Mid-drive motor package including a transmission subassembly for an electric bicycle

Abstract

A mid-mounted motor assembly for an electric bicycle includes a power transmission device having a crankshaft subassembly, a motor subassembly, a sensor drive subassembly, and a transmission subassembly. The sensor drive subassembly is operable to receive a first power output from the crankshaft assembly and a second power output from the motor subassembly, and to combine the first and second power outputs into a combined power output. The transmission subassembly is operable to modify the combined power output via a first gear combination or a second gear combination to form a modified power output. The transmission subassembly is operable to shift gears between the first and second gear combinations via a sub-shaft assembly including a camshaft rotatable within a pin shaft. Rotation of the camshaft within the pin shaft causes different pin combinations to engage the transmission gears.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross-reference to related applications] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 585,532, filed on September 26, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a mid-motor kit including a power transmission for an electric bicycle, and more particularly to a mid-motor kit including a power transmission configured to combine a crankshaft output generated from an applied torque with a power output from a mid-mounted motor to drive a belt connected to a rear wheel. Prior Art

[0003] Due to the higher torque output of electric bicycles compared to conventional bicycles, the electric bicycle (or electric vehicle) industry is transitioning to belt-driven assemblies rather than traditional chain-driven systems due to their superior durability. Belt-driven assemblies are also increasingly being used with mid-mounted motors. The use of a belt drive precludes the use of conventional derailleurs or rear sprocket transmissions located externally on the rear wheel hub. One known solution is to place a transmission inside the rear wheel hub; however, hub transmissions are typically limited in the number of bicycle "speeds" or gear combinations (e.g., 3 to 5 speeds), are prohibitively expensive due to high manufacturing costs, or are mechanically inefficient due to the large number of gears required to accommodate a higher number of bicycle speed ratios.

[0004] Continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) can be implemented for electric bicycles, with two known examples using annular components that transmit power through friction and epicyclical CVTs. However, CVTs are also generally mechanically inefficient compared to geared hubs. Geared hubs offer a transmission solution in the context of a belt-driven platform, but have higher-cost and more expensive gears than traditional freewheel rear hubs and typically offer a lower number of speeds than a traditional chain and derailleur system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Thus, there is a need for a mechanically efficient power transmission that is not prohibitively expensive while still including an increased number of gear combinations or bicycle speed ratios. The power transmission should be compatible with belt-driven platforms. The power transmission should include an increased number of gears integrated into a mid-motor assembly close to a crankshaft to allow a power output from the crankshaft (e.g., caused by a rider's torque applied to the crankshaft) to be combined with a power output from the mid-motor. Integrated into the mid-motor assembly, the power transmission should be coupleable to an inexpensive belt-driven rear freehub.

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a power transmission that addresses these and other shortcomings of known electric bicycle power transmissions and electric motors. The power transmission is combined with a mid-mounted motor into a single package close to the crankshaft, where the power output from the crankshaft is combined with the power output from the mid-mounted motor and transmitted through the power transmission (e.g., which modifies the combined power output) before driving a belt connected to a rear wheel. Mid-mounted motors typically require a custom-modified frame to accommodate a specific motor. Since frame modifications are already necessary, embodiments of the present invention relate to further modifying the frame to additionally incorporate a power transmission with the mid-mounted motor in the form of a combined mid-mounted motor package.

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a power transmission device having two sets of transmission gears. For example, the first set of transmission gears can be considered to correspond to a front derailleur or crankshaft chainring set on a standard bicycle, and the second set of transmission gears can be considered to correspond to a rear derailleur (or internal hub) on a standard bicycle. The power transmission device includes a shifter subassembly having a camshaft housed within a pinion. The shifter subassembly is utilized to manually (e.g., by a rider) or automatically (e.g., via sensors and computer controls) select a gear combination representing a bicycle speed ratio from a plurality of gear ratio combinations of the first set of gears and the second set of gears. In some embodiments, the first set of gears and the second set of gears each include three gears, for a total of nine combinations (e.g., resulting in a nine-speed electric bicycle).

[0008] In certain embodiments, a mid-mounted motor assembly includes a housing subassembly, a crankshaft subassembly, a motor subassembly, a sensor-drive subassembly, and a transmission subassembly. The crankshaft subassembly and the motor subassembly are operable to output power to the transmission subassembly, which combines the output power and transmits it to a belt. The sensor-drive subassembly monitors power input from the rider and power output from the motor. The sensor-drive subassembly also controls power output from the motor (e.g., by controlling the motor's speed and / or torque supplied by the motor) for combination with the power output from the crankshaft via the transmission subassembly.

[0009] In additional embodiments, one or more of the housing subassembly, crankshaft subassembly, motor subassembly, sensor drive subassembly, and transmission subassembly are primary subassemblies, each of which includes additional subassemblies for selected aspects of the primary subassembly. For example, the motor subassembly may include a motor, a motor planetary gearset, and a ring shaft subassembly. The combination of the motor planetary gearset and the ring shaft subassembly converts the high-speed, low-torque motor output to match the low-speed, high-torque input of the crankshaft power output before providing the motor's power output to the transmission subassembly.

[0010] By way of another embodiment, a transmission subassembly may include a shifter subassembly, a gearbox assembly, and a belt drive subassembly. The shifter subassembly includes a camshaft and a needle shaft operable to rotate together or independently of each other. The camshaft causes a needle to extend from the needle shaft to engage a gear of the gearbox assembly to establish a gear combination or bicycle speed. In some examples, when the camshaft and needle shaft are interlocked, power is supplied through the transmission subassembly. In additional examples, when the camshaft is unlocked and configured to rotate independently of the needle shaft, the gear combination can be changed to adjust the bicycle speed ratio.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention provides a shifter subassembly for a transmission subassembly of a vehicle. The shifter subassembly includes a layshaft subassembly. The layshaft subassembly includes: a needle shaft having a plurality of needle holes; a plurality of needles, wherein each of the plurality of needles is positioned within a respective one of the plurality of needle holes; and a camshaft inserted into a cavity defined within the needle shaft, wherein the camshaft and the needle shaft are coaxial. The camshaft is configured to rotate relative to the needle shaft between a first angular position and a second angular position. The camshaft includes a plurality of camshaft surfaces that selectively engage the plurality of needles to selectively extend the plurality of needles radially outward from the needle shaft. When the camshaft is in the first angular position relative to the needle shaft, a first needle assembly of the plurality of needles selectively extends radially outward from the needle shaft to engage a first transmission gear assembly of the transmission subassembly corresponding to a first speed ratio. When the camshaft is in the second angular position relative to the needle shaft, a second needle assembly of the plurality of needles selectively extends radially outward from the needle shaft to engage a second transmission gear assembly of the transmission subassembly corresponding to a second speed ratio. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the vehicle is an electric bicycle.

[0012] In one embodiment, the shifter subassembly may include, optionally, wherein each needle of the plurality of needles is retained within the respective needle hole of the plurality of needle holes by a needle spring.

[0013] In one embodiment, the shifter subassembly may include one or more of the previous embodiments and, optionally, a latch subassembly. The latch subassembly includes: a plunger positioned within a latch cavity defined within the camshaft, wherein the plunger is operable to engage the needle shaft; and a spring positioned within the latch cavity, wherein the spring is operable to maintain the plunger in contact with the needle shaft.

[0014] Rotation of the cam shaft between the first angular position and the second angular position causes the plunger to disengage from a first radially mating hole in the needle shaft and engage with a second radially mating hole in the needle shaft.

[0015] In one embodiment, the shifter subassembly may include one or more of the previous embodiments, and optionally wherein the latch subassembly further includes a preload screw (or preloaded screw) that sets the plunger at a predetermined depth within the latch cavity to provide a predetermined load for engaging the first radially mating hole with the plunger.

[0016] In one embodiment, the shifter subassembly may include one or more of the previous embodiments and, optionally, a shifter planetary gear set. The shifter planetary gear set includes: a needle planetary set comprising a needle ring, a plurality of needle planetary gears, and a needle sun gear, wherein the needle planetary set engages the needle shaft; a cam planetary set comprising a cam ring, a plurality of cam planetary gears, and a cam sun gear, wherein the cam planetary set engages the cam shaft; and a common carrier, wherein the plurality of cam planetary gears and the plurality of needle planetary gears are coupled to the common carrier.

[0017] In one embodiment, the shifter subassembly may include one or more of the previous embodiments, and optionally wherein the cam planetary set may be actuated via a servo mechanism to rotate the cam ring via a worm shaft, wherein rotation of the cam ring rotates the camshaft between the first angular position and the second angular position.

[0018] In one embodiment, the shifter subassembly may include one or more of the previous embodiments and, optionally, a synchronizer subassembly. The synchronizer subassembly includes: a synchronizer spring shaft positioned in a synchronizer cavity defined within the camshaft, wherein the cam sun gear is operable to engage the synchronizer spring shaft and provide energy through the synchronizer spring shaft to rotate the camshaft between the first angular position and the second angular position; and a synchronizer spring positioned in the synchronizer cavity, wherein the synchronizer spring is operable to store energy provided to the synchronizer spring shaft.

[0019] Another aspect of the present invention provides a transmission subassembly for a vehicle. The transmission subassembly includes a gearbox assembly. The gearbox assembly includes a plurality of overspeed gears operable to engage a compound cooperating gear and receive a power output from the compound cooperating gear. The gearbox assembly includes a plurality of indexing gears operable to receive power from the plurality of overspeed gears. The plurality of indexing gears are operable to engage an output compound gear and provide a modified power output to the output compound gear. A first transmission gear combination for modifying the power output includes a first overspeed gear from the plurality of overspeed gears corresponding to a first speed ratio and a first indexing gear from the plurality of indexing gears. A second transmission gear combination for modifying the power output includes the first overspeed gear from the plurality of overspeed gears corresponding to a second speed ratio and a second indexing gear from the plurality of indexing gears. The transmission subassembly includes a shifter subassembly comprising a countershaft subassembly, wherein the plurality of step-up gears and the plurality of indexing gears each include an aperture operable to receive the countershaft subassembly such that the countershaft subassembly, the plurality of step-up gears, and the plurality of indexing gears are coaxial. The countershaft subassembly engages the plurality of step-up gears and the plurality of indexing gears to shift the gearbox assembly between the first transmission gear assembly and the second transmission gear assembly. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the transmission subassembly is used in a mid-mounted motor assembly of the vehicle. In additional non-limiting embodiments, the vehicle is an electric bicycle.

