Drive device with brake incorporated for an electrically operated vehicle

• US 5,920,136 A
• Filed: 07/16/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Egon Schmid
• Original Assignee: Egon Schmid
• Inventors: Schmid, Egon
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tran N
• Application Number:
  US08/875,014
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 310/75 R, 310/75 C, 310/77, 310/93, 310/67 R, 310/112, 180/65.6, 180/65.5, 180/65.7, 188/171
• US Class Current: 310/77
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/04 motor-driven A61G5/06 takes precedence; motor-operated rests A61G5/12; for vehicles with handlebars, equipped with three or more wheels B62K5/003, B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/101 of the parking brake type, e.g. holding the wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1032 engaging an element of the drive or transmission, e.g. drive belt, electrodynamic brake
• 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: B60Y 2200/84 Wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2055/0058 Fully lined, i.e. braking surface extending over the entire disc circumference
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2121/22 for releasing a normally applied brake
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 55/36 Brakes with a plurality of rotating discs all lying side by side
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 59/02 spring-loaded and adapted to be released by mechanical, fluid, or electromagnetic means

Abstract

A drive device for an electrically operated vehicle, in particular a wheelchair, having at least one rim with rim well and an axle shaft wherein a brake is integrated into an annular channel formed between the rim and the axle shaft.

Claims

1. A drive device for an electrically operated vehicle comprises an axle shaft disposed along an axis A;

at least one rim connected to the axle shaft for rotation therewith, said at least one rim having a rim well wherein said rim well and said axle shaft define therebetween an annular channel;

an inner housing ring positioned in said annular channel disposed along an axis B which is substantially parallel to axis A and axially dividing said annular channel into a motor space and a brake space, said inner housing ring being supported on the axle shaft by a pair of bearings; and

a brake located in said brake space proximate to said pair of bearings wherein the inner housing ring is provided with a shoulder, a stepped washer is provided between a portion of the inner housing ring and the at least one rim, said stepped washer and said shoulder define with the inner housing ring a recess for receiving a motor.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the bearings are spaced apart and the brake is located at least in part between said pair of bearings.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said motor includes a rotor part and a stator part and the stator part of the motor is located in said recess.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the rotor part is clamped between a shoulder formed on an inner face of the rim wall and a pressure ring.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein a seal is arranged between the pressure ring and the inner housing ring.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein the brake includes a plurality of brake discs projecting into the brake space between a plurality of brake rings.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of brake discs is seated on the axle shaft and is displaceable along the axis A of the axle shaft.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein each of said plurality of brake discs is mounted on the axle shaft by means of a splined connection.

9. A device according to claim 6 wherein each of said plurality of brake rings is mounted on the inner housing ring by means of a splined connection.

10. A device according to claim 8 wherein each of said plurality of brake rings is mounted on the inner housing ring by means of a splined connection.

11. A device according to claim 9 wherein the brake rings include an outer brake ring and a spring acts on the outer brake ring for moving the brake rings along the axis A of the axle shaft.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein the outer brake ring is actuated by a magnetic coil.

13. A device according to claim 12 wherein the magnetic coil is located in an annular space defined by a ferrite ring between the inner housing ring and the axle shaft.

14. A device according to claim 11 wherein the outer brake ring is connected to a device for manually actuating the brake.