Electric wheel

Claim 2

A motor having; rotor means comprising a plurality of permanent magnets each having opposite polarity poles, said permanent magnets arranged in a ring with the poles thereof aligned radially, said permanent magnets arranged so that the poles thereof are disposed with circumferentially alternate polarity, and stator means comprising a plurality of electromagnets arranged in a ring disposed adjacent said permanent magnets, said electromagnets each having poles arranged to distribute two symmetrically-split magnetic fields that interact with the opposing permanent magnets to provide electromotive torque.

Claim 3

The motor recited in claim 1 wherein, said rotor means includes a pair of rings of permanent magnets arranged with the poles thereof in alignment and facing toward each other, said stator means includes a pair of rings of electromagnets arranged with the poles thereof in alignment and facing away from each other, said stator means interposed between the pair of rings in said rotor means.

Claim 4

The motor recited in claim 2 wherein, said stator means includes support means for supporting said pair of rings of electromagnets, each said ring of electromagnets supported on opposite sides of said support means.

Claim 5

The motor recited in claim 3 wherein, each electromagnet in each of said rings of electromagnets comprises a pair of aligned magnetic cores and a common electrical coil thereon.

Claim 6

The motor recited in claim 1 including housing means for enclosing said rotor means and said stator means.

Claim 7

The motor recited in claim 5 wherein both said permanent magnet rotor means and said electromagnet stator means are displaced at the maximum radial distance within said motor housing means.

Claim 8

The motor recited in claim 6 including, controller means for supplying control signals to said stator means in response to input signals supplied to said controller means, and power current (-) controlling means for operating upon current signals associated with said stator means, each of the last named means contained within said housing means and supported by said stator means.

Claim 9

The motor recited in claim 7, wherein said controller means accommodates five user-programmable modes related to forward and reverse torque operating modes, forward and reverse regenerative braking modes, and neutral.

Claim 10

The motor recited in claim 8, wherein, said power current controlling means comprises of dual-functioning thyristors for both commutation of the electromagnetic stator poles during the motor operating mode, and polyphase rectification of the generated voltage during the braking mode.

Claim 11

The motor recited in claim 9 including, source means for supplying a high-frequency, sinusoidal signal, Hall-effect device means operative to modulate said sinusoidal signal to produce a cyclo-inverter waveform, said controller means and said dual-functioning thyristors function to commutate said electromagnets of said stator means with said cyclo-inverter waveform.

Claim 12

The motor recited in claim 10 wherein, said source means includes D.C. supply means, inverter silicon-controlled rectifier means connected in parallel with said supply means, inductive means connected in series with said silicon-controlled rectifier means, fast recovery diodes connected in parallel with said silicon-controlled rectifier means, and capacitive means connected from said supply means to said silicon-controlled rectifier means.

Claim 13

The motor recited in claim 5 wherein, the combined effective impedance of said electromagnets of said stator means is connected as the load for high-frequency inverter means located external to the motor housing.

Claim 14

The motor recited in claim 5 including, cooling means capable of dissipating thermal energy generated by said electromagnets and electronic power circuitry located within said motor housing.

Claim 15

The motor recited in claim 5 including, at least one radial fin means provided at the surface of said housing for the purpose of cooling the apparatus.

Claim 16

The motor recited in claim 5 wherein said housing means comprises a tire mounting rim.

Claim 17

The motor recited in claim 6 wherein said Hall-effect sensing means comprise three terminal digital switches.

Claim 18

The motor recited in claim 1 including, Hall effect sensing means means disposed adjacent to the poles of said permanent magnets to facilitate precise commutation of the fields of said electromagnets by means of simplified concentration of the magnetic flux produced by said permanent magnets.

Claim 19

The motor recited in claim 17 wherein, said Hall effect sensing means includes a Hall effect device, and at least one flux concentrator pole apparatus for concentrating magnetic flux from said permanent magnets into said Hall effect device.

Claim 20

The motor recited in claim 1 including brake means having an open center disc, internal caliper means having compound application characteristics in forward and reverse driving modes, said internal caliper means including double-ended brake shoe supports, a plurality of hydraulic cells for actuating said caliper means to bear against said disc in normal braking modes, and a plurality of elliptically-shaped cams for engaging said caliper means in emergency braking and parking.