[0020] In a specific example, the transmission subassembly may include, optionally, the layshaft subassembly includes: a needle shaft having a plurality of needle holes; a plurality of needles, wherein each of the plurality of needles is positioned within a respective one of the plurality of needle holes; and a camshaft inserted into a cavity defined within a needle shaft, wherein the camshaft and the needle shaft are coaxial. The camshaft is configured to rotate relative to the needle shaft between a first angular position and a second angular position. The camshaft includes a plurality of camshaft surfaces that selectively engage the plurality of needles to selectively extend the plurality of needles radially outward from the needle shaft. When the camshaft is in a first angular position relative to the needle shaft, a first needle assembly of the plurality of needles selectively extends radially outward from the needle shaft to engage the first transmission gear assembly. When the cam shaft is in a second angular position relative to the needle shaft, a second needle assembly of the plurality of needles selectively extends radially outward from the needle shaft to engage the second transmission gear assembly.

[0021] In one embodiment, the transmission subassembly may include one or more of the previous embodiments and, optionally, a belt drive subassembly. The belt drive subassembly includes a shaft carrier operable to engage the output compound gear and a belt drive sprocket coupled to the shaft carrier. The shaft carrier transmits the modified power output to the belt drive sprocket. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the belt drive sprocket drives a belt. In additional non-limiting embodiments, the belt drive sprocket drives a belt to another belt drive sprocket operable to engage a hub. In further non-limiting embodiments, the belt drive sprocket drives a belt coupled to a hub.

[0022] In one embodiment, the axial injection frame is coupled to a separately manufactured component of the belt drive sprocket so that the belt drive sprocket is interchangeable on the axial injection frame.

[0023] Another aspect of the present invention provides a mid-mount motor kit for an electric bicycle. The mid-mount motor kit includes a crankshaft subassembly. The mid-mount motor kit includes a motor subassembly. The mid-mount motor kit includes a sensor-drive subassembly operable to receive a first power output from the crankshaft subassembly and a second power output from the motor subassembly. The sensor-drive subassembly is further operable to combine the first power output and the second power output into a combined power output. The mid-mount motor kit includes a transmission subassembly operable to receive the combined power output from the sensor-drive subassembly. The transmission subassembly is further operable to modify the combined power output to form a modified combined power output. The transmission subassembly is further operable to provide the modified combined power output to a belt of the electric bicycle, to a belt coupled to a belt-drive sprocket operable to engage a wheel hub of the electric bicycle, or to a belt coupled to a wheel hub of the electric bicycle. The transmission subassembly includes a gearbox assembly including a plurality of transmission gears, wherein a first transmission gear combination among the plurality of transmission gears corresponds to a first speed ratio of the electric bicycle, and a second transmission gear combination among the plurality of transmission gears corresponds to a second speed ratio of the electric bicycle. The transmission subassembly includes a shifter subassembly including a countershaft subassembly, the countershaft subassembly being inserted into the plurality of transmission gears such that the countershaft subassembly and the plurality of transmission gears are coaxial, wherein the countershaft subassembly selectively engages the plurality of transmission gears to shift the transmission subassembly between the first transmission gear combination and the second transmission gear combination.

[0024] In one embodiment, the mid-mounted motor assembly may include, optionally, the crankshaft subassembly comprising: a crankshaft including a spline; and a clutch mounted on the spline. When the crankshaft rotates in the first direction, the clutch transmits power from the crankshaft to the sensor drive subassembly.

[0025] In a specific example, the mid-mounted motor kit may include one or more of the previous specific examples, and optionally wherein the motor sub-assembly includes: a motor comprising a motor gear; a motor planetary gear set comprising at least one set of planetary gears and a planetary ring gear, wherein the at least one set of planetary gears is operable to transfer power from the motor gear to the planetary ring gear; and a ring shaft sub-assembly comprising a ratchet gear, wherein the planetary ring gear is coupled to the ring shaft sub-assembly, and wherein when the ratchet gear rotates in a first direction, the ratchet gear transfers the power from the planetary ring gear to the sensor drive sub-assembly.

[0026] In one embodiment, the mid-mounted motor assembly may include one or more of the preceding embodiments, and optionally wherein the sensor drive subassembly includes: a ratchet operatively engaged with the crankshaft subassembly and receiving the first power output from the crankshaft subassembly; and a compound cooperating gear. The compound cooperating gear includes: a spur gear operatively engaged with the motor subassembly and receiving the second power output from the motor subassembly; and a plurality of compound gears operatively engaged with the gearbox assembly, wherein the compound cooperating gear is operative to combine the first power output and the second power output into the combined power output and provide the combined power output to the gearbox assembly.

[0027] In one embodiment, the mid-mounted motor assembly may include one or more of the previous embodiments and, optionally, may further include a sensor subassembly operable to acquire data on at least one of the speed and torque of the ratchet, the sensor subassembly additionally operable to acquire data on at least one of the speed and torque of the compound cooperating gear. The data acquired by the sensor subassembly is provided to a controller of the mid-mounted motor assembly to adjust the second power output from the motor subassembly.

[0028] In one embodiment, the mid-mounted motor kit may include one or more of the previous embodiments, and optionally wherein the layshaft subassembly includes: a needle shaft having a plurality of needle holes; a plurality of needles, wherein each needle of the plurality of needles is positioned within a respective one of the plurality of needle holes; and a cam shaft inserted into a cavity defined within a needle shaft, wherein the cam shaft and the needle shaft are coaxial; wherein the cam shaft is configured to rotate relative to the needle shaft between a first angular position and a second angular position, wherein the cam shaft includes a plurality of cams a shaft surface, the plurality of camshaft surfaces selectively engaging the plurality of needles to selectively extend the plurality of needles radially outward from the needle shaft, wherein when the camshaft is in a first angular position relative to the needle shaft, a first needle combination of the plurality of needles selectively extends radially outward from the needle shaft to engage the first transmission gear combination, and wherein when the camshaft is in a second angular position relative to the needle shaft, a second needle combination of the plurality of needles selectively extends radially outward from the needle shaft to engage the second transmission gear combination.

[0029] In one embodiment, the mid-mounted motor assembly may include one or more of the preceding embodiments, and optionally wherein the plurality of transmission gears include a plurality of step-up gears operable to engage a compound cooperating gear of the sensor drive subassembly and receive the combined power output from the sensor drive subassembly; and a plurality of indexing gears operable to engage an output compound gear of a belt drive subassembly and operable to provide the modified combined power to the belt via the output compound gear, wherein the first transmission gear combination modifies the combined power output and includes a first step-up gear of the plurality of step-up gears and a first indexing gear of the plurality of indexing gears corresponding to the first speed ratio of the electric bicycle. The second transmission gear combination modifies the combined power output and includes the first step-up gear of the plurality of step-up gears and a second indexing gear of the plurality of indexing gears corresponding to the second speed ratio of the electric bicycle.

[0030] In one embodiment, the mid-mounted motor kit may include one or more of the previous embodiments, and optionally wherein at least some of the components of the crankshaft subassembly, the motor subassembly, the sensor drive subassembly and the transmission subassembly are housed in a housing subassembly, and wherein the housing subassembly includes a motor-side housing and a sprocket-side housing.

[0031] In one embodiment, the housing subassembly includes a motor-side housing and a sprocket-side housing.

[0032] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for propelling a vehicle. The method may include, but is not limited to, receiving a first power output from a crankshaft subassembly. The method may include, but is not limited to, receiving a second power output from a motor subassembly. The method may include, but is not limited to, combining the first power output and the second power output via a sensor-driven subassembly to form a combined power output. The method may include, but is not limited to, receiving the combined power output via a transmission subassembly. The method may include, but is not limited to, modifying the combined power output via a first transmission gear combination corresponding to a first speed ratio to form a modified power output, wherein the first transmission gear combination includes a first overspeed gear from a plurality of overspeed gears and a first index gear from a plurality of index gears, and wherein the first transmission gear combination is selected via a shifter subassembly including a countershaft subassembly inserted within the plurality of overspeed gears and the plurality of index gears such that the countershaft subassembly, the plurality of overspeed gears, and the plurality of index gears are coaxial. The method may include, but is not limited to, providing the modified power output to a belt. The method may include, but is not limited to, providing the modified power output to a belt drive sprocket operable to engage a wheel hub. The method may include, but is not limited to, providing the modified power output to a belt coupled to a wheel hub. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the vehicle is an electric bicycle.

[0033] The method may include optionally actuating the layshaft subassembly to shift the transmission subassembly between the first transmission gear combination and a second transmission gear combination corresponding to a second speed ratio. The layshaft subassembly includes: a needle shaft having a plurality of needle apertures; a plurality of needles, wherein each needle of the plurality of needles is positioned within a respective needle aperture of the plurality of needle apertures; and a camshaft inserted into a cavity defined within the needle shaft, wherein the camshaft and the needle shaft are coaxial. The camshaft is configured to rotate relative to the needle shaft between a first angular position and a second angular position. The camshaft includes a plurality of camshaft surfaces that selectively engage the plurality of needles to selectively extend the plurality of needles radially outward from the needle shaft. When the camshaft is in a first angular position relative to the needle shaft, a first needle assembly of the plurality of needles selectively extends radially outward from the needle shaft to engage the first transmission gear combination. When the cam shaft is in a second angular position relative to the needle shaft, a second needle assembly of the plurality of needles selectively extends radially outward from the needle shaft to engage the second transmission gear assembly.

[0034] As used herein, the phrases "at least one," "one or more," and "and / or" are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctions and non-conjunctions in operation. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A, B, and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, or C," and "A, B, and / or C" means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together.

[0035] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, sizes, conditions, and the like used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about."

[0036] As used herein, the term "a" or "an" entity refers to one or more of that entity. Thus, the terms "a" or "an," "one or more," and "at least one" may be used interchangeably herein.

[0037] The use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items. Accordingly, the terms "including," "comprising," or "having," and variations thereof, may be used interchangeably herein. The use of "engages with" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass any direct or indirect connection between components.

[0038] It should be understood that the term "device," as used herein, is to be given its broadest possible interpretation pursuant to 35 USC § 112(f). Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term "device" should cover all structures, materials, or acts described herein and all equivalents thereof. Furthermore, structures, materials, or acts and their equivalents should include all those described in the Summary, Brief Description of the Figures, Examples, Abstract, and the claims themselves.

