ELECTRIC DEVICES

• US 20130093368A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Inventors: Luke, Hok-Sum Horace, Taylor, Matthew Whiting
• Application Number:
  US13/650,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20130093368A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/04 Machines with one rotor and two stators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 21/22 with magnets rotating around the armatures, e.g. flywheel magnetos
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/10 Structural association with clutches, brakes, gears, pulleys or mechanical starters

Abstract

Generally described, the present disclosure is directed to examples of electric devices that include first and second stator assemblies located within a rotor assembly. The configuration of the electric device, including the configuration of the first and second stator assemblies, results in the electric device generating a stronger magnetic field and therefore outputting a higher torque when current is provided to the second stator assembly and generating a weaker magnetic field and therefore outputting a higher rotational speed when current is provided to the first stator assembly.

Claims

1. An electric device comprising:

an axle;

a first stator assembly having a first pole and a first coil around the first pole;

a second stator assembly having a second pole and a second coil around the second pole; and

a rotor assembly having a housing and a plurality of permanent magnets coupled to the housing, wherein the first and second stator assemblies are located within the rotor assembly and are spaced apart from each other along a length of the axle.

2. The electric device of claim 1, wherein the first coil of the first stator assembly has a smaller diameter than the second coil of the second stator assembly.

3. The electric device of claim 2, wherein the first coil of the first stator assembly has a smaller length than the second coil of the second stator assembly.

4. The electric device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets comprises a first set of permanent magnets that correspond to the first stator assembly and a second set of permanent magnets that correspond to the second stator assembly, wherein the first set of permanent magnets have a smaller magnetic strength than the second set of permanent magnets.

5. The electric device of claim 1, wherein the first and second stator assemblies are fixed to the axle.

6. The electric device of claim 1, wherein the axle is fixed to the housing of the rotor assembly, and wherein the axle and the rotor assembly are configured to rotate relative to the first and second stator assemblies.

7. The electric device of claim 1, further comprising a drive mechanism fixed to one of the housing of the rotor assembly and the axle.

8. The electric device of claim 1, wherein first stator assembly is proximate a first end of the housing of the rotor assembly and the second stator assembly is proximate a second end of the housing of the rotor assembly.

9. The electric device of claim 8, wherein the housing of the rotor assembly has a first diameter proximate the first end and a second diameter that is different from the first diameter proximate the second end.

10. An electrically powered vehicle comprising:

an electric device that includes a rotor assembly, an axle, and first and second stator assemblies, the rotor assembly having a housing and a plurality of permanent magnets on the housing, each of the first and second stator assemblies having a pole and a coil wrapped around the pole, wherein the first and second stator assemblies are positioned within the rotor assembly and spaced apart from each other along a length of the axle.

11. The electrically powered vehicle of claim 10, wherein the pole of the second stator assembly has at least one of a larger diameter, a longer length, and a coil wrapped around the pole a larger number of turns than the pole of the first stator assembly.

12. The electrically powered vehicle of claim 10, wherein the first and second stator assemblies each include a plurality of poles, and wherein the second stator assembly includes a larger number of poles than the first stator assembly.

13. The electrically powered vehicle of claim 10, wherein the first and second stator assemblies are fixed to the axle.

14. The electrically powered vehicle of claim 10, wherein an end of the axle is fixed to the housing of the rotor assembly, and wherein the axle and the rotor assembly are configured to rotate relative to the first and second stator assemblies.

15. A system comprising:

an electric device that includes a rotor assembly, an axle, and first and second stator assemblies, the rotor assembly having a housing and a plurality of permanent magnets on the housing, each of the first and second stator assemblies having a pole and a coil wrapped around the pole, wherein the first and second stator assemblies are positioned within the rotor assembly at a spaced apart distance from each other along a length of the axle;

a power source; and

a controller coupled to the power source and the electric device, the controller configured to selectively electrically couple the power source to a respective one of the first and second stator assemblies.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the pole of the second stator assembly has at least one of a larger diameter, a longer length, and a coil wrapped around the pole a larger number of turns than the pole of the first stator assembly.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second stator assemblies each include a plurality of poles, and wherein the second stator assembly includes a larger number of poles than the first stator assembly.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second stator assemblies are fixed to the axle.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the axle is fixed to the housing of the rotor assembly, and wherein the axle and the rotor assembly are configured to rotate relative to the first and second stator assemblies.

20. A system comprising:

an electric device that includes a rotor assembly, an axle, and first and second stator assemblies, the rotor assembly having a housing and a plurality of permanent magnets on the housing, each of the first and second stator assemblies having a pole and a coil around the pole, wherein the first and second stator assemblies are positioned within the rotor assembly at a spaced apart distance from each other along a length of the axle;

a power source;

a controller, the controller configured to generate control signals; and

a switch coupled to the controller, the power source and the electric device, the switch configured to selectively couple the power source to a respective one of the first and second stator assemblies in response to receiving a control signal from the controller.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the power source is a battery.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the pole of the second stator assembly has at least one of a larger diameter, a longer length, and a coil wrapped around the pole a larger number of turns than the pole of the first stator assembly.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second stator assemblies each include a plurality of poles, and wherein the second stator assembly includes a larger number of poles than the first stator assembly

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the axle is fixed to the housing of the rotor assembly, and wherein the axle and the rotor assembly are configured to rotate relative to the first and second stator assemblies

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second stator assemblies are fixed to the axle.