Swinging arm motor unit for single-track or multiple-track electric motor driven vehicles

• US 6,341,660 B1
• Filed: 12/06/1999
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Helmut Schiller
• Original Assignee: Helmut Schiller
• Inventors: Schiller, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, J. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZEENDER, FLORIAN M
• Application Number:
  US09/445,322
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 180/220, 180/68.5, 180/65.1, 180/65.3, 180/65.5, 180/65.6, 180/68.1, 180/342, 180/343, 180/357, 180/358, 180/376, 180/383, 180/311
• US Class Current: 180/220
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/26 characterised by arrangement, location, of type of freewheel device
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/10 characterised by the engine being over or beside driven rear wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2202/00 Motorised scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/283 for cycles without a pedal crank, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 7/12 with the engine beside or within the driven wheel

Abstract

A propulsion unit rotating shaft (10) for single track or multiple track vehicles, driven by an electric motor, particularly for motor scooters with a driving motor (14), which is disposed in the region of one end of an extended rotating shaft housing (12) and constructed as an electric motor, and a hub (16), which is mounted rotatably in the region of the other end of the rotating shaft housing and is intended to hold a driving wheel (18) of the vehicle. The driven shaft of the driving motor (14), which is passed into the rotating shaft housing (12), is positively coupled with the wheel hub (16) of the driving wheel of the vehicle by a transmission device (26), encapsulated in the housing for the rotating shaft, and facilities are provided for the pivotable mounting of the housing (12) of the rotating shaft about an axis at a distance from the axis of rotation of the wheel hub (16) and extending parallel to it at or in the frame or chassis of the motor-driven vehicle. In the transmission train between the driving motor (14) and the wheel hub (16), at least one overriding clutch (38a, 38b) is provided, which cancels the positive coupling between the drive shaft of the driving motor and the driving wheel (18) of the vehicle, when the driving moment, initiated in the transmission device (32) by the driving motor (14), is smaller than a torque, acting from the driving wheel (18) of the vehicle over the wheel hub (16) on the transmission device.

Claims

1. A swinging arm motor unit having a rotating shaft (10) for single track or multiple track vehicles comprising an electric driving motor (14) disposed in a region of one end of an extended swinging transmission housing (12) and a wheel hub (16) for holding a driving wheel (18) of the vehicle mounted rotatably in a region of the other end of the swinging transmission housing, the electric driving motor (14) having a drive shaft passing into the swinging transmission housing (12) and forming a positive coupling with the wheel hub (16) of the driving wheel of the vehicle by a transmission device (26) encapsulated in the swinging transmission housing (12), the swinging transmission housing (12) being pivotably mounted about an axis at a distance from the axis of rotation of the wheel hub (16) and the swinging transmission housing extending parallel to the frame (52) or chassis (54) of the vehicle, and at least one overriding clutch being provided which cancels the positive coupling between the driving motor (14) and the driving wheel (18) of the vehicle when a driving moment initiated in the transmission device (26) by the driving motor (14) is smaller than a torque acting from the driving wheel (18) of the vehicle over the wheel hub (16) on the transmission device, wherein the transmission device (26) has at least two transmission trains (26a, 26b), each constructed as a belt or chain drive, which are connected in series, and one of the overriding clutches is connected between the two transmission trains (26a, 26b).

2. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1, wherein a further overriding clutch is disposed in the driving motor (14) between the drive shaft and the transmission device (26).

3. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1, wherein a plurality of overriding clutches are provided, one of which is provided in the coupling region between the driving motor (14) and the transmission device (26) and another of which is provided in the region between the transmission device (26) and the wheel hub (16).

4. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1, wherein the electric driving motor (14) is disposed at the swinging transmission housing (12) with the axis of rotation of the driving motor (14) parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel hub (16) for the driving wheel (18) of the vehicle and wherein the swinging transmission housing (12) is pivotably mounted to the frame (32) or the chassis (54) of the vehicle, so the axis of rotation of the driving motor (14) and the pivoting axis of the swinging arm motor unit (10) essentially coincide.

5. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1, wherein the electric driving motor (14) is an axial field motor.

6. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1, wherein the housing of the electric driving motor (14) has an inlet and an outlet (40, 42), through which cooling air flows.

7. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 6, wherein the cooling air flows through a filter device before flowing through the air inlet (40) of the electric driving motor (14).

8. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1, wherein the electric driving motor (14) is liquid cooled.

9. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1, wherein the overriding clutch or clutches are of the clamp-type or sleeve-type.

10. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1, further comprising devices for blocking a free-running function of the overriding clutch or clutches.

11. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1, wherein several overriding clutches (38a, 38b) are provided, of which one is provided in the coupling region between the driving motor (14) and the transmission device (26) and another is provided in the transmission device itself.

12. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1 wherein the at least two transmission trains (26a, 26b) are constructed as a positive belt or chain drive.

13. The swinging arm motor unit of claim 1 wherein the at least two transmission trains (26a, 26b) are constructed as a non-positive belt or chain drive.

14. A motor scooter (50) equipped with the swinging arm motor unit (10) of claim 1 pivotably mounted therein, further comprising a metal profile frame (52) carrying a steering head (58) having a bearing seat for a front wheel suspension at a front end, and a bench seat (56) in a rear region above the swinging arm motor unit, the frame (52) having two metal profiles (66), which are laterally spaced apart at a distance from one another transversely to a driving direction of the scooter, said profiles constructed as closed tubular profiles fastened together at the steering head (58) and each projecting approximately parallel to one another and obliquely from the steering head (58) diagonally in a downwards direction, then in a horizontal direction, and then in an upwards direction wherein between the metal profiles seats are provided for accumulators (70) and at least one tub (72) is fastened to the metal profiles (66).

15. The scooter of claim 14, wherein the metal profiles (66) have either a rectangular or a half-round tubular cross-section.