[0039] These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of the invention contained herein. The embodiments, objects, and configurations described above are neither complete nor exhaustive. This Summary is neither intended nor should be construed as representing the full scope and range of the invention. Furthermore, references herein to "the present invention" or its aspects should be understood to refer to certain embodiments of the invention and are not necessarily to be construed as limiting all embodiments to a particular description. The invention is set forth in various levels of detail in the Summary, the accompanying drawings, and the detailed description, and the inclusion or exclusion of elements, components, etc. in this Summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Additional aspects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description, particularly when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0040] It should be understood that any feature or aspect described herein may be claimed in combination with any other feature or aspect as described herein, regardless of whether such features or aspects are from the same described embodiment.

[0041] Any one or more aspects described herein may be combined with any other one or more aspects described herein. Any one or more features described herein may be combined with any other one or more features described herein. Any one or more embodiments described herein may be combined with any other one or more embodiments described herein. Simple diagram description

[0042] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the following description is merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention, which can be applied in various ways to provide many different alternative embodiments. This description is intended to illustrate the general principles of the present invention and is not intended to limit the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

[0043] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments and, together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the accompanying drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0044] FIG1A illustrates a first perspective view of a mid-mount motor assembly comprising a housing subassembly, a crankshaft subassembly, a motor subassembly, a sensor drive subassembly, and a transmission subassembly according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 1B illustrates a second perspective view of one of the intermediate motor kits in Figure 1A; Figure 1C illustrates a third perspective view of one of the intermediate motor kits in Figure 1A; Figure 1D illustrates a fourth perspective view of one of the intermediate motor kits in Figure 1A; Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of a housing subassembly of the mid-motor kit of Figure 1A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3A illustrates a perspective view of a crankshaft subassembly of the central motor kit of Figure 1A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3B illustrates a cross-sectional view of one of the crankshaft subassemblies of Figure 3A; Figure 4A illustrates a first perspective view of a motor, a motor planetary gear set and a ring shaft subassembly of the motor subassembly of the mid-motor kit of Figure 1A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 4B illustrates a second perspective view of the motor subassembly of Figure 4A; Figure 4C illustrates a perspective view of the motor of the motor subassembly of Figure 4A; Figure 4D illustrates a perspective view of a motor side housing of the housing subassembly of Figure 2 having components of the motor subassembly of Figure 4A; Figure 4E illustrates a perspective view of the motor planetary gear set of the motor subassembly of Figure 4D; Figure 4F illustrates a first perspective view of the ring shaft subassembly of the motor subassembly of Figure 4A; Figure 4G illustrates a second perspective view of the ring shaft subassembly of Figure 4F; Figure 4H illustrates a perspective view of the motor planetary gear set and the ring shaft subassembly of the motor subassembly of Figure 4A; Figure 5A illustrates a perspective view of a sensor drive subassembly of the central motor kit of Figure 1A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 5B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the sensor drive subassembly of Figure 5A; Figure 5C illustrates a perspective view of one sensor subassembly of the sensor drive subassembly of Figure 5A; Figure 5D illustrates a cross-sectional view of one of the sensor subassemblies of Figure 5C; Figure 5E illustrates a perspective view of a portion of the sensor drive subassembly of Figure 5A and a portion of the motor subassembly of Figure 4A; Figure 5F illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of the sensor drive subassembly and the motor subassembly of Figure 5E; Figure 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a kit subassembly including the crankshaft subassembly of Figure 3A and the sensor drive subassembly of Figure 5A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 6B illustrates an enlarged portion of a cross-sectional view of Figure 6A; Figure 6C illustrates a perspective view of the kit subassembly of Figure 6A; Figure 6D illustrates a cross-sectional view of one of the subassemblies of the kit of Figure 6C; Figure 7A illustrates a first perspective view of a shifter subassembly, a gear box assembly, and a belt drive subassembly of the transmission subassembly of the mid-motor kit of Figure 1A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 7B illustrates a second perspective view of one of the transmission subassemblies of Figure 7A; Figure 7C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transmission subassembly of Figure 7A; Figure 7D illustrates a cross-sectional view of a countershaft subassembly, a latch subassembly and a synchronizer subassembly of the shifter subassembly of Figure 7A; Figure 7E illustrates a perspective view of one of the shifter planetary gear sets of the shifter subassembly of Figure 7A; Figure 7F illustrates a perspective view of the countershaft subassembly of the transmission subassembly of Figure 7D; Figure 7G illustrates a first cross-sectional view of the secondary shaft subassembly of Figure 7F; Figure 7H illustrates a second cross-sectional view of the secondary shaft subassembly of Figure 7F; Figure 7I illustrates a cross-sectional view of the secondary shaft subassembly and the latch subassembly of Figure 7D; Figure 7J illustrates a cross-sectional view of the shifter subassembly of FIG. 7D, the countershaft subassembly, the latch subassembly and the synchronizer subassembly; Figure 7K illustrates the shifter subassembly of Figure 7D; Figure 7L illustrates a first cross-sectional view of one of the shifter subassemblies of Figure 7K; Figure 7M illustrates a second cross-sectional view of one of the shifter subassemblies of Figure 7K; Figure 7N illustrates a third cross-sectional view of one of the shifter subassemblies of Figure 7K; Figure 7O illustrates a partial perspective view of a variation of the shifter subassembly of Figure 7K; Figure 7P illustrates a cross-sectional view of one of the shifter subassemblies of Figure 7O; Figure 7Q illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transmission subassembly of Figure 7A; Figure 7R illustrates a perspective view of one belt drive subassembly of the transmission subassembly of Figure 7A; Figure 7S illustrates a cross-sectional view of a belt drive subassembly of Figure 7R; Figure 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one of the intermediate motor kits of Figure 1A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 9 illustrates a flowchart of a method or procedure for operating the mid-motor kit of Figure 1A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; FIG10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a central motor assembly of FIG1A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, wherein arrows indicate operating steps; Figure 11A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of the shifter subassembly of the gear box assembly having the transmission subassembly of Figure 7A according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 11B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a countershaft subassembly of the shifter subassembly of Figure 11A; Figure 11C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a first portion of a transmission subassembly of Figure 11A; Figure 11D illustrates a cross-sectional view of a second portion of the transmission subassembly of Figure 11A; Figure 11E illustrates an enlarged segment of the first portion of the transmission subassembly of Figure 11A; Figure 11F illustrates a different variation of an enlarged segment of the first portion of the transmission subassembly of Figure 11A; Figure 11G illustrates a cross-sectional view of a third portion of the transmission subassembly of Figure 11A; Figure 11H illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transmission subassembly of FIG. 11A of the shifter subassembly; Figure 11I illustrates a cross-sectional view of a fourth portion of the transmission subassembly of FIG. 11A; FIG11J illustrates a front view of a fifth portion of the transmission subassembly of FIG11A; and FIG. 11K illustrates a fifth portion of the transmission subassembly of FIG. 11J within the housing subassembly.

[0045] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that various dimensions may be modified. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for understanding the present invention or that obscure other details may have been omitted. Of course, it should be understood that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein. Implementation Method

[0046] Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of one of many different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of such description is defined by the wording of the claims set forth at the end of this disclosure. The detailed description should be construed as merely illustrative and does not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every possible embodiment of the power transmission (and the mid-motor in a combination mid-motor kit) would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments may be implemented using current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent and still fall within the scope of the claims. Additionally, any combination of features shown in the various figures may be used to form additional embodiments of the present invention. Thus, dimensions, aspects, and features of one embodiment of the power transmission may be combined with dimensions, aspects, and features of another embodiment of the power transmission to form a claimed embodiment.

[0047] Electric motors are very efficient and can quickly deliver high power in a small package, making them a useful addition to a bicycle. However, using an electric motor to add power assistance to a bicycle requires combining the power delivered by the electric motor with the power delivered by the rider (e.g., through the legs and arms). The traditional distinction between how these two types of power are delivered can pose a challenge when trying to add an electric motor to a bicycle.

[0048] By definition, power is the amount of energy transferred over time. For rotational motion, power is the product of angular velocity and torque, as provided in Equation 1: Equation 1 in System power, is the rotation speed, and The unit of torque is watt (W). Using the International System of Units (SI), the unit of rotational speed is radians per second (rad / s), the unit of torque is newton-meter (Nm), and the unit of power is watt (W).

[0049] Electric motors deliver power primarily in the form of rotational speed, not torque. Generally speaking, electric motors rotate at a few rpm and deliver only a few Nm or less of torque. For example, 10 Nm is considered a very high-torque electric motor. Human legs, on the other hand, rotate slowly but deliver high torque. For example, a typical comfortable cycling cadence (i.e., pedaling speed) might be between 50 and 70 rpm, with torque typically ranging from 10 to 40 Nm, but sometimes exceeding 100 Nm.

[0050] Therefore, to use an electric motor to assist human pedaling, the motor must add torque to the crankshaft rather than speed. For example, if the motor were to spin at thousands of rpm with relatively low torque, it would not assist the low-speed, high-torque propulsion generated by the human legs; instead, the pedals would spin too fast for the rider. Therefore, the motor's power must be converted from speed-driven to torque-driven, and the motor's speed must be reduced to the rider's cadence.

[0051] Generally speaking, embodiments of the present invention relate to a mid-mounted motor kit including a power transmission for an electric bicycle. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a mid-mounted motor kit including a power transmission configured to combine a crankshaft output generated from an applied torque with a power output from a mid-mounted motor to drive a belt connected to a rear wheel. The mid-mounted motor kit takes power delivered by the motor and converts the power from speed-dominant to torque-dominant, reducing the motor speed to the rider's cadence.

[0052] Embodiments of the present invention also relate to a mid-motor assembly including a transmission subassembly that receives combined power, modifies the combined power based on a gear ratio between a selected transmission gear combination, and outputs the modified power to a belt drive assembly. Shifting the transmission subassembly to change gear combinations includes a set of cams controlled manually or automatically by a controller, wherein the cams are inserted into the transmission subassembly such that the transmission gears rotate about the cams and are configured to interface with the cams.

