Field: THIS INVENTION relates to a wheel. In particular, the invention relates to a method of driving a wheel, to a wheel and to a vehicle.

Background: Wheels are mounted on a variety of different vehicles, such as, for example, bicycles, tri¬ cycles, scooters, motor-cycles, motor-cars, trucks, and the like.

It is often desirable for wheels to have an aesthetic appearance. It is an object of the invention to provide a wheel having a unique feature arranged to enhance an aesthetic appeal of the wheel.

It can be advantageous at least to enhance the rotation of a wheel of a vehicle by making use of wind power. It is an object of the invention to provide a wheel which can be mounted on a vehicle such that rotation of the wheel can at least be enhanced by wind.

The wind can be used as a power source to drive a variety of different machines, such as, for example, electrical motors, generators, and the like. It is an object of the invention to provide a wheel which can be used to harness the wind to drive such machines. In such an application, for the purposes of this specification, the term "wheel" is to be interpreted broadly to include a body rotatable about an axis, which body need not necessarily have a circumferentially extending surface arrange to roll over a ground surface.

Summary: According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of driving a wheel, the method including causing a wheel body to rotate about a wheel axis and causing at least one member mounted on the wheel body to rotate about an associated axis extending at an angle relative to the wheel axis.

Causing the at least one member mounted on the wheel body to rotate about an associated axis extending at an angle relative to the wheel axis may include causing a plurality of members to rotate about associated axes each extending at an angle relative to the wheel axis.

The, or each, member may be mounted on the wheel body to rotate about an associated axis extending generally perpendicularly relative to the wheel axis. Causing the, or each, member to rotate about an associated axis extending at an angle relative to the wheel axis may then include causing the, or each, member to rotate generally perpendicularly relative to the wheel axis.

The wheel body and the, or each, member may be operatively connected one to another so as to cause one of the wheel body and the, or each, member to rotate in response to the other of the wheel body and the, or each, member being driven to rotate. The method may then include causing at least one of the wheel body and the, or each, member to be driven to rotate thereby to cause the other of the wheel body and the, or each, member to rotate.

The, or each, member may be in the form of a blade. Causing at least one of the wheel body and the, or each, member to rotate may then include causing the, or each, blade to be driven to rotate by wind thereby to cause the wheel body to rotate.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a wheel including a wheel body defining a wheel axis about which the wheel body is rotatable and at least one member mounted on the wheel body to rotate about an associated axis extending at an angle relative to the wheel axis. The wheel may include a plurality of members mounted on the wheel body to rotate about associated axes each of which extends at an angle relative to the wheel axis.

The, or each, member may be mounted on the wheel body to rotate about an associated axis extending generally perpendicularly relative to the wheel axis.

The wheel body and the, or each, member may be operatively connected one to another so as to cause one of the wheel body and the, or each, member to rotate in response to the other of the wheel body and the, or each, member being driven to rotate.

The wheel may include a shaft on which the wheel body is mounted for rotation. The, or each, member may be mounted on the wheel body in operative communication with the shaft thereby operatively to connect the wheel body and the, or each, member one to another so as to cause the one of the wheel body and the, or each, member to rotate in response to the other of the wheel body and the, or each, member being driven to rotate.

The wheel may include a gear-toothed member secured on the shaft against rotation and a spur gear secured against rotation relative to the, or each, member. The, or each, member may be mounted on the wheel body in operative communication with the shaft by means of the gear-toothed member secured against rotation on the shaft and the, or each, spur gear secured against rotation relative to the, or each, member.

The, or each, member may be in the form of a blade.

The, or each, blade may be arranged to be driven to rotate by wind.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle including at least one wheel body defining a wheel axis about which the wheel body is rotatable and at least one member mounted on the at least one wheel body to rotate about an associated axis extending at an angle relative to the wheel axis. The vehicle may include a plurality of members mounted on the at least one wheel body to rotate about associated axes each of which extends at an angle relative to the wheel axis.

