Patent ID: 7845445

Claim:
An electric drive unit for a vehicle wheel comprising: an electric motor having a motor output shaft rotatable about a motor axis; a planetary gear drive having a first stage gear set and a second stage gear set that are both driven by said motor output shaft, wherein said first stage gear set includes a first sun gear and a first plurality of planet gears in meshing engagement with said first sun gear and said second stage gear set includes a second sun gear and a second plurality of planet gears in meshing engagement with said second sun gear, said first and said second sun gears being directly driven by said motor output shaft, said second stage gear set to be coupled to a wheel shaft for driving the vehicle wheel, and wherein said planetary gear drive includes a single floating ring gear in meshing engagement with said first and said second stage gear sets; and wherein each first planet gear of said first plurality of planet gears is supported on a first planet pin that is fixed to a motor housing such that each of said first planet gears is rotatable about a respective first pin axis but said first planet gears are not rotatable as a unit about said first sun gear, and wherein said first planet gears rotate said single floating ring gear.