[0053] FIG1A-1D generally illustrate a mid-motor assembly 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Mid-motor assembly 100 includes a housing subassembly 102, a crankshaft subassembly 104, a motor subassembly 106, a sensor drive subassembly 108, and a transmission subassembly 110. Mid-motor assembly 100 is configured to couple to a belt 112 (or other power transmission device), wherein belt 112 is connected to a rear wheel hub of an electric bicycle (not shown).

[0054] Reference will be made herein in further detail to each of the subassemblies 102, 104, 106, 108, 110. Additionally, any and / or all of the subassemblies 102, 104, 106, 108, 110 may include other subassemblies as further detailed herein, each of which is considered a subassembly of the mid-motor kit 100.

[0055] In some embodiments, the motor subassembly 106 is positioned within the housing subassembly 102, as generally illustrated by the broken-line box, at least proximate to components of the transmission subassembly 110, as described in further detail herein. Additionally, in some embodiments, the sensor drive subassembly 108 is positioned within the housing subassembly 102, as generally illustrated by the broken-line box, at least proximate to components of the crankshaft subassembly 104, as described in further detail herein.

[0056] 1A and 1B illustrate the crank arm 132 of the crankshaft subassembly 104 and a crank frame sprocket bracket 328 and a belt drive sprocket 332 of a belt drive subassembly 230 of the transmission subassembly 110. In FIG1C and 1D , the belt 112 is illustrated engaging the belt drive sprocket 332, with the crank arm 132 of the crankshaft subassembly 104 removed to illustrate a crankshaft 122 for clarity purposes only and not intended to limit the present invention.

[0057] FIG2 illustrates a housing subassembly 102 of a mid-motor assembly 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, the housing subassembly 102 is constructed from multiple housing segments. For example, the housing subassembly 102 may include, but is not limited to, a motor-side housing 114 and a sprocket-side housing 116. Components of the subassemblies 104, 106, 108, and 110 may be completely positioned within the housings 114 and 116, at least partially embedded within or extending outwardly from the housings 114 and 116, or completely positioned external to the housings 114 and 116.

[0058] However, it should be noted herein that the housing subassembly 102 can be manufactured to have a single or unitary construction without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the housing subassembly can be manufactured so that components can be inserted from the exterior surface and (for example, if sealing is necessary for lubrication, preventing particle accumulation, or the like) provide self-sealing features against the housing subassembly 102 (for example, embedded seals, seals positioned between the components and the housing subassembly 102 during installation, or the like). By way of another embodiment, the housing subassembly may not be sealed, such as where the various subassemblies 104, 106, 108, 110 are independent and internally sealed (for example, if sealing is necessary for lubrication, preventing particle accumulation, or the like), but may have grooves or channels leading to cavities into which the various components of the other subassemblies 104, 106, 108, 110 can be installed during manufacturing and assembly.

[0059] In one non-limiting embodiment, the housing subassembly 102 may include, but is not limited to, a shifter planetary cover 118. For example, the shifter planetary cover 118 may be within the sprocket side housing 116. For example, the shifter planetary cover 118 may provide access to the transmission subassembly 110 without removing the mid-motor kit 100 from the electric bicycle.

[0060] In another non-limiting embodiment, the housing subassembly 102 may include, but is not limited to, a drain plug 120. For example, the drain plug 120 may be in the sprocket side housing 116. The drain plug 120 may allow the gear fluid within the transmission subassembly 110 to be changed without removing the mid-motor kit 100 from the electric bicycle.

[0061] 3A and 3B generally illustrate a crankshaft subassembly 104 of a mid-motor assembly 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0062] The crankshaft subassembly 104 includes a crankshaft 122. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the length of the crankshaft 122 is smooth and includes a crankshaft spline 124. For example, a crankshaft clutch 126 can be positioned on the crankshaft 122 at the crankshaft spline 124 and retained thereon by a crankshaft clutch spacer 128 and a retaining ring 130. For example, the crankshaft clutch 126 can be a one-way clutch such that the clutch 126 transfers rotational energy from the crankshaft 122 to the transmission subassembly 110 only when the crankshaft 122 is rotated in a particular direction (e.g., via other intermediate components, as described in further detail herein). In some embodiments, an additional retaining ring 130 can be used to retain the sensor drive subassembly 108 (not shown) to the crankshaft subassembly 104.

[0063] The crank axle subassembly 104 includes a crank arm 132. For example, the crank arm 132 can be secured to the crank axle 122 via crank arm hardware 134 (e.g., fasteners, an interlocking assembly, and the like). By way of another embodiment, the crank arm 132 can be secured to the crank axle 122 via a complementary component of an interlocking assembly that is integral with the crank axle 122 and the crank arm 132, making additional crank arm hardware 134 unnecessary. It should be noted that the pedals can be coupled to the crank arm 132, but are not shown for clarity.

[0064] In additional embodiments, one or more of the crank arms 132 may be fabricated as a single-piece crank unit along with the crank axle 122. For example, various components of the crank axle subassembly 104, motor subassembly 106, sensor drive subassembly 108, and / or transmission subassembly 110 may be configured to receive a crank axle that has been cast together with one of the crank arms 132. By way of another embodiment, various components of the crank axle subassembly 104, motor subassembly 106, sensor drive subassembly 108, and / or transmission subassembly 110 may be configured to receive a crank axle that has been cast together with two crank arms 132, similar to an American or Ashtabula one-piece crank.

[0065] 4A-4H generally illustrate a motor subassembly 106 of a mid-mount motor assembly 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated at least in FIG4A and 4B , the motor subassembly 106 includes additional subassemblies of a motor 136, a motor planetary gear set 138, and a ring shaft subassembly 140, each of which is additionally considered a subassembly of the mid-mount motor assembly 100. For example, the subassemblies 136, 138, 140 can be mounted within or on the motor-side housing 114 of the housing subassembly 102. For example, the motor planetary gear set 138 and the ring-shaft subassembly 140 may mate (e.g., via meshing teeth, as described in further detail herein) and may be mounted in a cavity on a first side of the motor-side housing 114, and the motor 136 may be coupled (e.g., fastened, connected via an interlocking assembly, or the like) to a second side of the motor-side housing 114 such that at least a portion of the motor 136 may pass through the motor-side housing 114 to engage the motor planetary gear set 138. It should be noted that the motor 136 is not shown in FIG. 4B for purposes of clarity only, and this removal is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

[0066] 4C , the motor 136 includes a motor housing 142 that can be coupled to the motor-side housing 114 via motor hardware 144. The motor 136 also includes one or more power lines 146 and / or one or more data lines 148. For example, the one or more data lines 148 can be utilized to transmit sensor data from the motor 136 and / or provide instructions from a controller of the electric bicycle to the motor 136 (e.g., as illustrated in FIG5E and FIG5F ).

[0067] In some embodiments, the power line 146 and / or the data line 148 can be coupled to the motor 136 via any electrical connector known in the art. For example, the electrical connector can include, but is not limited to, a ring connector, a spade connector, a multi-pin connector, and the like having corresponding components that couple to the motor 136. Although the power line 146 and the data line 148 are illustrated as separate lines, it should be noted that the power line 146 and the data line 148 can be combined lines between the motor 136 and the controller of the electric bicycle without departing from the scope of the present invention (e.g., where a common connector is routed from the motor subassembly 106 to a mating connector on a wire that communicates with the controller, or alternatively routed directly to a mating socket or port on the controller).

[0068] The motor 136 includes a motor shaft 150 having a motor gear 152. For example, the motor gear 152 may be located at a distal end of the motor shaft 150 and may be integral with or coupled to the motor shaft 150. Alternatively, the motor gear 152 may be integrated into the motor shaft 150 such that the motor shaft 150 includes a spline. It should be noted that the motor 136 may be a standard electric bicycle motor or may be custom-modified for a specific application, depending on the configuration of the mid-motor kit 100.

[0069] Referring now to Figures 4D and 4E , the motor planetary gearset 138 is constructed into a first surface cavity 154 defined within a first side of the motor-side housing 114. Bearings 156 are positioned (e.g., pressed or secured via additional bearing brackets) into recesses within the first surface cavity 154. A plurality of outer planetary gears 158 and inner planetary gears 160 are centered around a motor shaft aperture 162. For example, bearing 156 can be configured to receive a bearing pin 164 for an outer planetary gear 158 or an inner planetary gear 160. It should be noted that the gears 158 and 160 can be pressed onto respective bearing pins 164, or coupled via a retaining ring or other hardware, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0070] Although not shown in FIG4E , the motor shaft aperture 162 is operable to receive the motor shaft 150 so that the motor gear 152 is positioned to mate with (engage with) the plurality of inner planetary gears 160. This creates a load distribution between the motor 136 and the ring-shaft subassembly 140 via the plurality of inner planetary gears 160 and the plurality of outer planetary gears 158 of the motor planetary gear set 138.

[0071] Generally speaking, a planetary gear set operates by designating one component (sun gear, carrier, or ring gear) as the input, one component as the output, and one component as the reaction component that facilitates power transfer between the input and output. In this application, motor gear 152 is the input or sun gear, planet gears 158 and 160 are reaction components within a fixed carrier, and ring gear 166 is the output. Note that for packaging reasons, two sets of planet gears 158 and 160 are utilized on the same carrier. This reduces the speed according to the ratio in Equation 2: Equation 2

[0072] In Equation 2, The ratio of speed reduction, is the number of teeth on the ring gear, and = is the number of teeth on the sun gear. In the configuration of this embodiment of the present invention, the output direction of the speed ratio is positive and does not include a negative sign. However, it should be noted that if the ring gear rotates in the opposite direction to the sun gear, a negative sign will be included.

[0073] The inclusion of a motor planetary gearset 138 and a ratchet gear 176 (as further described herein) allows the speed and torque of motor 136 to be in the same order as the rider's speed and torque. In this way, motor 136 provides electric power assistance comfortably and efficiently. While this may be sufficient for an electric motorcycle or electric bicycle with a throttle, a pedal-assisted bicycle must substantially or completely match the rider's exact cadence. To assist in this, a speed sensor and / or controller may be included to ensure that motor 136 rotates at the correct speed. Otherwise, there is a risk of delivering excessive torque, which, when combined with the rider's torque, could damage components. To prevent this, a device for sensing the rider's input torque may be included. It should be noted that one way to measure both speed and torque is to use a magnet, a sensor (e.g., a Hall effect sensor or another sensor), and / or a flexible element between the input end of crankshaft 122 and compound spur gear 184.

