Wheel Supporting and Driving Device

• US 20070272458A1
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Original Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Inventors: Tachibana, Takumi, Miki, Nobuaki, Taniguchi, Takao
• Application Number:
  US11/663,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20070272458A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.510
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/00 Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or kind of springs single wheel suspension by pivoted arm resilient in itself B60G3/00; adjusting spring characteristic B60G17/00; springs per se F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0157 non-fluid unit, e.g. electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/30 In-wheel mountings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/82 Ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/046 with planetary gearing having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0046 the motor moving together with the vehicle body, i.e. moving independently from the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0061 the motor axle being parallel to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/227 comprising two or more gearwheels in mesh with the same internally toothed wheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A wheel supporting and driving device, comprising a motor (20) fixed to a vehicle body (12), a drive gear (24) coaxially rotated by the motor (20), and a driven gear (30) coaxially and integrally rotated with a wheel (14) which are installed in a vehicle. The drive gear (24) is rotated by the motor (20) around a rotating center decentered from the rotating center of the wheel (14) in a direction crossing perpendicularly to the vertical direction. Also, the device comprises a suspension arm (40) connecting the drive gear (24) to the driven gear (30) in the state of the driven gear (30) reciprocatingly swingable around the rotating center of the drive gear (24) and a suspension spring (50) elastically connecting the wheel (14) to the vehicle body (12).

Claims

1. A wheel supporting and driving apparatus that is provided on a vehicle, that supports a wheel so as to be able to move vertically with respect to a vehicle body, and that drives the wheel, comprising:

a motor that is supported by the vehicle body;

a first rotating body that is rotated by the motor;

a second rotating body that rotates coaxially and integrally with the wheel;

a first linking mechanism that links the first rotating body and a rotating center shaft of the wheel such that the wheel reciprocatingly swings around a center of swinging, where a center of rotation of the first rotating body serves as the center of swinging; and

a second linking mechanism that elastically links the wheel and the vehicle body;

wherein the first rotating body is rotated by the motor around a center of rotation that is decentered from a center of rotation of the wheel in a direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

2. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first rotating body is a drive gear;

the second rotating body is a driven gear that meshes with and is rotated by the drive gear;

the first linking mechanism includes a suspension arm that links the drive gear and the driven gear in a meshed state such that the driven gear can reciprocatingly swing around the drive gear so as to define a constant radius; and

the second linking mechanism includes a suspension spring that elastically links the wheel and the vehicle body together.

3. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to one of claim 1 and claim 2, comprising:

a sun gear that rotates coaxially and integrally with the wheel;

a ring gear that rotates coaxially with and relatively to the wheel;

a plurality of pinion gears that are disposed so as to be arranged on a circle that is concentric with the sun gear, and the plurality of pinion gears meshes with the outer teeth of the sun gear and meshes with the inner teeth of the ring gear; and

a carrier that retains the plurality of pinion gears so as to maintain the relative positional relationships between centers of rotation of the plurality of pinion gears, wherein

a planetary gear mechanism is formed by the sun gear, the ring gear, the plurality of pinion gears, and the carrier;

the first rotating body is structured by one among the plurality of pinion gears; and

the second rotating body is structured by the sun gear.

4. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a sun gear that rotates coaxially and integrally with the wheel;

a ring gear that rotates coaxially with and relatively to the wheel;

a plurality of pinion gears that are disposed so as to be arranged on a circle that is concentric with the sun gear, and the plurality of pinion gears meshes with the outer teeth of the sun gear and meshes with the inner teeth of the ring gear; and

a carrier that retains the plurality of pinion gears so as to maintain the relative positional relationships between centers of rotation of the plurality of pinion gears, wherein

a planetary gear mechanism is formed by the sun gear, the ring gear, the plurality of pinion gears, and the carrier;

the first rotating body is structured by one among the plurality of pinion gears; and

the second rotating body is structured by the ring gear.

5. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the motor is coaxially linked to the first rotating body.

6. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the wheel is a nonsteerable wheel that is not steered while steering the vehicle;

and

the motor and the first rotating body are supported on the vehicle body at a fixed position.

7. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the wheel is a steerable wheel that is steered while steering the vehicle;

and

the motor and the first rotating body are supported by the vehicle body so as to be integrally rotated with the steerable wheel while steering the vehicle.

8. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 7, comprising a control apparatus that controls the output torque of the motor by controlling a drive signal to the motor.

9. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control apparatus comprises a damping characteristic control unit that controls damping characteristics of the wheel during vertical movement with respect to the vehicle body by controlling swinging characteristics of the wheel around the center of swinging thereof via the motor.

10. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control apparatus comprises a wheel drive torque control unit that controls the drive torque of the wheel around the center of rotation thereof via the motor.

11. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 2, comprising:

a sun gear that rotates coaxially and integrally with the wheel;

a ring gear that rotates coaxially with and relatively to the wheel;

a plurality of pinion gears that are disposed so as to be arranged on a circle that is concentric with the sun gear, and the plurality of pinion gears meshes with the outer teeth of the sun gear and meshes with the inner teeth of the ring gear; and

a carrier that retains the plurality of pinion gears so as to maintain the relative positional relationships between centers of rotation of the plurality of pinion gears, wherein

a planetary gear mechanism is formed by the sun gear, the ring gear, the plurality of pinion gears, and the carrier;

the first rotating body is structured by one among the plurality of pinion gears; and

the second rotating body is structured by the ring gear.

12. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the motor is coaxially linked to the first rotating body.

13. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motor is coaxially linked to the first rotating body.

14. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the motor is coaxially linked to the first rotating body.

15. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the motor is coaxially linked to the first rotating body.

16. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wheel is a nonsteerable wheel that is not steered while steering the vehicle;

and

the motor and the first rotating body are supported on the vehicle body at a fixed position.

17. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wheel is a steerable wheel that is steered while steering the vehicle;

and

the motor and the first rotating body are supported by the vehicle body so as to be integrally rotated with the steerable wheel while steering the vehicle.

18. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a control apparatus that controls the output torque of the motor by controlling a drive signal to the motor.

19. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the control apparatus comprises a damping characteristic control unit that controls damping characteristics of the wheel during vertical movement with respect to the vehicle body by controlling swinging characteristics of the wheel around the center of swinging thereof via the motor.

20. The wheel supporting and driving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control apparatus comprises a wheel drive torque control unit that controls the drive torque of the wheel around the center of rotation thereof via the motor.