ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE

Abstract

An electric vehicle or specifically an electric motorcycle, which includes an electric motor mounted on at least one wheel, the electric motor having a rotor fitted on the outer side and a stator fitted on the inner side. The electric motor's stator is arranged to function as an axle for the wheel in such a way that the stator is adapted to bear the loads between the wheel and the remaining structure of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising: an electric motor mounted in a wheel of said electric vehicle, the electric motor comprising: a rotor arranged on an outer side; and a stator arranged on an inner side, the stator configured to function as an axis of said wheel; and a support member attached between the stator and the body of the electric vehicle, wherein the support member is attached to the stator by an attaching means from one side of said stator.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the attaching point is arranged on a portion of the stator which is on a side of an imaginary plane having the support member, the imaginary plane being vertical and extending via the rotational axis of the wheel.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an inner periphery of the stator defines a void space.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the wheel comprises a rim base, whose outer periphery is capable of being provided with a tire, and wherein the rotor is mounted on the rim base.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the rotor is attached to the rim base.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising one or more structural layers between the rotor and the rim base.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein one or more of said structural layers is a vibration dampener.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a bearing assembly arranged between the rotor and the stator, wherein the bearing assembly is configured to work as a wheel bearing for the wheel.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein between the rotor and the stator are fitted sealings so as to generate a sealed space for electromagnetic components of the rotor and the stator.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the stator comprises a winding, and the rotor comprises a magnet.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is an electric automobile.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is an electric tractor.

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is an electric motorcycle.

14. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is an electric scooter.

15. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is an electric moped.

16. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is an electric bicycle.

17. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is a three-wheeled electric vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0023] A few exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0024] FIGS. 1A and 1B show schematically an electric motor for an electric vehicle according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0025] FIGS. 2A-2D show schematically some electric vehicles according to a few exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows schematically an electric vehicle according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, specifically an electric motorcycle.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows schematically a portion of the electric vehicle or electric motorcycle according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0028] FIGS. 5A and 5B show schematically a wheel support member for the electric vehicle or electric motorcycle according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A FEW EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0029] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate schematically an electric motor 3 for an electric vehicle 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention: FIG. 1A in a cross-section view and FIG. 1B in a side view. Said electric motor 3 may comprise a rotor 4 disposed on the outer side and an annular stator 5 disposed on the inner side. The electric motor 3 can be a type of brushless or brushed, alternating current or direct current motor.

[0030] According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electric motor's stator 5 is arranged to function as an axle for a wheel 2 in such a way that the stator 5 is adapted to bear the loads between said wheel 2 and the remaining structure, such as a support member 60 and/or a body 50, of an electric vehicle 10. Hence, in the discussed wheel 2 there is no need for a separate hub, whereby the wheel 2 may have a middle part which comprises a void space 18 but which may also be provided as a solid structure. The stator 5 mountable with attaching means 13 to the remaining structure of the vehicle. The attaching means 13 is a per se known fastener which enables detachment and reattachment of the stator and the entire electric motor, such as for example a bolt. On the other hand, the attaching means 13 can be a welded joint or adhesive bonding which must be broken in order to detach the stator 5 and the electric motor.

[0031] According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the stator 5 can be irremovably attached to a body of the vehicle 100 at least from what is the other side of the stator 5 with respect to a lateral direction X of the wheel 2.

[0032] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the stator 5 comprises a winding 6 formed with winding wires, while the rotor 4 comprises magnets 7, preferably permanent magnets or electromagnets. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the widths of the stator winding 6 and the rotor magnet 7 in the direction of a rotational axis X of the wheel are substantially smaller than the width of the wheel.

[0033] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the wheel 2 comprises a rim base 8 and a tire 9 (presented with dashed lines) disposed thereon, and the rotor 4 is attached directly to the rim base 8. Attachment of the rotor 4 to the rim base 8 can be effected by using conventional attachment methods and fasteners.