[0074] Referring now to Figures 4F-4H, the ring-shaft subassembly 140 is illustrated along with the positioning of the motor planetary gearset 138 relative to the ring-shaft subassembly 140. The combination of the motor planetary gearset 138 and the ring-shaft subassembly 140 converts the high-speed, low-torque motor output to match the low-speed, high-torque input from the rider through mechanical gearing. Specifically, the present invention achieves this using the motor planetary gearset 138 coupled to the motor 136, which passes through the ring-shaft subassembly 140.

[0075] The motor planetary gearset 138 includes a planetary ring gear 166. In some embodiments, the planetary ring gear 166 is coupled to a first side of a ring shaft 168 of the ring shaft subassembly 140. For example, the planetary ring gear 166 may be pressed against a lip of the ring shaft 168, pressed into a groove of the ring shaft, or coupled via a retaining ring or other hardware without departing from the scope of the present invention. In another embodiment, the planetary ring gear 166 may be integrally formed with the ring shaft 168. It should be noted that for the purposes of the present invention, the planetary ring gear 166 may additionally or alternatively be considered a component of the ring shaft subassembly 140.

[0076] The ring-shaft subassembly 140 includes a plurality of pawls 170 and corresponding pawl springs 172 positioned within respective pawl and spring slots 174. A ratchet gear 176 is positioned proximate to the plurality of pawls 170. The combination of the plurality of pawls 170 and the ratchet gear 176 prevents the ring-shaft subassembly 140 (and the motor planetary gearset 138) from rotating in an undesired direction, thereby preventing the rider from driving the motor, making riding the bicycle more difficult, and potentially damaging the motor 136 and / or electrical components coupled to or communicating with the motor 136. In one non-limiting embodiment, a retaining ring 178 snaps into a groove in the ring-shaft 168 to secure the pawls 170 and springs 172.

[0077] In some embodiments, speed matching can be achieved by a one-way clutch (e.g., ratchet gear 176) between the motor 136 and the crankshaft 122. This one-way clutch prevents power transfer due to overspeeding if the motor 136 rotates too quickly. Alternatively, speed control can be achieved by adjusting the voltage supplied to the motor 136. Furthermore, torque control can be achieved by measuring the torque applied by the rider and adjusting the current supplied to the motor 136 accordingly.

[0078] 5A-5F generally illustrate a sensor drive subassembly 108 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. The sensor drive subassembly 108 is positioned proximate to the crankshaft subassembly 104 (not shown) and is configured to engage the crankshaft subassembly.

[0079] 5A and 5B , the sensor drive subassembly 108 includes a compound cooperating gear 180. The compound cooperating gear 180 includes a spur gear 182 configured to engage (e.g., via a toothed engagement) the ratchet gear 176 of the ring-shaft subassembly 140 (not shown). The compound cooperating gear 180 includes a set of compound spur gears 184. It should be noted that the spur gear 182 and the set of compound spur gears 184 can be fixed relative to each other as a single formed component, or can be separate components coupled together during manufacturing and assembly.

[0080] In some embodiments, the number of compound spur gears 184 is equal to the number of gears in a first set of transmission gears of the transmission subassembly 110 (not shown), as described in further detail herein. For example, where the transmission subassembly 110 includes three gears in the first set of transmission gears, the compound cooperating gear 180 includes three corresponding compound spur gears 184A, 184B, and 184C. In this regard, the rotation of the compound cooperating gear 180 is always transmitted to the transmission subassembly 110, regardless of which gear in the first set of transmission gears is selected (e.g., manually by a rider or automatically by a central controller).

[0081] The sensor drive subassembly 108 includes a bearing 186 and a ratchet 188. In some embodiments, both the bearing 186 and the ratchet 188 are configured to engage the crankshaft 122 of the crankshaft subassembly 104 (not shown). For example, the ratchet 188 may include teeth 189 that engage the crankshaft clutch 126 and a second portion that is inserted through the bearing 186.

[0082] In some embodiments, the ratchet 188 may be held in place by an axial retainer 190 or other hardware, or may be secured via an interference fit, without departing from the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that the axial retainer 190 may include a crankshaft aperture 191 to allow the crankshaft 122 (not shown) to pass through the composite cooperating gear 180 and the ratchet 188.

[0083] In an additional embodiment, a flexure element 192 (e.g., a torsion spring or the like) can be positioned between the compound cooperating gear 180 and the ratchet 188 during assembly. The flexure element 192 allows relative motion between the spur gear 182 and the ratchet 188 so that angular displacement can be measured by the sensor subassembly 196. The torque can be described as a function of the spring rate of the flexure element 192 and the measured displacement between the spur gear 182 and the ratchet 188.

[0084] In some embodiments, the compound cooperating gear 180 and / or the ratchet 188 include magnets 194. For example, the magnets 194 can be fully annular magnets or can be individual magnets arranged in a ring configuration without departing from the scope of the present invention. The magnets are configured to rotate with the compound cooperating gear 180 and / or the ratchet 188, respectively, and to be read by a sensor subassembly 196 of the sensor drive subassembly 108. For example, a magnet (or a group of magnets) 194A can correspond to the ratchet 188, and a magnet (or a group of magnets) 194B can correspond to the compound cooperating gear 180.

[0085] 5C and 5D, the sensor subassembly 196 includes a mounting bracket 198 and a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) 200.

[0086] In some embodiments, the sensor subassembly 196 includes at least one Hall sensor 202. The mounting bracket 198 positions the at least one Hall sensor 202 within the sensor subassembly 196 to sense the magnet 194 that rotates with the compound cooperating gear 180 and the ratchet 188. For example, the sensor subassembly 196 can include two Hall sensors 202, or a first Hall sensor 202A for the magnet 194A corresponding to the ratchet 188 and a second Hall sensor 202B for the magnet 194B corresponding to the compound cooperating gear 180.

[0087] Sensor data from the sensor PCB 200 can be transmitted to a controller of the electric bicycle via a combined power and data line 204 (as illustrated in Figures 5E and 5F). However, it should be noted that separate power and data lines can be coupled to the sensor PCB 200 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0088] In some embodiments, the combined power and data line 204 can be coupled to the controller via any electrical connector known in the art. For example, the electrical connector can include, but is not limited to, a ring connector, a spade connector, a multi-pin connector, and the like, with corresponding components that couple to the controller. Although the power and data line 204 is illustrated as a combined line (e.g., where a common connector is routed from the motor subassembly 106 to a mating connector on a wire that communicates with the controller, or alternatively routed directly to a mating receptacle or port on the controller), it should be noted that the combined power and data line 204 can be a single line between the sensor subassembly 196 and the controller of the electric bicycle without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0089] In some embodiments, as illustrated in Figures 5C and 5D , hardware 206 (e.g., fasteners, brackets, and the like) is used to couple the sensor PCB 200 to the mounting bracket 198. In some embodiments, as illustrated in Figures 5E and 5F , hardware 208 (e.g., fasteners, brackets, and the like) is used to couple the mounting bracket 198 to the motor-side housing 114. It should be noted that a seal 210 (e.g., an O-ring or the like) can be positioned between the mounting bracket 198 and the surface of the motor-side housing 114 to prevent gearbox fluid from escaping through a sensor aperture 212 within the motor-side housing 114 (e.g., as illustrated in Figure 4E ), through which a portion of the mounting bracket 198 (e.g., including the Hall sensor 202 or another sensor) is inserted.

[0090] Although the specific examples of the present invention are related to the Hall sensor 202 and the magnet 194, it should be understood that the sensor subassembly 196 (and generally, the sensor drive subassembly 108) may include different types of sensors and corresponding components to be sensed, and / or may be installed in different areas in the mid-motor kit 100 (and generally on the electric bicycle) without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0091] 5E and 5F illustrate portions of the motor subassembly 106 and portions of the sensor drive subassembly 108 within the motor-side housing 114. It should be noted that components of the sensor drive subassembly 108, such as the compound cooperating gear 180 and the ratchet 188, have been removed for purposes of clarity only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0092] In one embodiment, a controller 214 is located on the motor-side housing 114. For example, the controller 214 can be located on the motor-side housing 114 proximate to the motor 136, such that the power line 146 and / or the data line 148 from the motor 136 (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 4A ) are electrically coupled to the controller 214. By way of another embodiment, the controller 214 can be located so as to be communicatively coupled to the combined power and data line 204 from the sensor subassembly 196. However, it should be understood that the power line 146 and / or the data line 148 from the motor 136 and / or the combined power and data line 204 from the sensor subassembly 196 can alternatively be routed individually or through a common port or connector from the mid-motor kit 100 to a wire on the electric bicycle that communicates with a controller mounted elsewhere on the electric bicycle without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0093] The motor-side housing 114 includes a second surface cavity 216 (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 4E ) configured to receive the sensor drive subassembly 108, and a sensor aperture 212 through which a portion of the mounting bracket 198 (e.g., including the Hall sensor 202 or another sensor) is inserted. It should be noted that the first surface cavity 154 and the second surface cavity 216 can be a single cavity, overlapping cavities, or separate cavities without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0094] The controller 214 has a crankshaft aperture 218, and the motor-side housing 114 similarly includes a crankshaft aperture 220 (e.g., as illustrated in FIG4E ). It should be noted that one or both of the apertures 218, 220 may include a bearing for facilitating rotation of the crankshaft 122 (not shown) and / or a seal (e.g., an O-ring or the like) for preventing gearbox fluid from escaping through the apertures 218, 220. For example, a radial shaft seal 222 may be positioned within the aperture 220, which is configured to receive the crankshaft 122 (e.g., as illustrated in FIG6B and FIG6C ).

[0095] The controller 214 may include a processor and memory (e.g., a memory medium, a memory device, or the like). The processor may be configured to execute program instructions maintained on or stored in the memory. The processor of the one or more control units may execute any of a variety of methods or procedural steps necessary to operate the mid-mounted motor assembly 100, such as, but not limited to, one or more of the methods or procedural steps illustrated in FIG. 9 , as further described herein.

[0096] Controller 214 may include a user interface. For example, the user interface may be a separate device coupled (e.g., physically, electrically, communicatively, or the like) to another component of the electric bicycle (e.g., handlebars). By way of another embodiment, the user interface and controller 214 may be located within a common or shared housing. The user interface may include one or more displays, one or more user input devices, and / or one or more port connectors (e.g., for transmitting and / or receiving power and / or data, etc.). For example, the user interface may be operable to communicatively couple to a diagnostic tool.

