Electric drive shaft and retrofit system

• US 8,781,661 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johan Gunther
• Original Assignee: Johan Gunther
• Inventors: Gunther, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/486,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4808 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/46 Vehicles with auxiliary ad-on propulsions, e.g. add-on electric motor kits for bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/40 related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2304/076 by add-on parts, e.g. retrofit
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/006 Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A machine having a transmission, a differential, and a drive shaft disposed therebetween has an improvement including a stator with a substantially cylindrical opening extending therethrough, and a rotor that rotates relative to the stator. The rotor is attached to the drive shaft in axial alignment, and rotation of the drive shaft causes a corresponding rotation of the rotor. At least a portion of the drive shaft extends through the opening in the stator. A semi-rigid coupling extends between the stator and the transmission.

Claims

1. In a machine of the type having a transmission, a differential, and a drive shaft disposed therebetween, the improvement comprising:

a stator defining a substantially cylindrical opening extending therethrough;

a rotor disposed to be rotated relative to the stator, the rotor attached to the drive shaft along a length thereof such that rotation of the drive shaft causes a corresponding rotation of the rotor, at least a portion of the drive shaft extending through the opening defined by the stator; and

a coupling attached to the stator and the transmission and extending therebetween.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the transmission comprises a tail piece, the drive shaft and the tail piece of the transmission connected by a U-joint, and further wherein the coupling extends between the stator and transmission in such a manner as to cover the U-joint.

3. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the coupling is a semi-rigid coupling.

4. A vehicle comprising:

a differential;

a first drive shaft coupled with said differential at a first end of said first drive shaft;

a second drive shaft coupled with said first drive shaft at a second end of said first drive shaft and a first end of said second drive shaft, the second drive shaft comprising;

a stator defining a substantially cylindrical opening extending therethrough;

a rotor disposed to be rotated relative to the stator, at least a portion of the rotor extending through the opening defined by the stator, the rotor attached to the drive shaft along a length thereof such that rotation of the drive shaft causes a corresponding rotation of the rotor; and

a transmission coupled with said second end of said second drive shaft.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 further comprising a semi-rigid coupling attached to the stator and the transmission and extending therebetween.

6. The vehicle according to claim 4 further comprising a housing, the stator fixedly attached within said housing, the housing defining openings at opposing ends thereof to allow extension of at least a portion of the second drive shaft therethrough.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6 further comprising a coupling attached to the transmission and the housing and extending therebetween.

8. The vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a housing attached to an underside of said vehicle, the stator attached to an interior surface of the housing, the housing defining openings at opposing ends thereof to allow a portion of the second drive shaft to extend therethrough.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 wherein the first drive shaft is coupled with the second drive shaft via a U-joint, and further wherein the second drive shaft is coupled to the transmission via a U-joint.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 further comprising a semi-rigid coupling extending from said housing to said transmission, the U-joint connecting the second drive shaft and the transmission disposed within said semi-rigid coupling.

11. The vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the stator and rotor form an electric motor, the vehicle further comprising:

a battery in electrical communication with said electric motor, the battery adapted to be charged by said electric motor.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 further comprising a controller for controlling said electric motor.

13. The vehicle according to claim 11 further comprising a hybrid controller for selectively engaging and disengaging said electric motor, and for regulating the relative power contribution of said electric motor and a combustion engine associated with said vehicle.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13 wherein the hybrid controller is programmable by an operator of said vehicle.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the hybrid controller is programmable by the operator of said vehicle via a software application on a mobile computing device.

16. A hybrid vehicle system comprising:

a vehicle comprising;

a drive shaft;

an electric motor comprising;

a stator defining a substantially cylindrical opening extending therethrough; and

a rotor disposed relative to the stator, the rotor attached to the drive shaft along a length thereof such that rotation of the drive shaft causes a corresponding rotation of the rotor, the portion of the length of the drive shaft having the rotor attached thereto extending through the opening in the stator; and

a combustion motor;

a controller adapted to receive wireless communications for regulating the relative contribution of the electric motor and the combustion motor to the total power used to drive the hybrid vehicle; and

a mobile computing device in wireless communication with said controller, the mobile computing device adapted to receive input from a user, the input selected from the group consisting of input setting the relative contribution of the electric motor and input setting the relative contribution of the combustion motor, the mobile computing device further adapted to wirelessly transmit input received from the user to the controller to set the relative contribution of the electric motor and the combustion motor.

17. The hybrid vehicle system according to claim 16 wherein the mobile computing device is a mobile phone having an application thereon programmed to receive input from the user and transmit input to the controller.

18. The hybrid vehicle system according to claim 16, wherein the relative contribution of the electric motor and the combustion motor is determined by the relative torque produced by the electric motor and the combustion motor.