[0034] In another embodiment there are one or more structural layers between the rotor 4 and the rim base 8. Such a structural layer can be functional, whereby it may for example dampen vibrations between the rotor and the rim base or serve as an element to assist attachment between the rotor 4 and the rim base 8, or as the like element.

[0035] The tire 9, which is provided or capable of being provided on the wheel 2, can be a per se known tire: an air-filled, solid, foam-filled tire, or the like. Neither is a separate tire 9 necessary but, instead, the rim base 8 may constitute a tread surface upon which the wheel 2 rotates on a driving surface.

[0036] The rotor 4 is preferably adapted to be rotatable relative to the stator 5, specifically rotatable around an outer periphery of the stator 5. The rotor 4 can be arranged on the stator 5 in a bearing-mounted fashion, such as by means of a roller bearing 10, a needle bearing 10, a slide bearing 10, a magnetic bearing 10 or bearings 10.

[0037] The bearing assembly can be dimensioned preferably in such a way that the stator 5 functions as an axle for the wheel 2, which is capable of bearing the entire load transmitted by way of the wheel 2 of an electric vehicle 100 to the driving surface. In other words, the bearing assembly between the rotor 4 and the stator 5 works as a sole wheel bearing for the wheel 2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, between the rotor 4 and the stator 5 are disposed sealings 12 so as to generate a sealed space for electromagnetic components of the rotor 4 and the stator 5. The sealings 12 may have been arranged so as to provide a sealed space for the bearing 10 or bearings 10. Alternatively, the sealings 12 may have been arranged so as to provide a sealed space both for electromagnetic components of the rotor 4 and the stator 5 and for the bearing 10 or bearings 10.

[0038] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the rotor 4 is bearing-mounted to the stator 5 with a roller bearing 10, having rotational axes Y of its bearing rollers 11 disposed to be divergent with respect to a rotational axis X of the wheel. The benefit is that the bearing assembly is supported both in the direction of the rotational axis X of the wheel 2 and in a direction perpendicular thereto. In the present case, said angle is 45 degrees, but may of course be other than that.

[0039] FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate schematically some electric vehicles according to a few exemplary embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2A depicts an electric passenger car. According to a few exemplary embodiments of the invention, the electric vehicle may also be a van, a bus, a truck, or a trailer truck. FIG. 2B depicts an electric tractor. According to a few exemplary embodiments of the invention, the electric vehicle may also be another type of working machine, such as a forklift, a combine harvester, or an excavator. FIG. 2C depicts an electric motorcycle according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2D depicts an electric bicycle according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, which comprises an electric energy storage 40 such as a battery or a battery bank.

[0040] FIG. 3 presents schematically an electric vehicle 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, specifically an electric motorcycle 100. The electric motorcycle may comprise an electric motor 3, which is included in at least one wheel 2 and comprises a rotor 4 disposed on the outer side and a stator 5 disposed on the inner side. The electric motor 3 has its stator 5 preferably arranged to function as an axle for the wheel 2 in such a way that the stator 5 is adapted to bear the loads between said wheel 2 and the remaining structure of the electric motorcycle 100. Therefore, the discussed wheel 2 does not require a separate hub.

[0041] According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electric vehicle 100 or the electric motorcycle 100 may comprise a control unit 30 for the electric motor 3. The electric motorcycle 100 may comprise a sensor arrangement 31 adapted to produce a sensor signal 32. The control unit 30 may have been adapted to control operation of the electric motor 3 on the basis of the sensor signal 32. The sensor arrangement 31 may have been arranged in a control element 33, intended for controlling rotation speed of the electric motor 3, in such a way that the sensor signal 32 is adapted to change as the position of the control element 33 changes with respect to its rotational axis. The change of position of a control element 33 according to one exemplary embodiment has been denoted with reference numeral 34. The control element 33 can be a steering wheel, a stick, a touch screen, or for example similar to a throttle handle included in prior known combustion engine-equipped motorcycles. The sensor arrangement 31 can be based on measuring a force applied to the control element 33 or it can be a position sensor.

