Wheel drive device
AssigneesHyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
InventorSang Woo Hwang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In accordance with an embodiment, a device includes: a mounting structure configured to be connected to a vehicle body; a first drive shaft configured to be rotatably supported by a mounting structure; a second drive shaft rotatably supported by the first drive shaft; a wheel body fixed to the first drive shaft, the wheel body being configured to rotate simultaneously with the first drive shaft; a wheel unit rotatably supported by the wheel body; and a gear unit connected to the second drive shaft, the gear unit being configured to transmit rotational force from the second drive shaft to the wheel unit.
Claims20
A device comprising:
- a mounting structure configured to be connected to a vehicle body;
- a first drive shaft configured to be rotatably supported by a mounting structure;
- a second drive shaft rotatably supported by the first drive shaft;
- a wheel body fixed to the first drive shaft, the wheel body being configured to rotate simultaneously with the first drive shaft;
- a wheel unit rotatably supported by the wheel body;
- and
- a gear unit connected to the second drive shaft, the gear unit being configured to transmit rotational force from the second drive shaft to the wheel unit, wherein:
- the wheel unit comprises a chain part connected to the gear unit, and
- the gear unit is configured to be rotated according to a difference between an angular velocity of the first drive shaft and an angular velocity of the second drive shaft, and the wheel unit is configured to be rotated in response to rotation of the gear unit.
A method, comprising:
- selectively operating a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft rotatably supported by the first drive shaft, selectively operating comprising:
- rotating a wheel body fixed to the first drive shaft and keeping a wheel unit supported by the wheel body rotatably fixed in response to the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft being rotated at equal angular velocities, and
- rotating the wheel body and rotating the wheel unit simultaneously in response to the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft being operated at rotated at different angular velocities or in response to the first drive shaft being rotated and the second drive shaft being stopped, wherein rotating the wheel unit comprises transmitting a rotational force from the second shaft to the wheel unit via a gear unit connected to a chain part of the wheel unit.
A device comprising:
- a rotatable wheel body having an outer circumferential surface;
- a plurality of sub-wheels arranged around the outer circumferential surface of the wheel body, each sub-wheel configured to rotate around a respective rotation axis perpendicular to a rotation axis of the wheel body;
- a first motor and a first drive shaft configured to rotate the wheel body around its rotation axis;
- a second motor and a second drive shaft configured to selectively rotate the sub-wheels around their respective rotation axes, wherein the second drive shaft extends through a center of the wheel body, and the second drive shaft comprises a plurality of first gears;
- a plurality of gear units arranged radially within the wheel body, each gear unit comprising a second gear coupled to at least one of the plurality of first gears of the second drive shaft, a third gear meshed with the second gear, a fourth gear meshed with the third gear, and a sprocket located coaxially with the fourth gear;
- and
- a plurality of chain parts, each chain part connecting the sprocket of a respective gear unit to at least one of the sub-wheels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.