently over a range of conditions, provides pile-up suppression and reduces the maintenance required by the user, and eliminates an unsightly piece of turf material in the turf area.

In some embodiments, the turf wheel 100 includes a contact surface ratio of about 1: 3. It will be appreciated that the contact surface ratio provides a ratio of the ground-contacting tread 32 (i.e., the limited ground-contacting surface area provided by the combination of lug surfaces 24) to the total surface area of the outer surface 4.

The ground-contacting tread 32 extends circumferentially around the outer surface 4 of the rim 2, and because the ground-contacting tread 32 includes a plurality of spikes 6 spaced apart from one another, the plurality of spikes 6 are separated by spaces or tread voids 34, as shown in fig. 4B. It should be appreciated that tread voids 34 may include open areas of any suitable size and/or shape, and in most any suitable arrangement and/or configuration.

In some embodiments, the ground-contacting tread 32 comprises about 30% of the total surface area of the outer surface 4 of the rim 2, the tread voids 34 comprise about 70% of the total surface area of the outer surface 4 of the rim 2, in some embodiments, the ground-contacting tread 32 comprises about 10% to 50% of the total surface area of the outer surface 4 of the rim 2, and in one embodiment, an appropriate contact surface ratio may be established based on the weight and/or mass of the mower and anticipated or actual turf conditions.

Turning to fig. 5A-5D, front views of exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology are shown. The ground-contacting tread 32, including tread lugs 20 and in some embodiments collar 18, provides a discontinuous tread surface. In some embodiments, ground-contacting tread 32 comprises between about 10% and 50% of the total surface area of outer surface 4 of the rim. In one embodiment, ground-contacting tread 32 comprises between about 10% and 40% of the total surface area of outer surface 4 of the rim. In one embodiment, ground-contacting tread 32 comprises approximately 30-35% of the total surface area of outer surface 4 of rim 2.

Referring to fig. 6, in an alternative embodiment, a turf wheel 200 is shown wherein like components have the same reference numbers as in fig. 1-5, plus 100. The low-impact turfgrass wheel 200 includes a rim 102 (not shown) having an inner surface 103 (not shown), an outer surface 104, and a plurality of spikes 106, wherein the plurality of spikes 106 extend radially outward from the outer surface 104.

As shown in fig. 6, the peg 106 includes a stem 116 and a lug 120, wherein the lug 120 includes a lug face 124. The configuration of the rods 116 and lugs 120 provides increased surface area to prevent the turf wheel 200 from sinking into wet, wet or muddy soil as it traverses the ground/terrain and still provide superior traction.

The stem 116 extends perpendicularly from the outer surface 104. In some embodiments, the bar 116 is substantially rectangular in shape, wherein the length of the bar 116 is greater than its width. As shown in fig. 6, the stem 116 further includes a stem surface 117, wherein the lugs 120 extend radially outward from the stem surface 117. Under wet, wet or muddy soil conditions, the lugs 120 may penetrate or dig into the ground/terrain and mechanically engage it for traction purposes. Under such adverse conditions, the rod surface 117 provides sufficient support for the turf wheel 200 to maintain the outer surface 104 above the turf area without sinking, becoming stuck or fixed in wet, wet or muddy soil, or preventing a reduction in traction or efficiency. The rod surface 117 can support the mass of the mower without sinking into the soil.

In some embodiments, the lug 120 is T-shaped. The T-shaped lugs include transverse ribs to increase traction in the tangential direction. It should be understood, however, that the lugs 120 may be of virtually any shape that provides increased traction to allow the turf wheel 200 to pass through wet, or muddy soil/terrain.

Referring to fig. 6, ground-contacting tread 132 includes a plurality of tread lugs 120 and lug faces 124, providing a discontinuous tread surface. In some embodiments, ground-contacting tread 132 comprises between about 30% and 50% of the total surface area of outer surface 104 of the rim. In some embodiments, the ground-contacting tread 132 comprises between about 30% and 35% of the total surface area of the outer surface 104 of the rim, in other embodiments between about 35% and 45% of the total surface area of the outer surface 104 of the rim, and in other embodiments between about 45% and 50% of the total surface area of the outer surface 104 of the rim.

While embodiments of the disclosed technology have been described, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not so limited and modifications may be made without departing from the disclosed technology. The scope of the disclosed technology is defined by the appended claims, and all devices, processes, and methods that come within the meaning of the claims, either literally or by equivalence, are intended to be embraced therein.