Brake module of a wheel module having a wheel drivable about a wheel axis by a drive module and indefinitely steerable about a steering axis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12066068-B2
Application number	US-202117146590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2021
Priority date	Jan 14, 2020
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

A brake module ( 1 ) of a wheel module ( 2 ) has an anchor plate ( 20 ) adjacent to a wheel ( 10 ) and is indefinitely rotatable about the steering axis (L) with the wheel ( 10 ). A lifting unit ( 30 ) is fixed adjacent to the anchor plate ( 20 ) and fixed about the steering axis (L). A brake wheel ( 21 ) is arranged on the wheel shaft ( 11 ) and is rotatable about the wheel axis (R) with the wheel ( 10 ). At least one transfer element ( 22, 22 ′) extends from the anchor plate ( 20 ) towards the brake wheel ( 21 ). The lifting unit ( 30 ) is configured to move the anchor plate ( 20 ) from a first state to a second state. In the first state, the elements ( 20, 30, 22, 22 ′) are spaced apart without any contact. In the second state, the at least one transfer element ( 22, 22 ′) abuts against the brake wheel ( 21 ) generating a brake force at the brake wheel ( 21 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A brake module of a wheel module with a wheel, the wheel is drivable about a wheel axis by a drive module of the wheel module and steerable about a steering axis, the wheel is received on a wheel shaft and is indefinitely rotatable about the steering axis by the drive module;
the brake module has an anchor plate arranged adjacent to the wheel and is indefinitely rotatable about the steering axis with the wheel, a lifting unit is fixed adjacent to the anchor plate about the steering axis; and
a brake wheel arranged at the wheel shaft is rotatable about the wheel axis with the wheel;
at least one transfer element extends from the anchor plate towards the brake wheel;
the lifting unit is configured to move the anchor plate from a first state, where the anchor plate and the lifting unit as well as the at least one transfer element and the brake wheel are spaced apart without any contact, to a second state, where the anchor plate and the lifting unit are spaced apart without any contact and the at least one transfer element generates a brake force at the brake wheel.

2. The brake module according to claim 1 , further comprising a support element adjacent to the wheel, that is rotatable about the steering axis with the wheel and at which the wheel shaft is supported rotatably about the wheel axis, the anchor plate is further movable along the steering axis with respect to the lifting unit and, with respect to the support element, fixedly connected to the support element about the steering axis (L).

3. The brake module according to claim 1 , wherein the brake wheel is a cam wheel and has, at its outer circumference, a least one cam extending outwardly in a radial direction of the brake wheel.

4. The brake module according to claim 3 , wherein a pawl is provided at the transfer element at an end section of the at least one transfer element facing the brake wheel, which in the first state, is spaced apart from the brake wheel and, in the second state, can be abutted against the brake wheel with a latching section facing the brake wheel, and the latching section is configured to abut against the cam of the brake wheel in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the brake wheel.

5. The brake module according to claim 4 , wherein the pawl is rotatably supported about an axis parallel to the wheel axis with a support section spaced apart from the latching section.

6. The brake module according to claim 4 , wherein exactly two transfer elements are spaced apart from each other and include the pawl provided at each of their end sections facing the brake wheel, the latching sections face each other, and the latching section of the first pawl is configured to abut against one cam, in a direction opposite to a first rotational direction, and the latching section of the second pawl is configured to abut against the cam in a direction opposite to a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction.

7. The brake module according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting unit comprises an electromagnet and the anchor plate is magnetic or ferromagnetic, at least in sections, and the electromagnet is configured to magnetically draw the anchor plate towards the lifting unit in the first state.

8. The brake module according to claim 1 , wherein the brake module is arranged on a sliding hub and connected to the wheel shaft via the sliding hub, the sliding hub is configured to transfer the brake force from the brake wheel to the wheel shaft, below an adjustable torque and to rotate freely with respect to the brake wheel, from the adjustable torque onwards so that the brake wheel is decoupled from the wheel shaft and the brake force is not transferred from the brake wheel to the wheel shaft.

9. The brake module according to claim 1 , wherein the steering axis is coaxial to a vertical axis of the wheel.

10. A wheel module with a wheel, that is drivable about a wheel axis by a drive module of the wheel module and steerable about a steering axis, the wheel is received at a wheel shaft and is indefinitely rotatable about the steering axis by the drive module, and a brake module according to claim 1 .

11. The wheel module according to claim 10 , having a transmission, the transmission includes a first drive gear ring and a second drive gear ring, that are rotatably arranged about a shared rotational axis, by a respective rotation of the first drive gear ring and the second drive gear ring, the wheel is steerable about the steering axis and drivable about the wheel axis, and between the first drive gear ring and the second drive gear ring, a wheel receiving space extending along the rotational axis is determined, where the wheel is arranged, at least in sections.

12. The wheel module according to claim 11 , wherein the rotational axis is coaxial to the steering axis.

13. The wheel module according to claim 10 , wherein the anchor plate is arranged in or immediately adjacent to the wheel receiving space, wherein the lifting unit is arranged in or immediately adjacent to the wheel receiving space, and the brake wheel and the at least one transfer element are arranged in the wheel receiving space.

Assignees

• Ebm Papst St Georgen Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Fehrenbach Johannes
• Hornberger Jörg
• Hermann Wolfgang
• Messmer Volker
• Besch Jürgen

Classifications

• B60B33/0084

  acting on axle end · CPC title

• B60B33/0068

  the swivel axis being vertical · CPC title

• B60K2007/0084

  the motor axle being vertical · CPC title

• B60K2007/003

  with two or more motors driving a single wheel · CPC title

• F16D2121/22

  for releasing a normally applied brake · CPC title