[0097] The controller 214 may include one or more sensors coupled (e.g., physically, electrically, communicatively, or the like) to or integrated into the controller 214 and / or the mid-motor assembly 100. The one or more sensors may be operable to determine various operational, physical, and / or environmental parameters of the controller 214 and / or the mid-motor assembly 100; the environment surrounding the controller 214 and / or the mid-motor assembly 100; and the like.

[0098] The controller 214 may include one or more transmitters and / or receivers coupled (e.g., physically, electrically, communicatively, or the like) to or integrated into the controller 214 and / or the mid-motor kit 100. The one or more transmitters and / or receivers may be configured to transmit data to and / or receive data from the controller 214 and / or the mid-motor kit 100 (e.g., sensors installed within the controller 214 and / or the mid-motor kit 100), or coupled to other control units (e.g., additional controllers or the like) external to the electric bicycle (e.g., third-party diagnostic tools) via a wired or wireless connection, wherein the wired or wireless connection may be configured as a transmit (Tx) unit, a receive (Rx) unit, or a combined Tx / Rx unit.

[0099] The controller 214 can be configured to monitor the mid-motor assembly 100 via received and / or transmitted data. The controller 214 can also be configured to generate control signals based on the received and / or transmitted data to adjust one or more components of the mid-motor assembly 100 via a feedback loop or a feedforward loop. The controller 214 can be configured to receive and / or transmit data in a standardized format and / or a non-standardized format. If the data is in a non-standardized format, the data can be converted to a standardized format after receipt and / or before transmission to sensors, other control units, or the like.

[0100] The controller 214 may assist in controlling the motor 136. Additionally, the controller 214 may assist in shifting gears within the transmission subassembly 110, as described in further detail herein.

[0101] Figures 6A-6D illustrate the assembly of the sensor drive subassembly 108 to the crankshaft subassembly 104. Referring now to Figure 6A and the enlarged view in Figure 6B, the assembly of the crankshaft subassembly 104, the motor subassembly 106, and the sensor drive subassembly 108 may include one or more of the following steps. First, the sensor drive subassembly 108 is mounted on the crankshaft clutch 126 by sliding a crankshaft aperture 191 of the axial retainer 190 onto the crankshaft 122 until the teeth 189 of the ratchet 188 engage (e.g., mate) with the pawls of the crankshaft clutch 126. Next, a bore of the bearing 186 is slid onto the crankshaft 122 until the bearing 186 bottoms against the crankshaft splines 124. For example, when the bearing 186 bottoms against the crankshaft splines 124, the bearing 186 may be fully seated within the compound cooperating gear 180. Further, a retaining ring 224 is mounted on the crankshaft 122 to retain the crankshaft 122 within the compound cooperating gear 180 and the ratchet 188 (eg, as also illustrated in Figures 3A and 3B).

[0102] 6C and 6D , the crankshaft 122 passes through a radial shaft seal 222 within an aperture 220 in the motor-side housing 114. The crankshaft 122 additionally passes through an aperture 218 in the controller 214.

[0103] 7A-7R illustrate a transmission subassembly 110 of a mid-motor kit 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0104] Referring now to Figures 7A-7C, the motor subassembly 106 includes additional subassemblies of a shifter subassembly 226, a gearbox assembly 228, and a belt drive subassembly 230, each of which is considered a subassembly of the mid-mount motor assembly 100. It should be noted that the shifter subassembly 226 may include or be coupled to a servo mechanism 306 that drives a worm shaft 304, as described in further detail herein and illustrated in Figure 7A. Furthermore, it should be noted that the gearbox assembly 228 may include a plurality of gears separated into a first set of drive gears 232 that engage the compound cooperating gear 180 of the sensor drive subassembly 108 (not shown) and a second set of drive gears 234 that engage an output compound gear of the belt drive subassembly 230, as described in further detail herein.

[0105] Referring now to Figures 7D and 7E, the shifter subassembly 226 includes an additional subassembly of a countershaft subassembly 236, a latch subassembly 238, a synchronizer subassembly 240, and a shifter planetary gear set 242, each of which is considered a subassembly of the transmission subassembly 110 (and the mid-mounted motor assembly 100). It should be noted that portions of the shifter subassembly 226 (e.g., components of the countershaft subassembly 236, latch subassembly 238, synchronizer subassembly 240, and / or the shifter planetary gear set 242) and / or portions of the gearbox assembly 228 can be accessed via the shifter planetary cover 118 (e.g., as illustrated in Figure 1A) without removing the mid-mounted motor assembly 100 from the electric bicycle. It should be noted that the countershaft subassembly 236 is further described with respect to Figures 7F to 7H. Additionally, it should be noted that the latch subassembly 238 and the synchronizer subassembly 240 are further described with respect to Figures 7I to 7J and 7K to 7M. Further, it should be noted that the shifter planetary gear set 242 is further described with respect to Figures 7K to 7M.

[0106] Referring now to Figures 7F-7H, the layshaft subassembly 236 includes a needle shaft 244. A plurality of needles 246 are mounted in respective needle holes 248 within the needle shaft 244 and can be radially extended outward from the needle holes 248 or retracted radially inward into the needle holes depending on the selected gear combination (or bicycle speed ratio), as described in further detail herein. For example, the layshaft subassembly 236 can include a needle 246 for each of the plurality of gears in the gearbox assembly 228. For example, the layshaft subassembly 236 can include six needles 246, or one needle for each of the three gears in the first set of transmission gears 232 of the gearbox assembly 228 and the three gears in the second set of transmission gears 234 of the gearbox assembly 228.

[0107] A plurality of needle springs 250 are mounted within respective pin spring recesses 252 in the needle shaft 244. The plurality of needle springs 250 are configured to engage respective pins 246 of the plurality of needles 246. In certain embodiments, a needle spring 250 retains (or hooks) a corresponding needle 246 beneath an exterior surface 254 of the needle shaft 244 unless an external force is applied to the needle 246, as described in further detail herein. For example, the needle spring 250 may be shaped as an incomplete or broken loop having two ends that is retained within the needle spring recess 252, one end of which engages the needle 246. However, it should be noted herein that the needle spring 250 may be a complete or unbroken loop mounted within the needle spring recess 252 without departing from the scope of the present invention. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the needle spring 250 may be a band spring, a leaf spring, or the like.

[0108] In a non-limiting embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 7G , the needle 246, needle spring 250, and needle spring recess 252 are separated into a first group 256 representing "Low (L)", "Middle (M)", or "H", respectively, and a second group 258 representing "1", "2", and "3", respectively. The "L", "M", and "H" of the first group 256 correspond to the first set of transmission gears 232, and the "1", "2", and "3" of the second group 258 correspond to the second set of transmission gears 234, as further described in detail herein with respect to FIG. 7R , FIG. 11A , and FIG. 11B .

[0109] In the case where the needle spring 250 is an incomplete or broken loop, it should be noted that the needle spring 250 can hook the needles 246 of the first group 256 in a first direction, and the needle spring 250 can hook the needles 246 of the second group 258 in a second, different direction. Alternatively, all needle springs 250 can hook the needles 246 in the same direction without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0110] The layshaft subassembly 236 includes a camshaft 260 inserted into a needle shaft cavity 262 defined within the needle shaft 244, wherein the camshaft 260 and the needle shaft 244 are coaxial. The camshaft 260 has a plurality of camshaft protrusions 263. For example, when a camshaft protrusion 263 comes into contact with the needle 246, each camshaft protrusion 263 causes a respective needle 246 to extend from a corresponding needle hole 248. It should be noted that a corresponding needle spring 250 also maintains the needle 246 in contact with the respective camshaft protrusion 263. In some embodiments, the camshaft 260 is inserted into one or more bearings 264 and supported within the needle shaft cavity 262 by the one or more bearings 264.

[0111] Referring now to FIG. 7I , the latch subassembly 238 includes a plunger 266 and a latch spring 268 positioned within a latch cavity 270 defined within the camshaft 260 . The plunger 266 is operable to engage a radially mating hole 271 (or other recessed portion within the needle shaft 244 , such as a needle spring groove 252 ). The latch spring 268 maintains the plunger 266 in contact with the radially mating hole 271 (and generally, the needle shaft 244 ). In some embodiments, the latch subassembly 238 may include a preload screw 272 that sets the plunger 266 at a predetermined depth (or height) within the latch cavity 270 , thereby tuning the latch subassembly 238 to a predetermined load necessary to engage and disengage the plunger 266 from the radially mating hole 271 .

[0112] 7J , the synchronizer subassembly 240 includes a synchronizer spring shaft 274 and a synchronizer spring 276 positioned in a synchronizer cavity 278 defined within the camshaft 260. A pin 280 is positioned within the synchronizer cavity 278 between the synchronizer spring shaft 274 and an interior surface of the camshaft 260 within the synchronizer cavity 278. In one embodiment, the pin 280 is operable to inhibit displacement of the synchronizer spring 276 to prevent the synchronizer spring 276 from being overstressed.

[0113] In some embodiments, the synchronizer spring shaft 274 can be positioned within a ball bearing 282. It should be noted that the ball bearing 282 can be pressed into the synchronizer cavity 278 or hard-coupled to the camshaft 260 within the synchronizer cavity 278 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0114] In certain embodiments, when a shift sequence is initiated and any needle 246 is prevented from engaging, the synchronizer subassembly 240 operates as an energy storage system, preventing a single camshaft surface designed for a drive gear (e.g., as described in further detail herein) from rotating the drive gear into an engaged position. In this case, the synchronizer spring 276 is loaded by the synchronizer spring shaft 274, storing shift energy until the drive gear is rotated into a position to receive the needle 246, and then releasing the energy to rotate the camshaft 260 relative to the needle shaft 244. If such an inhibition does not occur, the camshaft 260 should rotate relative to the needle shaft 244 with minimal spring deflection / load.

