Motor vehicles – Power – Electric
Patent
1991-01-29
1993-06-29
Culbreth, Eric D.
Motor vehicles
Power
Electric
180165, 180234, 180242, B60K 100
Patent
active
052225682
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electric vehicle having wheels driven by electric motors, and particularly to improvements of the driving characteristics of the electric vehicle.
PRIOR ART
With the advances in recent automobile technology, several new technologies have been proposed for improving the driving characteristics such as 4-wheel steering (4WS), 4-wheel driving (4WD), anti-skid brake system (ABS) and traction control.
However, these new technologies are concerned with handling the driving force of each front and rear wheel. Therefore, in order to carry out the above-mentioned new automobile technologies, it is necessary to control each wheel properly, (based upon the necessary conditions) by adding new mechanical structures to the automobile structures of the prior art.
In general, an automobile is provided with steering wheels for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle and driving wheels for driving the vehicle. Recently, for improving vehicle driving characteristics and for securing a sufficient inside vehicle space, a front-drive (and a 4WD) vehicle has been widely used in which steering wheels also function as driving wheels.
PROBLEMS SOLVED BY THE PRESENT INVENTION
A conventional vehicle usually uses a driving system in which the power from a single power source (an engine) is divided into plural driving wheels. Accordingly, new mechanisms, which are added to carry out the above new technologies, as well as the resulting mechanical structure into which the new mechanisms are incorporated, tend to complicate the mechanical structure of the vehicle because of the driving system. This is the same case for an electric vehicle.
In the case where the steering wheels not only have a steering function but also a driving function, it is necessary not only to swivel each of the steering wheels about its king pin shaft, but also to impart the driving force to each of the steering wheels. Accordingly, the mechanical structure for performing both the steering and driving functions becomes very complicated.
It is therefore a main object to improve the driving characteristics of an electric vehicle and to provide an electric vehicle having a simple mechanical structure easily carrying out the new technologies mentioned above.
It is a second object to improve the driving characteristics of an electric vehicle by simplifying the structure of steering wheels which have both steering and driving functions and by increasing the degree of freedom of the swiveling motion of steering wheels.
MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS AND EFFECTS
A first characteristic feature of the present invention for achieving the main object resides in an electric vehicle having driving wheels arranged at both sides of a vehicle body wherein each of the driving wheels is respectively provided with a mutually independent driving motor, and both the driving torque and the braking torque of each driving motor are adapted to be independently controlled based upon signals from the traveling conditions of the vehicle.
A second characteristic feature of the present invention for achieving the second object resides in an electric vehicle having steering wheels each mounted on its king pin shaft swivelably therearound, and each being independently driven by a driving motor. Each of the driving motors is formed by a stator arranged coaxially with an axle of each steering wheel, and a rotor mounted on a wheel-rim of the steering wheel and adapted to be fitted around the stator.
According to the first feature of the present invention, it is possible to perfectly avoid all of the problems of the prior art concerning the distribution of the driving force. Also, it is easy to independently and freely vary the peripheral velocity, the driving force and the braking force of each of the driving wheels by independently controlling the driving torque and the braking torque of each of the driving motors.
It is therefore possible to easily carry out the new technologies mentioned above requiring careful control of
REFERENCES:
patent: 4805712 (1989-02-01), Singleton
Higasa Hiromasa
Ishikawa Fumihiko
Matsumura Shigenori
Nasu Hidetoshi
Sato Kazunobu
Culbreth Eric D.
Kabushiki Kaisha Shikoku Sogo Kenkyujo
Sato Kazunobu
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