Bearingless hub assembly with electromagnetic drive system and associated methods

A method of making a bearingless hub assembly, the method comprising:

• mechanically mounting a front rim cap and a rear rim cap to respective ends of a rim, to define a rim assembly;
• positioning a spindle for axial stacking;
• mechanically mounting a component mounting plate axially about the spindle;
• mechanically mounting a spindle assembly axially about the spindle;
• mechanically mounting a rear drive plate axially about the spindle;
• magnetically mounting the rim assembly axially about the spindle using a first repel force and a second repel force;
• and
• magnetically mounting the front drive plate axially about the spindle using the first repel force and a third repel force;
• wherein a respective substantially similar pole of a sleeve magnet of the spindle assembly and a tube magnet of the rim create the first repel force;
• wherein a respective substantially similar pole of rear rim cap ring magnets of the rim and rear drive plate magnets of the rear drive plate create the second repel force;
• and
• wherein a respective substantially similar pole of front rim cap ring magnets of the rim and front drive plate magnets of the front drive plate create the third repel force.

A method of operating a bearingless hub assembly comprising:

• a rim comprising:
• a tube magnet,
• a cylindrical body characterized by an outer end and an inner end,
• a rim center hole axially centered through the cylindrical body and configured to fittedly receive the tube magnet,
• a plurality of embedded magnets,
• a plurality of magnet slots disposed about the outer end and the inner end of the cylindrical body at a magnet slot depth and configured to fittedly receive a respective one of the plurality of embedded magnets,
• a front rim cap comprising:
• a front rim cap center hole axially centered through the front rim cap,
• a front rim cap ring magnet, and
• a front rim cap annular groove axially centered about the front rim cap center hole and configured to fittedly receive the front rim cap ring magnet;
• a rear rim cap comprising:
• a rear rim cap center hole axially centered through the rear rim cap,
• at least one rear rim cap loop magnet, and
• at least one rear rim cap annular groove axially centered about the rear rim cap center hole configured to fittedly receive a respective one of the at least one rear rim cap loop magnet;
• a front drive plate comprising:
• a first front drive center hole axially centered in the front drive plate,
• a second front drive center hole axially centered in the front drive plate and opposite the first front drive center hole,
• a front drive plate ring magnet, and
• a front drive annular groove axially centered about the first front drive center hole and configured to fittedly receive the front drive plate ring magnet;
• a rear drive plate comprising:
• a rear drive center hole axially centered through the rear drive plate,
• at least one rear drive plate loop magnet, and
• at least one rear drive annular groove axially centered about the rear drive center hole and configured to fittedly receive a respective one of the at least one rear drive plate loop magnet;
• and
• a spindle assembly comprising:
• a threaded insert characterized by
• a fastening portion comprising an externally-threaded cylinder having first and second ends,
• a shank portion comprising a first substantially-smooth cylinder of greater diameter than the externally-threaded cylinder and coupled to the first end of the fastening portion, and
• an enlarged head portion comprising a cylindrical cap of greater diameter than the first substantially-smooth cylinder, and coupled to the shank portion opposite the fastening portion,
• a washer having a central washer bore of greater diameter than the fastening portion of the threaded insert,
• a center nut having an internally-threaded nut bore configured to receive the fastening portion of the threaded insert from the second end of the externally-threaded cylinder, and
• a sleeve magnet having an internally-threaded sleeve bore configured to receive the fastening portion of the threaded insert from the second end of the externally-threaded cylinder;
• wherein the front rim cap is fixedly mounted to the outer end of the cylindrical body of the rim and configured to secure, in relation to the rim, an outer subset of the plurality of embedded magnets disposed about the outer end of the cylindrical body;
• wherein the rear rim cap is fixedly mounted to the inner end of the cylindrical body of the rim and configured to secure, in relation to the rim, an inner subset of the plurality of embedded magnets disposed about the inner end of the cylindrical body;
• wherein the spindle assembly is positioned to extend, starting from the second end of the fastening portion of the threaded insert, through the rear drive center hole of the rear drive plate, the rear rim cap center hole of the rear rim cap, the rim center hole of the rim, the front rim cap center hole of the front rim cap, and the first and second front drive center holes of the front drive plate, in turn, such that
• a respective first substantially similar polarity of the tube magnet and the sleeve magnet create a first repel force that operates to freely mount the rim center hole of the rim proximate to the threaded insert of the spindle assembly at a first levitation spacing of the first repel force,
• a respective second substantially similar polarity of the front rim cap ring magnet and the front drive plate ring magnet create a second repel force that operates to freely mount the front rim cap proximate to the front drive plate at a second levitation spacing of the second repel force, and
• a respective third substantially similar polarity of the at least one rear rim cap ring magnet and the at least one rear drive plate ring magnet create a third repel force that operates to freely mount the rear rim cap proximate to the rear drive plate at a third levitation spacing of the third repel force;
• the method comprising:
• mechanically mounting to at least one of the front drive plate and the rear drive plate an electromagnetic actuator;
• positioning the electromagnetic actuator at one of the outer end and the inner end of the rim, defined as a powered end, and proximate a circumference of the powered end of the rim;
• and
• creating, using an electromagnetic field of the electromagnetic actuator and a respective polarity of a subset of the plurality of embedded magnets at the powered end, a rotational force that operates to freely spin the rim about an axis of the rim in a spin direction defined by the electromagnetic field.