[0115] Although shown in FIG. 7I , it should be noted that the plurality of needle springs 250 are not illustrated in FIG. 7J for purposes of clarity only, and such removal is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

[0116] Referring now to Figures 7K-7P , the shifter planetary gearset 242 of the shifter subassembly 226 is a double-sided planetary gearset positioned between the layshaft subassembly 236 and the housing subassembly 102 (e.g., the sprocket-side housing 116, where the housing subassembly 102 includes multiple housing segments). For example, the shifter planetary gearset 242 may include a needle planetary set 283 corresponding to the needle shaft 244 and a cam planetary set 295 corresponding to the camshaft 260. However, unlike the motor planetary gearset 138, both planetary sets share a common carrier but have separate sun gears and ring gears. For example, when the needle shaft 244 and the camshaft 260 rotate together (e.g., when engaging the latch subassembly 238), the respective sun gears rotate together, but when power is supplied to the cam ring gear (e.g., when disengaging the latch subassembly 238), the respective sun gears rotate independently.

[0117] In some embodiments, the pin planetary set 283 includes a pin sun gear 284 coupled to the pin shaft 244. For example, the pin sun gear 284 is mounted within the pin shaft cavity 262 proximate to the synchronizer subassembly 240. It should be noted that the pin sun gear 284 can be pressed into the pin shaft cavity 262 or hard-coupled to the pin shaft 244 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0118] The pin planet set 283 includes a plurality of pin planet gears 286 axially coupled to a common carrier 288 via respective pin planet gear pins 290. It should be noted that the pin planet gears 286 can be pressed onto the pins 290 or otherwise hard-coupled thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. The teeth on the pin planet gears 286 mesh with (e.g., snap into) the teeth on a pin ring 292 of the pin planet set 283. In some embodiments, the pin ring 292 is coupled to the sprocket-side housing 116, securing the pin ring in place.

[0119] The common carrier 288 rides on a carrier bearing 294 mounted on the synchronizer spring shaft 274. It should be noted that the carrier bearing 294 can be pressed onto the synchronizer spring shaft 274 or hard coupled to the synchronizer spring shaft 274 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0120] The cam planet set 295 includes a plurality of cam planet gears 296 axially coupled via respective cam planet gear pins 298. It should be noted that the cam planet gears 296 can be pressed onto the pins 298 or coupled to the pins 298 via hardware without departing from the scope of the present invention. The teeth on the cam planet gears 296 engage (e.g., mesh with) teeth on a cam ring 300 or worm gear of the cam planet set 295 and additionally engage (e.g., mesh with) teeth on a cam sun gear 301 of the cam planet set 295. In some embodiments, the cam sun gear 301 interfaces with the synchronizer subassembly 240 (e.g., with the synchronizer spring shaft 274).

[0121] The cam ring 300 engages a cam ring bearing 302 which engages the sprocket-side housing 116 (not shown). It should be noted that the cam ring bearing 302 may be pressed into the cam ring 300 or the cam ring 300 may be hard-coupled to the cam ring bearing 302 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0122] In an alternative embodiment to the configuration illustrated in Figures 7K to 7N , Figures 7O and 7P illustrate a configuration in which the pin planet gears 286 of the pin planet set 283 and the cam planet gears 296 of the cam planet set 295 share a common gear pin 299 through a carrier 288. As with the configuration illustrated in Figures 7K to 7N , the cam shaft 260 (not shown) passes through the carrier 288 and meshes with the cam sun gear 301.

[0123] In some embodiments, the teeth 303 on the cam ring 300 engage (e.g., mesh with) threads 305 on a worm shaft 304. For example, the worm shaft 304 can be driven by a servo 306 (or a stepper motor) coupled to a servo bracket 308. The servo bracket 308 can be coupled to the sprocket-side housing 116 (not shown). It should be noted that the worm shaft 304 can be seated in worm gear bearings 310 to accommodate the torque necessary to overcome friction within the shifter subassembly 226. It should also be noted that the worm shaft 304 can pass through a seal 312 (e.g., a radial shaft seal or the like).

[0124] Although the specific example of the present invention is about controlling the camshaft 260 via the servo mechanism 306, the worm shaft 304 and the shifter planetary gear set 242, it should be noted that the servo mechanism 306, the worm shaft 304 and the shifter planetary gear set 242 can be replaced by a cable assembly for controlling the camshaft 260 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0125] Referring now to FIG. 7Q , the gearbox assembly 228 is illustrated together with the shifter subassembly 226. The gearbox assembly 228 includes a plurality of step-up gears 314 (i.e., the first set of transmission gears 232) and a plurality of indexing gears 316 (i.e., the second set of transmission gears 234). The step-up gears 314 have apertures 315, and the indexing gears 316 have apertures 317, through which the countershaft subassembly 236 of the shifter subassembly 226 is inserted, such that the gears 314, 316 of the countershaft subassembly 236 and the gearbox assembly 228 are coaxial. The gearbox assembly 228 additionally includes an output compound gear 318 having a compound spur gear 320. It should be noted that the compound spur gears 320 can be fixed relative to each other as a single, formed component, or can be separate components coupled together during manufacturing and assembly.

[0126] Although not shown, the crankshaft 122 passes through the compound cooperating gear 180, the ratchet 188, and the output compound gear 318. In some embodiments, the gearbox assembly 228 includes bearings to facilitate operation of the output compound gear 318 and / or seals to protect various components within the transmission subassembly 110. For example, the gearbox assembly 228 may include, but is not limited to, the crankshaft 122 (not shown) passing through one of the bearings 322. It should be noted that the bearing 322 may be pressed into the output compound gear 318 or coupled to the output compound gear 318 via a hard body without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that the crankshaft 122 may be pressed into the bearing 322 or coupled to the bearing 322 via a hard body without departing from the scope of the present invention. By way of another embodiment, the gearbox assembly 228 may include, but is not limited to, the crankshaft 122 passing through one of the seals 324 that prevents fluid or particulate matter from entering the transmission subassembly 110 via a crankshaft aperture 326 .

[0127] In one non-limiting embodiment, the gearbox assembly 228 includes a step-up gear 314A corresponding to the "L" pins 246 of the first group 256, a step-up gear 314B corresponding to the "M" pins 246 of the first group 256, and a step-up gear 314C corresponding to the "H" pins 246 of the first group 256. The step-up gears 314 can engage (e.g., mesh with) the compound spur gear 184 of the compound cooperating gear 180. In this non-limiting embodiment, the step-up gears 314A, 314B, and 314C can mesh with the respective compound spur gears 184A, 184B, and 184C to receive input power provided by the motor 136 and / or the crankshaft 122 (not shown). It should be noted that although the compound cooperating gear 180 and the ratchet 188 are described as components of the sensor drive subassembly 108, it should be understood that the compound cooperating gear 180 and / or the ratchet 188 may be considered components of the transmission subassembly 110 (and specifically, in some instances, the gear box assembly 228) without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0128] In another non-limiting embodiment, the gearbox assembly 228 includes an index gear 316A corresponding to the "1" pin 246 of the second group 258, an index gear 316B corresponding to the "2" pin 246 of the second group 258, and an index gear 316C corresponding to the "3" pin 246 of the second group 258. The index gear 316 can engage (e.g., mesh with) the compound spur gear 320 of the output compound gear 318. In this non-limiting embodiment, the index gears 316A, 316B, and 316C can mesh with the respective compound spur gears 320A, 320B, and 320C to transmit the combined and / or modified power to the belt drive sprocket 332 (not shown).

[0129] Referring now to Figures 7R and 7S, the belt drive subassembly 230 includes a sprocket carrier or sprocket bracket 328. For example, the sprocket bracket 328 can be coupled to the output compound gear 318 of the gearbox assembly 228. For example, the sprocket bracket 328 can be coupled to a locking ring 330 (or pressed into the locking ring 330) via fasteners or other hardware, and the locking ring 330 can be coupled to the output compound gear 318 (or pressed into the crankshaft aperture 326 of the output compound gear 318) via fasteners or other hardware without departing from the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that although the output compound gear 318 is described as a component of the gearbox assembly 228, it should be understood that the output compound gear 318 can be considered a component of the belt drive subassembly 230 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0130] In some embodiments, the belt drive sprocket 332 is coupled to the spindle bracket 328 (e.g., via fasteners or other hardware). The belt drive sprocket 332 is configured to engage or interface with the belt 112 to provide power from the transmission subassembly 110 to the rear wheel (not shown). The belt drive sprocket 332 can reduce the manufacturing complexity (and therefore manufacturing cost) of a particular component and allow a manufacturer or technician to replace the belt drive sprocket 332 (and belt 112) with a configuration having more or fewer teeth, thereby changing the ride of the electric bicycle. For example, a belt drive sprocket 332 with more teeth may be desirable for racing or enduro use with higher average speeds, while a belt drive sprocket 332 with fewer teeth may be desirable for mountain, off-road, or trail use and / or when the electric bicycle is carrying additional weight in bags, a basket, a trailer, and the like. However, it should be noted that the axial ejector bracket 328 and the belt drive sprocket 332 can be manufactured as a single component to reduce manufacturing costs by reducing the part count without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, although the embodiments of the present invention relate to the axial ejector bracket 328 and the belt drive sprocket 332 being components of the belt drive subassembly 230, it should be understood that the axial ejector bracket 328 and the belt drive sprocket 332 can be components coupled to the belt drive subassembly 230 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0131] 7A-7R , power is provided from the crankshaft subassembly 104 and the motor subassembly 106 to the belt 112 via the sensor drive subassembly 108 and the transmission subassembly 110. Specifically, the compound cooperating gear 180 receives power from both the crankshaft 122 and the motor 136 (not shown) and provides that power to a specific step-up gear 314 via a corresponding compound spur gear 184.

[0132] The shifter planetary gear set 242 actuates the components within the belt drive subassembly 230 by actuating the needle shaft 244 and the cam shaft 260 to cause the needle 246 to engage a speed-increasing gear 314 and an indexing gear 316 (different combinations of which result in different gear transmissions for the electric bicycle). For example, each of the gears 314, 316 corresponds to a needle 246 of the first set 256 or the second set 258, so that actuation of the cam shaft 260 causes a needle 246 of the first set 256 to engage a respective speed-increasing gear 314 and a needle 246 of the second set 258 to engage a respective indexing gear 316.

[0133] Power is input into the gear box assembly 228 via the selected speed-increasing gear 314, transmitted from the selected speed-increasing gear 314 to the selected indexing gear 316 via the engagement of the needle 246 in the needle shaft 244, and provided to the output compound gear 318 via the selected indexing gear 316. The rotation of the output compound gear 318 is transmitted to the belt 112 through the rotation of the spindle frame 328 and the belt drive sprocket 332, thereby moving the belt 112.

