Patent ID: 6100615
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60Y,B62K,B62M,Y02T,Y10T

Abstract:
A motorized wheel hub assembly having an axis and comprisinga housing having first and second end walls and a sidewall extending between said end walls;a stator winding in the housing;a rotor rotatably mounted to the housing end walls so that the rotor can rotate about said axis within the winding;a first shaft extending from said first wall along said axis;a second shaft extending from said rotor along said axis away from the first shaft and through said second wall;a pinion at the end of the second shaft outside the housing;a plurality of planet gears rotatably mounted to said second end wall outside the housing, said planet gears being in meshing engagement with the pinion;a third shaft;means for connecting the third shaft to the second end wall so that the third shaft is rotatable fixed to the first shaft and extends along said axis away from said first and second shafts such that all said shafts are collinear but separate from one another;a hub enclosing said housing and said planet gears, said hub having first and second end walls rotatably receiving said first and third shafts respectively and a side wall extending between the first and second end walls, said hub side wall being spaced from the housing side wall by a relatively narrow gap;a ring gear formed in the hub opposite the planet gears, said ring gear being in meshing engagement with the planet gears so that when an electric current is applied to the stator winding, the rotor rotates relative to the first and third shafts at a selected speed and the hub rotates relative to the first and third shafts at a lesser speed.