Hub apparatus and associated systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933945-B2
Application number	US-201816207044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2018
Priority date	Dec 1, 2017
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to structures and associated systems for connecting a hub apparatus to a wheel. In some embodiments, the hub apparatus includes (1) a housing assembly having an outer radius; and (2) a mounting portion circumferentially provided on at least one side surface of the housing assembly. The mounting portion is formed with a plurality of coupling structures configured to couple the hub apparatus to a wheel rim. The mounting portion defines a first radius smaller than the outer radius.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hub apparatus for driving a vehicle, the hub apparatus comprising:
a housing assembly having an outer radius, the housing assembly comprising
a first housing component; and
a second housing component configured to be tightly fitted with the first housing component; and

a mounting portion circumferentially provided on at least one side surface of the housing assembly, the mounting portion being formed with a plurality of coupling structures configured to couple the hub apparatus to a wheel rim, the mounting portion defining a first radius smaller than the outer radius;
wherein the coupling structures comprise openings having an interior spherical surface configured to receive a spherical washer.

2. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing assembly is formed with a shaft opening at a center of the hub apparatus, and wherein the shaft opening is configured to receive a shaft of the hub apparatus, and wherein the housing assembly is configured to rotatably couple to the shaft of the hub apparatus.

3. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion is concentric with the housing assembly.

4. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion comprises a hub flange integrally formed with the housing assembly.

5. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the openings are circumferentially formed around the mounting portion.

6. The hub apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the openings are arranged around the mounting portions with equal intervals between every adjacent two of the openings.

7. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the first radius to the outer radius is smaller than seventy percent.

8. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion is a first mounting portion, and wherein the at least one side surface is a first surface, and wherein the hub apparatus further comprises a second mounting portion provided on a second surface opposite to the first surface, and wherein the second mounting portion has a second radius substantially the same as the first radius.

9. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion is a first mounting portion, and wherein the at least one side surface is a first surface, and wherein the hub apparatus further comprises a second mounting portion provided on a second surface opposite to the first surface, and wherein the second mounting portion has a second radius smaller than the outer radius and different from the first radius.

10. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion comprises a toroid structure attached to the first housing component.

11. The hub apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first housing component comprises a sidewall and an outer rim, and wherein the outer rim is circumferentially positioned around an outer edge of the sidewall, and wherein the second housing component comprises a lid having an insertion flange configured to be tightly fitted with the outer rim.

12. A wheel, comprising:
a tire;
a rim configured to support the tire;
a housing assembly having an outer radius, the housing assembly comprising
a first housing component; and
a second housing component configured to be tightly fitted with the first housing component; and

a mounting portion circumferentially provided on at least one side surface of the housing assembly, the mounting portion being formed with a plurality of coupling structures configured to couple the housing assembly to a vehicle, the mounting portion defining a first radius smaller than the outer radius; and
a plurality of modularized connectors configured to couple the mounting portion to the rim, each of the modularized connectors being positioned to cooperate with a corresponding one of the coupling structures, each of the modularized connectors having an outer end and an inner end, the outer end being coupled to the rim, the inner end being configured to seat against an interior surface of the mounting portion wherein the inner end comprises a flared end.

13. The wheel of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of modularized connectors comprises a spoke, and wherein the spoke is formed with a stopping portion at the inner end.

14. The wheel of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of modularized connectors further comprises a washer, and wherein the washer is fitted over the spoke, and wherein the washer is configured to rest against the stopping portion of the spoke and the interior surface of the mounting portion.

15. The wheel of claim 14 , wherein the washer is a spherical washer, and wherein the coupling structures are openings, and wherein each of the openings has an interior spherical surface configured to receive the spherical washer.

16. The wheel of claim 12 , wherein the inner end of each of the plurality of modularized connectors comprises a spherical stopping portion, and wherein the coupling structures are openings, and wherein each of the openings has an interior spherical surface configured to receive the spherical stopping portion.

17. A wheel, comprising:
a tire;
a rim configured to support the tire;
a housing assembly having an outer radius, the housing assembly comprising
a first housing component; and
a second housing component configured to be tightly fitted with the first housing component; and

a first mounting portion circumferentially provided on a first surface of the housing assembly, the first mounting portion being formed with a plurality of first openings configured to couple the housing assembly to a vehicle, the first mounting portion defining a first radius smaller than the outer radius;
a second mounting portion circumferentially provided on a second surface of the housing assembly opposite to the first surface, the second mounting portion being formed with a plurality of second openings configured to couple the housing assembly to the vehicle, the second mounting portion defining a second radius smaller than the outer radius; and
a plurality of modularized connectors configured to couple the first and second mounting portions to the rim, each of the modularized connectors being positioned to cooperate with a corresponding one of the first and second openings, each of the modularized connectors having an outer end and an inner end, each of the modularized connectors having a spherical washer at the inner end, the outer end being coupled to the rim, the inner end being configured to seat against an interior spherical surface of the first and second mounting portions.

18. The wheel of claim 17 , wherein a ratio of the first radius to the outer radius is smaller than seventy percent, and wherein the second radius is substantially the same as the first radius.

Assignees

• Gogoro Inc

Inventors

• Lin Shih-Yuan
• Su Hsin-Wen
• Luke Hok-Sum Horace
• Hsu Chen-Hsin

Classifications

• B62J11/19

  specially adapted for electric wires · CPC title

• B62J45/423

  on or besides the wheel · CPC title

• B62J45/411

  Torque sensors · CPC title

• H02K1/2791

  Surface mounted magnets; Inset magnets · CPC title

• B62M6/60 Primary

  power-driven at axle parts · CPC title