The, or each, member may be mounted on the at least one wheel body to rotate about an associated axis extending generally perpendicularly relative to the wheel axis.

The at least one wheel body and the, or each, member may be operatively connected one to another so as to cause one of the at least one wheel body and the, or each, member to rotate in response to the other of the at least one wheel body and the, or each, member being driven to rotate.

The vehicle may include a shaft on which the at least one wheel body is mounted for rotation. The, or each, member may be mounted on the at least one wheel body in operative communication with the shaft thereby operatively to connect the at least one wheel body and the, or each, member one to another so as to cause one of the at least one wheel body and the, or each, member to rotate in response to the other of the at least one wheel body and the, or each, member being driven to rotate.

The vehicle may include a gear-toothed member secured on the shaft against rotation and a spur gear secured against rotation relative to the, or each, member. The, or each, member may be mounted on the at least one wheel body in operative communication with the shaft by means of the gear-toothed member secured against rotation on the shaft and the, or each, spur gear secured against rotation relative to the, or each, member.

The, or each, member may be in the form of a blade.

The, or each, blade may be arranged to be driven to rotate by wind.

The vehicle may include two wheel bodies defining associated wheel axes about which the wheel bodies are rotatable. Instead, the vehicle may include three wheel bodies defining associated wheel axes about which the wheel bodies are rotatable. Instead, the vehicle may include four wheel bodies defining associated wheel axes about which the wheel bodies are rotatable.

Description of preferred embodiments: Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a wheel in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows, at an enlarged scale, a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel along arrows H-II in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of a wheel in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 shows a schematic plan view of two different members in the form of blades which can be mounted on the wheels shown in Figures 1 and 2, or Figure 3; and

Figure 5 shows a schematic plan view of another member in the form of a blade which can be mounted on the wheels shown in Figures 1 and 2, or Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, an embodiment of a wheel, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

The wheel 10 includes a wheel body 12 defining a wheel axis 12.1 about which the wheel body 12 is rotatable. The wheel body 12 is typically in the form of a solid rim. The rim can be of a fibre material, such as, for example, a carbon fibre material, or the like. Instead, the rim can be of aluminium, steel, or any other appropriate material. The wheel 10 further includes at least one, preferably a plurality, of members 14 mounted on the wheel body 12 for rotation about associated axes 14.1 extending at an angle A relative to the wheel axis 12.1. The axes 14.1 typically extend generally perpendicularly relative to the wheel axis 12.1. Accordingly, the angle A is typically about 90°. Where a plurality of members 14 is provided, the axes 14.1 of the members 14 are typically equi-angularly spaced apart. In Figure 1, four members 14 are shown spaced apart equi-angularly by about 90°, as indicated at D.

The wheel body 12 and the members 14 are operatively connected one to another so as to cause one of the wheel body 12 and the members 14 to rotate in response to the other of the wheel body 12 and the members 14 being driven to rotate as indicated by arrows BB and CC.

The wheel 10 typically includes a shaft 16 on which the wheel body 12 is mounted for rotation as indicated by the arrows BB. To this end, the wheel body 12 can ride on a bearing, or bush 16.1 positioned between the shaft 16 and the wheel body 12. The members 14 are mounted on the wheel body 12 in operative communication with the shaft 16 thereby operatively to connect the wheel body 12 and the members 14 one to another so as to cause the one of the wheel body 12 and the members 14 to rotate in response to the other of the wheel body 12 and the members 14 being driven to rotate.

