US 5,633,544 AGranted

Wheel motor

AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsNaoya Toida, Yoshiaki Kotani, Yoshihiro Iijima, Junji Okuda, Yoshihisa Hirose

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A wheel motor for a vehicle has an electric motor which is arranged in a central space defined in a wheel, to rotatively drive the wheel. A gear reducer is also arranged in the central space of the wheel. The electric motor includes a housing fixed to the vehicle body, a stator secured to the housing, a rotor rotatably fitted in a central space defined in the stator to generate the rotative driving force during rotation thereof, and an output shaft connected through the gear reducer to the rotor to be rotatively driven thereby, for transmitting the rotating output from the rotor through the gear reducer to the wheel. The output shaft extends through an axial through hole formed in the final stage gear of the gear reducer and an axial through hole formed in the rotor, and is rotatably supported by opposite end portions of the housing. An electric circuit for driving the electric motor is arranged in the central space of the wheel, together with the electric motor.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A wheel motor being installable on an object having a main body, comprising:

a wheel having an inner peripheral portion defining a central space therein;
an electric motor arranged in said central space of said wheel, for generating a rotating output for rotatively driving said wheel;
a gear reducer arranged in said central space of said wheel;
said electric motor including a housing fixed to said main body, a stator secured to said housing and having an inner periphery defining a central space therein;
a rotor rotatably fitted in said central-space of said stator, for generating said rotating output during rotation thereof, and an output shaft connected through said gear reducer to said rotor to be rotatively driven thereby, said output shaft being drivingly connected to said wheel, for transmitting said rotating output from said rotor through said gear reducer to said wheel, said gear reducer including a final stage gear having an axial through hole formed therein in coaxial relation to an axis of rotation of said final stage gear, and at least one reduction gear means interposed between said rotor and said final stage gear and disposed in eccentricity with said output shaft;
and
an electric circuit arranged in said central space of said wheel and mounted at said housing of said electric motor so as to be separated from said gear reducer, for driving electric motor.

4 more elements

A wheel motor being installable on an object having having a main body, comprising:

a wheel having an inner peripheral portion defining a central space therein;
an electric motor arranged in said central space of said wheel, for generating a rotating output for rotatively driving said wheel, said electric motor having an output shaft;
a gear reducer arranged in said central space of said wheel;
said output shaft being connected to said gear reducer and said wheel, for transmitting said rotating output from said electric motor transmitted through said gear reducer, to said wheel,
said housing comprising a first casing accommodating said electric motor, a second casing accommodating said gear reducer, and a partition member interposed between said first and second casings and separating them from each other,
said output shaft of said electric motor extending through said partition member and being rotatably supported by said first and second casings
said housing including a wall formed integrally on at least one of said second casing and said partition member and defining an accommodation space between said second casing and said partition member, said accommodation space being separated from a space portion of said second casing in which said gear reducer is arranged,
said electric circuit including a driving circuit for driving said electric motor, and a control circuit for controlling said driving circuit, at least said control circuit being arranged in said accommodation space.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/299,594Filed 1 Sep 1994
Priority: JP 5-26419928 Sep 1993
Granted: 27 May 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

B60K 7/0007
Disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel: the motor being electric
B60K 17/043
Characterised by arrangement, location or kind of gearing: transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential…
H02K 7/116
Structural association with clutches, brakes, gears, pulleys or mechanical starters: with gears
H02K 11/33
Structural association with control circuits or drive circuits: drive circuits, e.g. power electronics