ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A motive power device for vehicles, comprising:
- a chassis with first attachment fixtures for connection to second attachment fixtures used for attaching a suspension to a target vehicle;
at least one electric motor supported by the chassis such that torque generated by the motor is resisted by the chassis which transmits the torque to the vehicle through the fixtures;
suspension portions movably connecting two wheel mounts to the chassis, the wheel mounts being separated in a transverse dimension.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a motive power device for a vehicle, which is preferably retrofittable as front or rear axle. In a first embodiment, the device comprises a chassis (301) supporting at least one electric motor (318) and attached to the vehicle suspension fixtures with mounts (302, 304). Wheel hubs (377) are suspended from the chassis (301) and driven by the at least one motor (318). Further independent claims are included for a motive power device having a controller providing launch assist and/or stability control, a motive power device having at least two motors and a clutch therebetween, a vehicle provided with these various motive power devices, a method of making a vehicle, a clutch per se and an acceleration controller.
192 Citations
90 Claims
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1. A motive power device for vehicles, comprising:
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a chassis with first attachment fixtures for connection to second attachment fixtures used for attaching a suspension to a target vehicle; at least one electric motor supported by the chassis such that torque generated by the motor is resisted by the chassis which transmits the torque to the vehicle through the fixtures; suspension portions movably connecting two wheel mounts to the chassis, the wheel mounts being separated in a transverse dimension. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A motive power module for a vehicle, comprising:
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a self-supporting sub-chassis with attachment fixtures and supporting at least one motor such that moments caused by torque generated by the at least one motor are resisted by the sub-chassis and transferred to the attachment fixtures; two wheel mounts connected to be driven by the at least one motor; the attachment fixtures being configured to be attachable to suspension supports of a vehicle; and a controller configured to control the at least one motor to provide at least launch assist to a vehicle drive including an internal combustion engine. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A motive power device for a vehicle, comprising:
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two electric motors with a support configured to support the two electric motors inboard of a vehicle; a wheel mount and a drive shaft for each of the two electric motors, each drive shaft being connected between a respective one of the two motors and a respective one of the two wheel mounts to rotate the wheel mount; a clutch connected between the two motors to drive torque between them. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A vehicle, comprising:
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a frame having at least four sets of hardpoints for mounting suspensions for at least four respective wheels; a sub-chassis with attachment fixtures connecting to two of the sets of hardpoints, the two of the sets of hardpoints being separated in a direction perpendicular to a forward/backward axis of travel of the vehicle; at least one electric motor supported by the sub-chassis such that torque generated by the motor is resisted by the chassis which transmits the torque to the two of the sets of hardpoints through the fixtures; suspension portions movably connecting wheel mounts to the sub-chassis; the sub-chassis, at least one electric motor, wheel mounts, and suspension portions being detachable and reattachable as a self-supporting unit. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A vehicle, comprising:
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an engine drive with a fuel-driven engine driving a first two wheels, the engine drive being configured to stop and start the fuel-driven engine automatically such that fuel is not consumed during periods of low, or zero, operating demand on the mild hybrid engine; a frame and a sub-chassis mounted to the frame; at least one electric motor supported by the sub-chassis such that torque generated by the at least one electric motor is resisted by the chassis which transmits the torque to the frame; a rechargeable battery connected to power the at least one electric motor; a sub-chassis drive train configured to permit the at least one electric motor to drive a second two wheels supported by the sub-chassis; a controller configured to implement launch assist by controlling the at least one electric motor to provide at least 15% of a maximum total power of the engine drive during operation of the vehicle as well as regenerative braking and recharging of the batteries. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A method of making a vehicle, comprising:
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configuring a sub-chassis having electric drive components to be attachable to suspension-attachment features of an existing vehicle design, the existing vehicle design including an internal combustion drive train driving two wheels and ordinarily having two non-driven wheels coinciding with the suspension-attachment features; mounting the sub-chassis to the suspension-attachment features to form a completed vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A motive power device for a vehicle having a direction of travel, the motive power device being connectable to the vehicle to act as a drive component, comprising:
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two electric motors with a support configured to support the two electric motors each configured to drive a respective wheel mount; the wheel mounts being separated such that they are on opposite sides of the vehicle when the motive power device is mounted thereon; a clutch connected between the two motors to transmit torque between them. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. An electromagnetic clutch, comprising:
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first and second rotors urged toward or away from each other by a biasing member; the first and second rotors having interacting elements that cause a varying amount torque coupling between them as an axial distance between them is changed; a stator having a primary winding, the first rotor having a secondary winding that magnetically couples with a field generated by the primary winding; an electromagnet having a magnetic circuit first part which is attached to the first rotor, a magnetic circuit second part being attached to the second rotor and arranged such that when the electromagnet is excited by a current, the first and second rotors are forced against the biasing member causing the first and second rotors to move toward each other or away from each other; the electromagnet being connected to the secondary winding to be excited by a current from the secondary winding. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83)
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84. A clutch, comprising:
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an electromagnetically activated clutch mechanism with first and second rotating elements in which torque-coupling between the first and second rotating elements is activated electromagnetically by generating a current in a clutch activation winding; a stator element with a primary winding; the first rotating element carrying a secondary winding magnetically coupled with the primary winding such that the secondary winding is excited by the primary winding when an excitation current is generated therein; the secondary winding being connected to generate a current in the clutch activation winding such that when the primary winding is excited, the clutch mechanism is activated thereby causing torque-coupling between the first and second rotating elements.
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85. An acceleration controller, comprising:
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a user activated input member connected to first and second progressive input devices generating first and second progressive signals, respectively, the first and second signals being of opposite polarity; an acceleration command generator responsive to the first and second signals and configured to generate an acceleration command signal only when the first and second signals have signal levels that have a predefined relationship. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
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Specification