To this end, the wheel 10 includes a gear-toothed member 18 secured on the shaft 16 against rotation. The gear-toothed member 18 can be formed of metal, such as aluminium, or an appropriate alloy, or the like. Instead, the gear-toothed member 18 can be of a fibre material, such as, for example, carbon fibre, or the like. The gear-toothed member 18 can be mounted on the shaft 16 against rotation by means of a lock-pin 18.1. The shaft 16 is typically threaded at both opposed ends 16.2, 16.3 thereof. The gear- toothed member 18 is typically secured on the shaft 16 by means of a lock-nut 18.2 acting against a shoulder 18.3. The bearing, or bush 16.1, can typically be secured on the shaft 16 by means of a nut 22, acting against the lock-nut 18.2. The wheel 10 further includes spur gears 20 secured against rotation relative to the members 14. The spur gears 20 can be formed of metal, such as aluminium, or an appropriate alloy, or the like. Instead, the spur gears 20 can be of a fibre material, such as, for example, carbon fibre, or the like. The members 14 are mounted on the wheel body 12 in operative communication with the shaft 16 by means of the gear-toothed member 18 secured against rotation on the shaft 16 and the spur gears 20 secured against rotation relative to the members 14. The spur gears 20 are typically mounted against rotation on shafts 20.1 by means of appropriate locking pins. The members 14 are typically mounted on the wheel body 12 for rotation relative to the wheel body 12 by means of bushes 14.2.

The wheel can have a solid tyre 24 extending around a circumference of the wheel body 12. Instead, the tyre 24 can be inflatable.

In Figure 3, a wheel in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, is generally indicated by reference numeral 110. The wheel 1 10 is similar to the wheel 10 save that the wheel 110 has a wheel body 112 and a single member 114 mounted for rotation thereon. The member 114 is of a different shape than the shape of the members 14. It will be appreciated that, although only one member 114 is shown in Figure 3, the wheel 110 can have any number of members 114 mounted for rotation thereon. The wheel body 112 has an inflatable tyre 124 mounted thereon to extend around a circumference of the wheel body 112.

In one embodiment of the invention, the members are driven to rotate about associated axes in response to the wheel body being driven to rotate about the wheel axis. It is believed that the aesthetic appeal of such a wheel would at least be enhanced in such a fashion. The members can then be of any desired shape. For example, the members can be planar, as indicated by reference numeral 30 in Figure 4 of the drawings. Instead, the members can be have a wing-like profile, as indicated in dashed lines by reference numeral 32 in Figure 4 of the drawings. It is envisaged that wheels, similar to the wheel 10, can be mounted for aesthetic reasons on a variety of different vehicles, such as, for example, bicycles, scooters, tri-cycles, motor-cycles, motor cars, trucks, and the like.

In another embodiment of the invention, the members 14 can be in the form of blades, or fans, arranged to be driven to rotate by wind thereby to cause the wheel body 12 to rotate about the wheel axis 12.1 in response to the blades 14 being driven to rotate about the axes 14.1. In such an embodiment, the blades 14 can have cross-sectional profiles similar to that shown in Figure 5 of the drawings.

In such a case, in use, one or more wheels 10 can be mounted on a vehicle such that wind power is harnessed to provide propulsion to the vehicle. In one embodiment, such a vehicle can be in the form of a recreational vehicle for use in windy conditions. In such a case, the vehicle can be arranged to rely exclusively on wind power to drive the members 14 to rotate thereby to cause the wheel bodies 12 to rotate in sympathy with rotation of the members 14 so as to provide propulsion to the vehicle. The vehicle is then typically of light-weight construction. In another embodiment, the vehicle can have a primary propulsion system. Such a primary propulsion system can include a manually powered propulsion system similar to that of a bicycle, for example. Instead, such a primary propulsion system can include a motorized propulsion system similar to that of scooter, a motor-cycle, a motor car, a truck, or the like. In such a case, wind power can be harnessed to at least assist in driving wheels of the vehicle.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, a wheel similar to that described above can be used in an application to harness wind so as to drive a variety of different machines, such as, for example, electrical motors, generators, and the like. In such an application, where appropriate and for the purposes of this specification, the term "wheel" is to be interpreted broadly to include a body rotatable about an axis, which body need not necessarily have a circumferentially extending surface arrange to roll over a ground surface.