Patent ID: 8348294

Claim:
A compact, combination drive-and-chassis unit for a vehicle, the unit comprising: a chassis having a one-piece c-channel, a releasably-lockable front strut; a releasably-lockable rear strut; a drive assembly; and a shared chassis space; the shared chassis space comprising at least a substantial portion of a chassis assembly that encloses at least a substantial portion of the drive assembly; and, the drive assembly including a crankshaft having a crank axis, the crankshaft in an operable communication with a drive member, the drive member in an operable communication with a wheel assembly having a wheel, the drive assembly transferring a power from the crankshaft to drive the wheel; wherein, the substantial portion of the chassis assembly comprises the c-channel and functions as a protective casing for the substantial portion of the drive assembly, the substantial portion of the drive assembly comprising the crankshaft and at least a substantial portion of the drive member; the drive member has at least one fixably rotatable pivot point corresponding to a fixably rotatable joint in the chassis assembly for at least one re-direction of the power from the crankshaft to the wheel; the releasably-lockable front strut has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end attaching to the chassis at a rotatably-lockable front strut pivot, and the distal end operably attaching to a front wheel assembly; the crankshaft and the rotatably-lockable front strut pivot share a central axis; and, the shared chassis space creates a compact, combination drive-and-chassis unit for the vehicle.