Drive unit for a floor trolley

A drive unit for a floor trolley, with at least one steered wheel (1) attached to a vehicle chassis (3) such that the at least one steered wheel (1) can swivel about an essentially vertical swivel axis (2), a drive motor (4) with a drive shaft (5) being arranged coaxially with the swivel axis (2), the drive motor (4) being drivingly connected with the at least one wheel (1) via a gear system (10), the drive motor (4) and the gear system (10) being mounted in a common housing (16) which comprises a lower housing portion (16a) and an upper housing portion (16b) which are joined together by mechanical fasteners (18), and which is mounted to rotate on the vehicle chassis (3) via at least one roller bearing (19), the lower housing portion (16a) containing both the drive motor(4) and the gear system (10), and at least one of the lower housing portion (16a) and the upper housing portion (16b) having a drawbar connection (20) formed integrally therewith by which the housing (16) can swiveled about the swivel axis (2) relative to the chassis (3), and the drawbar connection (20) having an arm extending radially from the swivel axis (2), at a location closely adjacent the drive motor (4) and the at least one bearing (19), such that the arm of the drawbar connection (20) is offset from the swivel axis (2);

• the lower housing portion (16a) forms a one niece a gearbox housing, and a motor housing accommodates the gear system (10), the drive motor (4), an A-bracket (8) of the drive motor (4) and the at least one roller bearing (19) for connection to the chassis (3), while the upper housing portion (16b) is formed by a B-bracket (9) of the drive motor (4) and is fixed directly on the lower housing portion (16a);
• and
• the drawbar connection (20) is integral with the lower housing portion (16a) radially adjacent the at least one roller bearing (19) and the drive motor (4).

A drive unit for a floor trolley comprising:

• a drive wheel (1) being pivotably attached to a chassis (3) of the floor trolley such that the drive wheel (1) pivots about a substantially vertical swivel axis (2) for steering a floor trolley;
• a drive motor (4) having a drive shaft (5) and a rotational axis of the drive motor (4) and a rotational axis of the drive shaft (5) are both coaxially aligned with the swivel axis (2), and the drive shaft (5) being drivingly coupled to the drive wheel (1) via a gear system (10) for providing drive thereto;
• a unitary housing (16) containing both the drive motor (4) and the gear system (10), the unitary housing (16) being supported by the chassis (3) via at least one roller bearing (19) such that the housing (16), the drive motor (4), the drive shaft (5) and the gear system (10) all pivot about the swivel axis (2), and the roller bearing (19) being located between the drive motor (4) and the gear system (10) so that the gear system (10) is located primarily below the at least one roller bearing (19);
• a drawbar connection (20) being located vertically above the gear system (10) and integral with the housing (16) and having an arm extending radially from the swivel axis (2), at a location closely adjacent the drive motor (4) and the at least one bearing (19), such that the arm of the drawbar connection (20) is offset from the swivel axis (2).