Electric bicycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9663177-B2
Application number	US-201514804958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2015
Priority date	Aug 1, 2014
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

An electric bicycle includes a crank, a driving gear and a driven gear spaced from each other, and a belt engaged with the driving gear and the driven gear. An electric motor is coupled to the driving gear. A freewheel is disposed between the crank and the driving gear. At least a portion of the motor is concentric about the freewheel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric bicycle comprising:
a crank;
a driving gear and a driven gear spaced from each other;
a belt engaged with the driving gear and the driven gear;
an electric motor coupled to the driving gear; and
a freewheel between the crank and the driving gear, at least a portion of the motor being concentric with the freewheel and extending around the freewheel.

2. The bicycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the motor extends around the freewheel in a plane, the plane extending through the freewheel.

3. The bicycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electric motor includes magnets spaced from each other concentrically about the freewheel.

4. The bicycle as set forth in claim 3 wherein the magnets are fixed to the driving gear.

5. The bicycle as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a frame and a housing fixed relative to the frame, the electric motor including coils fixed to the frame.

6. The bicycle as set forth in claim 5 wherein the driving gear is concentric about at least a portion of the housing.

7. The bicycle as set forth in claim 6 further comprising a bearing between the driving gear and the housing.

8. The bicycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electric motor includes magnets fixed to the driving gear.

9. The bicycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the freewheel is supported on the crank.

10. The bicycle as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a wheel including rim and a hub rotationally fixed to the rim and rotationally fixed to the driven gear.

11. The bicycle as set forth in claim 10 further comprising a controller in communication with the motor and a brake light in communication with the controller, the controller being configured to illuminate the brake light when the driven gear drives the belt.

12. The bicycle as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an encoder fixed to the crank.

13. The bicycle as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a computing device programmed to control power to the motor.

14. The bicycle as set forth in claim 13 wherein the computing device is programmed to operate the motor in at least one of a pedal-assist mode to provide power to the motor and an off mode to prevent power supply to the motor.

15. The bicycle as set forth in claim 14 further comprising a user interface configured to instruct the computer system to operate in at least one of the pedal-assist mode and the off mode.

16. The bicycle as set forth in claim 14 further comprising a brake light and wherein the computing device is programmed to illuminate the brake light when the driven gear drives the belt.

17. The bicycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the motor is concentric about the freewheel in a plane, the plane extending through the freewheel.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Craven Richard
• Potticary Simon
• Gerhardt Torsten
• Lloyd James
• Mundy Jonathan
• Southey Bruce
• Neugebauer James

Classifications

• B62K11/00

  Motorcycles, engine-assisted cycles or motor scooters with one or two wheels (fairings or streamlining parts not forming part of the frame B62J; transmission of drive from engines to wheels B62M) · CPC title

• B60L53/68

  Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control · CPC title

• B62J6/015

  using electrical power not supplied by the cycle motor generator, e.g. using batteries or piezo elements · CPC title

• B62J45/10

  Arrangement of audio equipment; Supports therefor · CPC title

• B62J45/20

  Cycle computers as cycle accessories · CPC title