Electric powered wheel

Claim 2

An electric drive wheel assembly comprising: a nonrotating support axle adapted at one end for mounting on a vehicle, an electric drive motor including a stator nonrotatably secured to said axle adjacent said one end, a rotor having a core portion is radially outward spaced and circumferentially surrounding relation to said stator and end portions at opposite axial ends of said stator, and bearing means between said end portions and said axle rotatably mounting said rotor thereon, a ground engaging wheel including a tire rim and a hub secured to and extending radially inwardly from said rim, bearing means rotatably mounting said hub on the other end of said axle at the axial side of said stator remote from said one end, a planetary gear train between said rotor and wheel including a ring gear nonrotatably secured to said other end of said axle, a sun gear encircling said other end of said axle and nonrotatably secured to said rotor and a plurality of planet clusters rotatably mounted on said hub radially between said bearing means and said rim, each of said planet clusters including a first gear disposed on one axial side of said hub and meshing with said sun gear and a second gear disposed on the other axial side of said hub and meshing with said ring gear.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 and further comprising brake means including a first friction component nonrotatably secured to said wheel, a second friction component nonrotatably secured to said ring gear, and a brake actuator mounted on said ring gear element and operable to effect braking engagement of said friction components.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 2 wherein said brake actuator is fluid operated.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1 and further comprising brake means including a first friction component nonrotatably secured to said wheel, a second friction component nonrotatably connected to said other end of said axle, and a brake actuator supported on said other end of said axle.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 1 and further comprising brake means including a brake disk connected to rotate with and float axially relative to said wheel, friction means mounted on the other end of said axle in confronting relation to said disk, and an actuator on said other end of said axle selectively operable to cause said friction means to engage said disk thereby braking said wheel.

Claim 7

A drive wheel assembly comrpising: a nonrotating support axle adapted at one end for mounting on a vehicle, a ground engaging wheel including a tire rim, a hub secured to and extending radially inward from said rim and bearing means rotatably mounting the radially inner portion of said hub on the other end of said axle, and a planetary gear train operatively associated with said axle and wheel including a sun gear at one axial side of said bearing means, a ring gear nonrotatably secured to said axle at the other axial side of said bearing means, and a plurality of planet gear clusters rotatably mounted on said hub radially between said rim and said bearing means, each of said gear clusters having a large gear on one axial side of said hub in mesh with said sun geaR and a small gear on the other axial side of said hub in mesh with said ring gear.

Claim 8

A drive wheel assembly comrpising: a nonrotating support axle adapted at one end for mounting on a vehicle, a ground engaging wheel including a tire rim, a hub secured to and extending radially inward from said rim and bearing means rotatably mounting the radially inner portion of said hub on the other end of said axle, and a planetary gear train operatively associated with said axle and wheel including a sun gear at one axial side of said bearing means, a ring gear nonrotatably secured to said axle at the other axial side of said bearing means, and a plurality of planet gear clusters rotatably mounted on said hub radially between said rim and said bearing means, each of said gear clusters having a large gear on one axial side of said hub in mesh with said sun geaR and a small gear on the other axial side of said hub in mesh with said ring gear.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 6 and further comprising brake means including a first friction component connected for rotation with said wheel, a second friction component nonrotatably secured to said ring gear and an actuator mounted on said ring gear and operable to effect braking engagement of said friction components.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7 wherein said actuator is fluid operated.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 8 wherein said first friction component is a disk releasably secured at its outer periphery to said wheel for rotation therewith.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 9 wherein said disk is axially shiftable relative to said wheel.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 8 wherein said wheel includes a rim for mounting a tire and wherein said first friction component is a disk having its radially outer periphery secured to said axially outer portion of said rim.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 11 wherein the connection between said disk and rim allows said disk to float axially.

Claim 15

The invention of claim 12 wherein said actuator includes a cylinder on said ring gear and a piston in said cylinder in axial thrust transmitting relation to second friction component.

Claim 16

The invention of claim 13 wherein said brake means is a multiple disk, fluid cooled brake.

Claim 17

The invention of claim 6 and further comprising an electric motor having a rotor connected in driving relation to said sun gear and a stator nonrotatably mounted on said axle.

Claim 18

The invention of claim 15 and further comprising brake means including a first friction component connected for rotation with said wheel, a second friction component nonrotatably secured to said ring gear and an actuator mounted on said ring gear and operable to effect braking engagement of said friction components.

Claim 19

The invention of claim 16 wherein said actuator is fluid operated and includes a piston reciprocably disposed within a complementary bore in said ring gear in thrust transmitting relation to said second friction component.

Claim 20

The invention of claim 17 wherein said first friction component is an annular disk connected to rotate with and shift axially relative to said wheel.

Claim 21

The invention of claim 18 wherein said wheel includes a rim adapted to receive a rubber tire and said disk is connected to and extends radially inward from an axially outer portion of said rim.

Claim 22

An electric drive wheel assembly comprising: a nonrotating support axle adapted at one end for mounting on a vehicle, an electric drive motor including a stator nonrotatably secured to said axle adjacent said one end, a rotor having a core portion in radially outward spaced and circumferentially surrounding relation to said stator and end portions at opposite axial ends of said stator, and bearing means between said end portions and said axle rotatably mounting said rotor thereon, a ground engaging wheel including a hub and a tire rim, bearing means rotatably mounting said hub on the other end of said axle at the axial side of said stator remote from said one end, a planetary gear train between said rotor and wheel including a sun gear element, a planet carrier element and a ring gear element, means nonrotatably securing a first of said elements to said other end of said axle, means connecting a second of said elements in driven relation to said rotor, means nonrotatably connecting a third of said elements to said wheel, brake means including a first friction component nonrotatably secured to said wheel, a second friction component nonrotatably secured to said other end of said axle, and a brake actuating member mounted on said other end of said axle, a hub cap member secured in fluid tight relation to the axial side of said rim remote from said one end of said axle, an annular housing part secured to the axial side of said rim adjacent said one end of said axle, fluid tiGht seal means between said housing part and said one end of said axle, and passage means in said axle permitting circulation of lubricating and cooling fluid through said wheel assembly.

Claim 23

An electric drive wheel assembly comprising: a nonrotating support axle adapted at one end for mounting on a vehicle, an electric drive motor including a stator nonrotatably secured to said axle adjacent said one end, a rotor having a core portion in radially outward spaced and circumferentially surrounding relation to said stator and end portions at opposite axial ends of said stator, and bearing means between said end portions and said axle rotatably mounting said rotor thereon, a ground engaging wheel including a hub and a tire rim, bearing means rotatably mounting said hub on the other end of said axle at the axial side of said stator remote from said one end, a planetary gear train between said rotor and wheel including a sun gear element, a planet carrier element and a ring gear element, means nonrotatably securing a first of said elements to said other end of said axle, means connecting a second of said elements in driven relation to said rotor, means nonrotatably connecting a third of said elements to said wheel, brake means including a first friction component nonrotatably secured to said wheel, a second friction component nonrotatably secured to said other end of said axle, and a brake actuating member mounted on said other end of said axle, a hub cap member secured in fluid tight relation to the axial side of said rim remote from said one end of said axle, an annular housing part secured to the axial side of said rim adjacent said one end of said axle, fluid tiGht seal means between said housing part and said one end of said axle, and passage means in said axle permitting circulation of lubricating and cooling fluid through said wheel assembly.

Claim 24

The invention of claim 20 wherein said brake means is a multiple disk brake having a plurality of disks nonrotatably secured to said axle.

Claim 25

The invention of claim 21 wherein said disks and brake actuating member are mounted on said first of said elements.