Motor vehicles – Power – Electric
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-26
2001-11-27
Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
Power
Electric
C180S206500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321863
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to electric motors that are designed to be used in conjunction with a bicycle wheel of a bicycle, tricycle or any other similar wheeled vehicle, and more particularly to a compact, small in size, powerful electric motor which has an internal controller which is mounted at the hub of the wheel which is being driven.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Although the hub motor of the present invention has been found to have particular utility in conjunction with electrically operated bicycles, the motor is also deemed to have utility of other applications such as operating of a scooter, moped, tricycle, wheelchair and other types of manually operated wheeled vehicles as well as within other environments that are unknown to the inventor at this particular time. This invention will be discussed primarily in conjunction with bicycles for description purposes only.
Electric motors have been used in the past to operate bicycles electrically. The electric motors of the prior art have been rather large in size and are of relatively heavy weight. It is desirable to have the electric motor to be as small as possible and also to have the motor be as light in weight as possible to thereby keep the overall weight of the bicycle as low as possible. Also, electric bicycles of the prior art have exposed internal components. Bicycles are frequently ridden through adverse weather conditions which can result in water and foreign material, such as mud, contaminating the internal components of the electric motor.
Electric motors require the use of an electronic controller which controls the different speeds that the motor is being operated. In the past, it has been common to use a controller that is mounted separate from the motor. This requires an additional structure and requires separate mounting in conjunction with a bicycle being preferable to eliminate the use of this separate structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The hub motor of the present invention is designed to comprise a small in size, compact motor assembly which is to be mounted in conjunction with the hub of a bicycle wheel. The motor assembly comprises a self contained unit which includes a rotationally driven motor housing that is connected directly to the tire supporting rim of the bicycle wheel. Rotation of the motor housing will result in similar rotation of the tire supporting rim of the bicycle wheel. The motor housing has an internal chamber and within that internal chamber is located a stator and a rotor. The stator is fixedly mounted onto a center shaft which passes through the motor housing which is fixedly mounted to the bicycle frame. The rotor is to be rotated by the electrical energy being supplied to the stator with this rotation being transferred through a drive shaft to a driven gear. This driven gear is mounted within the internal chamber of the motor housing. A one-way clutch is to be mounted between the driven gear and the motor housing so that the normal driving torque of the driven gear will cause rotation of the motor housing but any torque in the opposite direction will not be transferred to the motor housing.
One of the primary objectives of the present invention is to construct a motor assembly which is mounted within a motor housing which is mounted at the hub of a bicycle wheel.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a motor assembly for a bicycle wherein the hub motor, controller for the motor and clutch are all mounted within a rotational motor housing to which is to be fixed the tire supporting rim of the wheel of the bicycle.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a motor assembly which can be manufactured at a reasonable cost and thereby sold to the ultimate consumer at a reasonable cost.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2588889 (1952-03-01), Sherwood
patent: 5341892 (1994-08-01), Hirose et al.
patent: 5782716 (1998-07-01), Hukui et al.
patent: 5857537 (1999-01-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 5984038 (1999-11-01), Fujiwara et al.
patent: 6059060 (2000-05-01), Kanno et al.
patent: 6104112 (2000-08-01), Vanjami
patent: 6155367 (2000-12-01), Alber
patent: 6321170 (1994-11-01), None
Boehler Anne Marie
Fischmann Bryan
Mac Brushless Motor Company
Munro Jack C.
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