US4330045A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Vehicle wheel mechanism

Assignee: Reliance Electric Co

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Filing: 1979-09-14

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Granted: 1982-05-18

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Expires: 1999-09-14

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Abstract

Abstract A wheel mechanism is disclosed for a vehicle which has a wheel support, such as an axle, in which an electric motor is housed having a drive shaft within a hub. A wheel is journaled on bearings around the hub and an axially outboard wall cooperates with the hub to form a gear case. Within the gear case, first and second planetary gear sets are connected to drive the wheel from the motor drive shaft. The axially outboard wall on the gear case is nonrotating and supports brake calipers to cooperate with a disc brake secured to the wheel. A modular construction of the entire wheel mechanism is provided, with the brake being outboard for easy servicing of brake pads and the planetary gear sets being next outboard for any service or gear ratio change required. The foregoing abstract is merely a resume of one general application, is not a complete discussion of all principles of operation or applications, and is not to be construed as a limitation on the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Inventors

👤 Walter I. Myers

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —

Jurisdiction US

Data Source google_patents

Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 17:05

CPC Classifications

B; B60; B60K; B60K7/00; B60K7/0007; B60K17/00; B60K17/04; B60K17/043; B60K17/046; B60L; B60L15/00; B60L15/20; B60L15/2009; B60L15/2054; B60L3/00; B60L3/0023; B60L3/0076; B60T; B60T1/00; B60T1/02; B60T1/06; B60T1/067; F; F16; F16D; F16D55/00; F16D55/02; F16D55/22; B60K2007/0038; B60K2007/0092; B60L2220/00; B60L2220/40; B60L2220/44; B60L2220/50; B60L2240/00; B60L2240/10; B60L2240/12; B60L2240/36; B60L2240/40; B60L2240/42; B60L2240/421; B60L2240/423; B60L2240/48; B60L2240/486; F16D2055/0004; F16D2055/005; F16D2055/0075; F16D2055/0091; F16H; F16H1/00; F16H1/28; F16H1/46; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/60; Y02T10/64; Y02T10/72; Y10; Y10S; Y10S475/00; Y10S475/90

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18

Claim 1

Independent Claim 146 words

A vehicle wheel mechanism for a vehicle having a wheel support, comprising in combination, a nonrotating wheel hub connected to the wheel support, a hollow gear case connected to said hub, a nonrotating, axially outboard wall defining with said hub a part of said gear case, a rotatable drive shaft in said gear case, a wheel, bearing means journaling said wheel on said hub, a planetary gear set mounted in said gear case and having an input and an output, drive means operably connecting said input to said drive shaft, means connecting said output to said wheel for drive thereof, a rotatable first brake part secured to said wheel outboard of said gear case outboard wall, and a nonrotatable second brake part secured to said gear case outboard wall at a location remote from the axis of the wheel and acting on said first brake part.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 146 words

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said outboard wall of said gear case has a portion disposed radially inwardly of said output of said planetary gear set.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 27 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein said second brake part is mounted on said radially inwardly disposed portion of said gear case wall.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 30 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said planetary gear set is a low speed gear set, and said drive means includes a high speed gear set.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 20 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 4, wherein said high speed gear set is a planetary gear set.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 39 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said planetary gear set includes a ring gear and a planet carrier having planet gears, and said output being from one of said ring gear and said planet carrier.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 17 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 6, wherein said output is from said ring gear.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 18 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first brake part is a brake disc.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 36 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first brake part is an annular ring, and said second brake part is a brake caliper disposed around the inner circumference of said annular ring.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 25 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 1, including an electric motor carried in said wheel hub and connected to drive said drive shaft.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 21 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 10, wherein said electric motor is positioned axially inboard of said gear set.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 28 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 11, wherein said drive means includes a high speed gear set positioned between said first-mentioned gear set and said motor.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 35 words

A wheel mechanism as set forth in claim 1, including a fluid brake line within said hub and gear case, and means connecting said brake line to said second brake part to provide actuation thereof.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 149 words

A vehicle wheel mechanism for a vehicle having a wheel support comprising in combination: a nonrotating wheel hub connected to the wheel support, a rotatable drive shaft in said hub, a wheel, bearing means journaling said wheel on said hub, a planetary gear set having a planet carrier, an input and an output, said planet carrier being mounted to said hub, drive means operably connecting said input to said drive shaft, means connecting said output to said wheel for drive thereof, said planet carrier including a nonrotating, axial outboard wall defining with said hub a part of a gear case for said gear set, a rotatable first brake part secured to said wheel outboard of said gear case outboard wall, and a nonrotatable second brake part secured to said planet carrier at a location remote from the central axis of the wheel and acting on said first brake part.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 149 words

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 165 words

A vehicle wheel mechanism for a vehicle having a wheel support, comprising in combination: a nonrotating wheel hub connected to the wheel support, a hollow gear case connected to said hub, a nonrotating, axially outboard wall defining with said hub a part of said gear case, a rotatable drive shaft in said gear case, a wheel, bearing means journaling said wheel on said hub, a planetary gear set mounted in said gear case and having an input and an output, drive means operably connecting said input to said drive shaft, means connecting said output to said wheel for drive thereof, said planetary gear set being a low speed gear set, said drive means including a high speed gear set, a rotatable first brake part secured to said wheel outboard of said gear case outboard wall, and a nonrotatable second brake part secured to said gear case outboard wall at a location remote from the axis of the wheel and acting on said first brake part.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 165 words

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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FR79251E Cited

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1985-05-17	1985-11-16	1986-05-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1989-05-17	1989-11-16	1990-05-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1993-05-17	1993-11-16	1994-05-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

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