Claim 21

The motor recited in claim 1 including, programmable control means which includes read-only memory (ROM) means, current source means, said ROM includes a plurality of address lines to which current is supplied from said current source and, buffer means connected to supply signals to said plurality of electromagnets, said ROM includes a plurality of output lines connected to said buffer means.

Claim 22

The motor recited in claim 20 including, photon-coupled isolators connected to said buffer means to control the application of signals to said electromagnets.

Claim 23

The motor recited in claim 1 including controller means, power conversion means connected to said controller means and to said electromagnets, brake circuit means connected to said electromagnets, mode selection means connected to said controller means, and speed control means connected to said controller means.

Claim 24

The motor recited in claim 22 including Hall effect sensors associated with said permanent magnets and connected to supply signals to said controller means, and phase control means connected between said speed control means and said power conversion means.

Claim 25

The motor recited in claim 23 including source means, and regenerative braking means connected between said electromagnets and said source means, said source means connected to supply signals to said power conversion means.

Claim 26

The motor recited in claim 1 wherein, said stator means is mounted to be stationary on suitable axle means, and said rotor means is mounted on suitable bearings to rotate around said axle means.

Claim 27

The motor recited in claim 1 wherein, the number of permanent magnets included in said rotor means is larger than the number of electromagnets included in said stator means.

Claim 28

The motor recited in claim 1 wherein, said permanent magnets include rare-earth materials in the cores thereof.

Claim 29

The motor recited in claim 1 wherein, said permanent magnets have cores in which the central core portion is thicker than the end pole pieces.

Claim 30

A control circuit comprising: power conversion circuitry; said power conversion circuitry comprising, a plurality of inverter rectifiers of the controlled type; a plurality of fast recovery rectifiers connected in parallel with respective inverter rectifiers; and reactive means connected between the parallel connected networks formed by said inverter rectifiers and said fast recovery rectifiers; brushless commutation circuitry connected to said power conversion circuitry; p1 polyphase rectification circuitry; said brushless commutation circuitry and said polyphase rectification circuitry each comprising gate controlled rectifiers; said brushless commutation circuitry and said polyphase rectification circuitry being mutually exclusively operable; inductive windings connected to said brushless commutation circuitry and to said polyphase rectification circuitry; programmed controller means connected to said brushless commutation circuitry and to said polyphase rectification circuitry to control the operation thereof; and source means connected in said power conversion circuitry; said brushless commutation circuitry connecting said power conversion circuitry to said inductive windings to supply energy to said inductive windings; said polyphase rectification circuitry connected by said inductive windings to said power source to return energy to said power source.

Claim 31

A control circuit comprising: power conversion circuitry; said power conversion circuitry comprising, a plurality of inverter rectifiers of the controlled type; a plurality of fast recovery rectifiers connected in parallel with respective inverter rectifiers; and reactive means connected between the parallel connected networks formed by said inverter rectifiers and said fast recovery rectifiers; brushless commutation circuitry connected to said power conversion circuitry; p1 polyphase rectification circuitry; said brushless commutation circuitry and said polyphase rectification circuitry each comprising gate controlled rectifiers; said brushless commutation circuitry and said polyphase rectification circuitry being mutually exclusively operable; inductive windings connected to said brushless commutation circuitry and to said polyphase rectification circuitry; programmed controller means connected to said brushless commutation circuitry and to said polyphase rectification circuitry to control the operation thereof; and source means connected in said power conversion circuitry; said brushless commutation circuitry connecting said power conversion circuitry to said inductive windings to supply energy to said inductive windings; said polyphase rectification circuitry connected by said inductive windings to said power source to return energy to said power source.

Claim 32

The control circuit recited in claim 29 including: full wave phase control means connected between said power conversion circuitry and said inductive windings to control the signal waveform at said inductive windings.

Claim 33

The control circuit recited in claim 29 wherein: said programmed controller means includes read only memory means (ROM) which permits the programmed controller means to be programmed for forward or reverse operation.

Claim 34

The control circuit recited in claim 31 including: switch means connected to supply information to said ROM.

Claim 35

The control circuit recited in claim 32 wherein: said switch means comprise Hall effect digital switches.

Claim 36

The control circuit recited in claim 32 including: manual control switches for controlling direction and speed of operation as a function of the circuit operation.