[0042] According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electric motorcycle's 100 control element 33 is a handle 33 rotatable around its longitudinal axis, and wherein sensor arrangement 31 is adapted to change in response to a change of position of the handle 33 with respect to its rotational axis.

[0043] According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the electric vehicle or the electric motorcycle can be without a sensor arrangement.

[0044] According to several exemplary embodiments of the invention, control unit 30 for the electric motor 3 is electrically connected 35 to the electric motor 3 for controlling operation of the electric motor 3.

[0045] The electric vehicle 100 or the electric motorcycle 100 may comprise an electric energy storage 40 such as a battery or a battery bank.

[0046] The control unit 30 for the electric motor 3 of the electric vehicle 100 or the electric motorcycle 100 may comprise a computing unit such as a microcontroller or a processor. The control unit 30 may further comprise memory capable of being stored with some program code which can be executed with the computing unit. According to several exemplary embodiments of the invention, the control unit 30 comprises a frequency converter or an inverter for modifying electric power to be delivered to the electric motor 3. The electric power can be preferably supplied from the electric energy storage 40. In addition, the electric motor 3 may have been provided with sensors such as speed or position sensors and, optionally, among other things, with temperature sensors and sensors measuring other parameters of the electric motor. The control unit 30 is preferably adapted to measure a current supplied to the electric motor 3 and a voltage connected to the poles of the electric motor 3. In addition, the control unit 3 may be adapted to measure the current and/or voltage and/or output of the electric energy storage 40

[0047] The electric vehicle 100 or the electric motorcycle 100 can have its wheel 2 mounted to a body 50 of the vehicle 100 or the electric motorcycle 100 by means of a support member 60. The support member 60 may comprise, among other things, a suspension 65 and/or shock absorption 65.

[0048] The stator 5 can be attached to the remaining structure of an electric vehicle 100 or an electric motorcycle 100 from one side thereof (as presented in FIG. 1A), from both sides thereof (as presented in FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B), or from the direction of a void space 18 created by an inner periphery of the annular stator 5, or by various combinations of these. Further, the stator 5 may be attached across the entire length of its side or inner periphery, or, alternatively, just across part of the length of its side or inner periphery. In other words, the attaching means 13 can be disposed all around the stator 5 or on just a certain part or sector thereof.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows schematically a part of the electric vehicle 100 or the electric motorcycle 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 4 is depicted a support member 60 provided for the attachment of a wheel 12 to the body 50. As can be observed from FIG. 2, the stator 5 mounted on the wheel 2 can have the support member 60 attached thereto from both sides of the stator 5 in a lateral direction of the wheel 2. According to a few exemplary embodiments of the invention, the support member 60 can be a one-piece/-part article or alternatively it is constructed from several pieces, whereby it can be opened up or taken apart, enabling thereby an easier removal of the wheel 2. In FIG. 4 is optionally presented a dashed line, indicating a part at which the two-piece support member 60 can be opened up or taken apart. The discussed pieces can be attached or attachable to each other with fasteners such as bolts and, if necessary, nuts. The support member 60 may have been constructed as a one-piece/-part article by welding two or more pieces to each other.

[0050] In another exemplary embodiment, the stator 5 is attached to the support member 60, which is intended for the wheel 2 of an electric vehicle 100 or an electric motorcycle 100, and which can be suspended and/or shock absorbed 65 relative to the remaining body 50 of the electric vehicle 100 or the electric motorcycle 100.

[0051] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate schematically a support member 60 for the wheel 2 of an electric vehicle 100 or an electric motorcycle 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. FIGS. 5A and 5B present a support member 60 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, which is constructed from at least two pieces detachable from each other. The support member 60 may have been provided, among other things, with a suspension 65 and/or shock absorption 65, by means of which the support member 60 can be additionally or optionally attached to the body 50 of the electric motorcycle 100.

[0052] The figures and the description related thereto are only intended to elucidate the concept of the invention. It is obvious for a ski artisan that the invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments in which the invention has been described by way of a few examples but, instead, a multitude of modifications and various applications of the invention are feasible within the scope of the inventive concept as defined in the subsequently presented claims.