In-wheel motor for electric automobiles

• US 20040080223A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Corpration
• Original Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Corpration
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,942,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/75C
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/142 with a single lateral arm, e.g. MacPherson type
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/312 The spring being a wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/1224 End mounts of stabiliser on wheel suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/129 Damper mount on wheel suspension or knuckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/148 on the unsprung part of the vehicle, e.g. wheel knuckle or rigid axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/30 In-wheel mountings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/50 Constructional features of wheel supports or knuckles, e.g. steering knuckles, spindle attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/50 Electric vehicles; Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/046 with planetary gearing having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/30 the ultimate propulsive elements, e.g. ground wheels, being steerable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0092 the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/30 using intermediate parts, e.g. spiders
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/32 with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/00 Casings; Enclosures; Supports
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/04 Casings or enclosures characterised by the shape, form or construction thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/10 with arrangements for protection from ingress, e.g. water or fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/1732 : radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor H02K5/1737 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/1737 : radially supporting the rotor around a fixed spindle; radially supporting the rotor directly
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/225 : Terminal boxes or connection arrangements specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/086 : radially supporting the rotor around a fixed spindle; radially supporting the rotor directly H02K7/09 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/088 : radially supporting the rotor directly
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/102 : with friction brakes
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 : with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 : Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

The present invention provides an in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle allowing a drive motor to be freely mounted onto a chassis irrespective of the shape, structure, and characteristics of the drive motor as well as allowing free selection of a reduction gear ratio without need to replace a drive motor.

An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle includes a drive motor (1200), a reduction gear mechanism (1300), a wheel bearing, and a mechanical brake and serves as a drive apparatus for an electric vehicle. The drive motor (1200) includes a casing (1210) which houses a rotor (1240) and a stator (1220); the reduction gear mechanism (1300) is implemented by a planetary gear mechanism; a wheel bearing is fixedly attached to the outer circumference of an end portion of a housing (1411), which houses a wheel shaft (1410) coupled to an output element of the planetary gear mechanism; mounting blocks (800, 810) having engagement means are provided respectively at upper and lower outside portions of the casing (1210); and attachments are attached to the corresponding mounting blocks (800, 810) and joined to corresponding joint mechanisms (612, 712), which are movably coupled to a suspension mechanism.

Claims

1. An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle comprising a drive motor, a reduction gear mechanism, a wheel bearing, and a mechanical brake and serving as a drive apparatus for an electric vehicle,

said in-wheel motor being characterized in that said drive motor includes a casing which houses a rotor and a stator;

said reduction gear mechanism comprises a planetary gear mechanism;

a wheel bearing is fixedly attached to an outer circumference of an end portion of a housing, which houses a wheel shaft coupled to an output element of said planetary gear mechanism;

mounting blocks having engagement means are provided respectively at upper and lower outside portions of said casing; and

attachments are attached to said corresponding mounting blocks and joined to corresponding joint mechanisms, which are movably coupled to a suspension mechanism.

2. An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein said attachments are characterized in that a line connecting centers of rotation of said joint mechanisms, which are fixedly attached to said corresponding attachments, forms a king pin angle with respect to a center axis of a wheel.

3. An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein a steering tie rod is coupled to either of said attachments.

6. An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle as described in claim 1 or 4, wherein a rotational-position detector is disposed on a side of said rotor opposite an output side of said rotor, and said rotational-position detector is a resolver.

7. An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle as described in claim 1 or 4, wherein said drive motor is a 6-phase synchronous AC motor.

8. An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle as described in claim 1 or 4, wherein coil ends of an armature, which partially constitutes said stator, are mechanically compressed from axially opposite sides.

9. An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle as described in claim 1 or 4, wherein said joint mechanism is a ball joint mechanism or a spherical joint mechanism.

4. An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle comprising a drive motor, a reduction gear mechanism, a wheel bearing, and a mechanical brake and serving as a drive apparatus for an electric vehicle,

said in-wheel motor being characterized in that said drive motor includes a casing which houses a rotor and a stator;

said reduction gear mechanism comprises a planetary gear mechanism;

a wheel bearing is fixedly attached to an outer circumference of an end portion of a housing, which houses a wheel shaft coupled to an output element of said planetary gear mechanism;

said mechanical brake is a drum brake or a disk brake;

said planetary gear mechanism is housed within said housing, and an input shaft of said planetary gear mechanism is spline-coupled to a rotary shaft of said drive motor; and

said housing is attached to said casing via bolts.

5. An in-wheel motor for an electric vehicle as described in claim 4, wherein said planetary gear mechanism is configured such that a partition is provided within a gear chamber for controlling stirring of lubrication oil.