US 12,290,481 B2
Adaptive track assembly
Micah E. Johnson, Milnor, ND (US); and Jared S. Kugler, Erhard, MN (US)
Assigned to TREKER MOBILITY LLC, Milnor, ND (US)
Filed by Treker Mobility LLC, Milnor, ND (US)
Filed on Jan. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/648,401.
Application 17/648,401 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/352,774, filed on Mar. 13, 2019, granted, now 11,235,820.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/642,698, filed on Mar. 14, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0142833 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. A61G 5/06 (2006.01); A61G 5/10 (2006.01)
CPC A61G 5/066 (2013.01) [A61G 5/1089 (2016.11)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multi-terrain transport apparatus, comprising:
a seat;
a main frame connected to the seat; and
a track unit connected to the main frame, the track unit comprising an adaptive track assembly and a continuous track that is rotated by the adaptive track assembly to propel the multi-terrain transport apparatus along a terrain, the adaptive track assembly comprising:
a first idler wheel in contact with the continuous track at a forward end of the adaptive track assembly;
a second idler wheel in contact with the continuous track and disposed rearward of the first idler wheel;
an adaptive track arm connected to both the first idler wheel and the second idler wheel, the adaptive track arm pivotably connected to a frame of the track unit at a pivot point along a length of the adaptive track arm, the pivot point disposed between the first idler wheel and the second idler wheel;
a first actuator unit connected to the adaptive track arm and configured to force the adaptive track arm to rotate about the pivot point in a first direction which lifts the first idler wheel away from the terrain and lowers the second idler wheel towards the terrain, reducing an amount of surface area of the continuous track in contact with the terrain, the first idler wheel maintaining tension in the continuous track when lifted by the adaptive track arm away from the terrain;
a caster assembly including at least one caster arm connected to the main frame and at least one caster wheel connected to the at least one caster arm; and
a second actuator unit configured to move the caster assembly from a retracted state to a deployed state, as the first actuator unit rotates the adaptive track arm in the first direction to lift the first idler wheel, to cause the at least one caster wheel to contact the terrain for stability.