[0134] FIG8 illustrates the docking of components of housing subassembly 102 with components of subassemblies 104, 106, 108, and 110 of mid-mount motor assembly 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. To accommodate the various components of subassemblies 104, 106, 108, and 110, housing subassembly 102 includes bearings to facilitate operation of the various components and / or seals to protect the various components. For example, housing subassembly 102 may include, but is not limited to, a bearing 334 and a radial shaft seal 336 within motor-side housing 114, configured to receive crankshaft 122. By way of another example, housing subassembly 102 may include, but is not limited to, a bearing 338 and a radial shaft seal 340 within sprocket-side housing 116, configured to receive compound spur gear 320. Further, the housing subassembly 102 may include, but is not limited to, a bearing 342 , a needle shaft bracket 344 and a bearing 346 within the sprocket side housing 116 and components of the transmission subassembly 110 .

[0135] Although the embodiment of the present invention illustrates the gearbox assembly 228 and the countershaft subassembly 236 of the shifter subassembly 226 as having a center axis that is coaxial with a center axis of the motor 136, it should be noted that the respective center axes may be offset depending on the configuration of the mid-mounted motor kit 100 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0136] FIG9 illustrates a method or process flow chart 350 for operating the mid-mount motor assembly 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. FIG10 illustrates arrows representing the operation of an embodiment of the mid-mount motor assembly 100 having subassemblies 102, 104, 106, 108, and 110 according to the method or process flow chart 350. The arrows in FIG10 are further described herein in detail, wherein the mid-mount motor assembly 100 is operated via the process flow chart 350 in FIG9.

[0137] Although a general order of steps of a method or process is shown in FIG9 , the method or process may include more or fewer steps, or the order of the steps may be arranged differently than that shown in FIG9 (including simultaneously, substantially simultaneously, or sequentially). It should be noted that the method or process should be explained with reference to the components, devices, subassemblies, environments, etc. described in conjunction with FIG1A to FIG8 , FIG10 , and FIG11A to FIG11K . For example, it should be noted that the embodiments illustrated in FIG1A to FIG8 , FIG10 , and FIG11A to FIG11K should be understood to be interpreted with reference to the embodiments described with respect to FIG9 , and vice versa, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0138] In a specific example, a torque applied by a user via pedaling is received 400 by the crankshaft 122 (or a torque is input to the crankshaft 122 via pedaling), and the torque is sensed by the controller 214. The controller 214 turns on the motor 136 based on the sensed torque input.

[0139] In one embodiment, the input torque is transmitted 404 to the compound cooperating gear 180 (e.g., via the crankshaft clutch 126 and the ratchet 188). The motor output is also transmitted to the compound cooperating gear 180 at a reduced motor speed and increased torque (e.g., via the ratchet gear 176). For example, the ratchet gear 176 can operate as a one-way clutch for speed matching and preventing backdrive of the motor 136. By another embodiment, the crankshaft clutch 126 (and the ratchet 188) can operate as a one-way clutch in conjunction with a speed and torque sensor (e.g., the Hall effect sensor 202).

[0140] In one embodiment, the power from the motor 136 and the crankshaft 122 is combined 404 at the compound cooperating gear 180. The power supplied by the motor 136 and the crankshaft 122 is combined via the ratchet 188 and the compound cooperating gear 180, and the torque is added.

[0141] It should be noted that operations 400, 402, 404 represent separate inputs from the rider and from the motor, as illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 10.

[0142] In one embodiment, the combined power is transmitted 406 from the compound cooperating gear 180 to the gear box assembly 228. For example, the speed increasing gear 314 of the first set of transmission gears 232 is meshed with the compound cooperating gear 180. Thus, the rotation of the compound cooperating gear 180 by the combined power is transmitted to the speed increasing gear 314 of the first set of transmission gears 232.

[0143] In one embodiment, combined power is transferred 408 from a step-up gear 314 of the gearbox assembly 228 to the camshaft 260. For example, the shifter subassembly 226 is actuated to cause the camshaft 260 to extend a first needle 246 of the first set 256 through a first needle shaft 244. The first extended needle 246 engages a specific step-up gear 314 (e.g., 314B), and power is transferred from the compound cooperating gear 180 to the camshaft 260 via the step-up gear 314 and the extended needle 246.

[0144] In one embodiment, the combined power is transmitted 410 from the camshaft 260 to an index gear 316. For example, the index gear 316 in the second set of transmission gears 234 is meshed with the output compound gear 318. Thus, the rotation of the index gear 316 in the second set of transmission gears 234 is transmitted to the output compound gear 318 by the combined power.

[0145] In one embodiment, the combined power is modified 412 by the indexing gear 316 and the modified power is transferred to the output compound gear 318. For example, the shifter subassembly 226 is actuated to cause the camshaft 260 to extend one of the second needles 246 of the second set 258 through a second needle shaft 244. The second extended needle 246 engages a specific indexing gear 316 (e.g., 316B), and power is transferred from the camshaft 260 to the output compound gear 318 via the extended needle 246 and the indexing gear 316.

[0146] It should be noted that operations 406, 408, 410, and 412 may be performed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. For example, when the combined power is transferred from the compound cooperating gear 180 to the output compound gear 318, the needle 246 may already be extended to engage with a specific speed increasing gear 314 and a specific indexing gear 316 without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0147] Additionally, it should be noted that operations 406, 408, 410, and 412 are used to modify the combined power by increasing or decreasing it before it is delivered to the output compound gear 318 via various combinations of the step-up gear 314 and the indexing gear 316. These combinations change the power input / output ratio between the compound cooperating gear 180 and the output compound gear 318. For example, where there are three step-up gears 314A-314C and three indexing gears 316A-316C, a total of nine combinations are possible, each of which modifies the combined power in a different manner before it is delivered from the compound cooperating gear 180 to the output compound gear 318. In this regard, the combined power may be considered "modified" or a "modified combined power" for operations 414, 416, and 418 as further described herein. However, it should be noted that without departing from the scope of the present invention, the "modified power" may be the same as the "combined power", such as a particular combination of the speed increasing gear 314 and the indexing gear 316 may result in a ratio of 1:1 of the combined power between the compound cooperating gear 180 and the output compound gear 318.

[0148] In one embodiment, the modified power is transmitted 414 from the output compound gear 318 to a belt drive sprocket 332. For example, the output compound gear 318 may engage a sprocket bracket 328, which is coupled to the belt drive sprocket 332. Rotation of the output compound gear 318 by the modified combined power is transmitted to the belt drive sprocket 332 via the sprocket bracket 328. However, it should be noted that the sprocket bracket 328 and the belt drive sprocket 332 may be fabricated as a single component without departing from the present invention.

[0149] In one embodiment, the modified power is transferred 416 from the belt drive sprocket 332 to the belt 112. For example, the rotation of the belt drive sprocket 332 causes the belt 112 to translate.

[0150] In one embodiment, the modified power is transmitted 418 from the belt 112 to a rear hub (not shown) of a rear wheel. For example, translation of the belt 112 rotates a second belt drive sprocket operable to engage the rear hub, wherein rotation of the rear hub rotates a rear wheel.

[0151] 11A-11K further illustrate the operation (e.g., providing power, propulsion, providing thrust thereto, or the like) of the mid-mounted motor assembly 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, including one or more steps of the process flow chart 350. It should be noted that for the purposes of the present invention, the reference numbers and embodiments provided with respect to FIG. 1A-8 should be understood as referring to FIG. 11A-11K.

[0152] 11A-11K, in one embodiment, the overspeed gear and / or index gear are shifted 420 by the shifter subassembly 226. The shifter subassembly 226 switching between specific overspeed gear 314 and index gear 316 combinations is further described herein.

[0153] In one embodiment, the shifter subassembly 226 can shift the currently engaged overspeed gear 314 and / or index gear 316 to a different overspeed gear 314 and / or a different index gear 316, respectively. In some embodiments, a rider can stop pedaling and / or the controller 214 can stop the motor 136 from providing power before the shift 420 occurs.

[0154] When in a selected combination of overspeed gears 314 and index gears 316 (i.e., the overspeed gears and index gears together represent a selected bicycle speed ratio), which are held in place by the latch subassembly 238, the needle shaft 244 and camshaft 260 move together. In the non-limiting embodiment illustrated throughout the figures, the first set of transmission gears 232 includes an "L" overspeed gear 314A, an "M" overspeed gear 314B, and an "H" overspeed gear 314C, and the second set of transmission gears 234 includes an "1" index gear 316A, a "2" index gear 316B, and a "3" index gear 316C. The shifter layshaft subassembly 236 includes a needle 246 for each of the six gears listed above and is operable to allow selection of any combination of an overspeed gear 314 and an index gear 316, for a total of nine combinations. In some embodiments, each of the nine combinations creates a unique power input / output ratio between the compound cooperating gear 180 and the output compound gear 318 .

[0155] To change to a different gear combination or bicycle "speed," the camshaft 260 is rotated relative to the needle shaft 244. The rotation of the camshaft 260 by the shifter planetary gear set 242 adjusts which of the camshaft protrusions 263 contacts each pin 246, allowing a different overspeed gear 314 and / or a different indexing gear 316 to be selected by retracting the currently extended pin 246 and extending the new pin 246. Table 1 provides a non-limiting example of a gear combination that produces nine speeds for the mid-mounted motor assembly 100. Gear combinations or speed ratios step Speed increasing gear and speed increasing Indexing gears and ratios Final ratio 1 - "L" or 314A 1.82 "1" or 316A 1.21 2.21 2 12.2% "2" or 316B 1.07 1.94 3 22.7% "3" or 316C 0.82 1.5 4 13.3% "M" or 314B 1.07 "1" or 316A 1.21 1.3 5 12.3% "2" or 316B 1.07 1.14 6 22.8% "3" or 316C 0.82 0.88 7 26.1% "H" or 314C 0.48 "1" or 316A 1.21 0.65 8 12.3% "2" or 316B 1.07 0.57 9 22.8% "3" or 316C 1.07 0.44 Table 1 Gear combination In the non-limiting example of Table 1, each of the nine combinations of gears has a unique ratio. Furthermore, in the non-limiting example of Table 1, the ratio between the combined speed increasing gear 314 and the indexing gear 316 decreases from over 2 to less than 0.5 through speeds 1 to 9, such that the final ratio at speed 1 is over 500% greater than the final ratio at speed 9.

[0156] As illustrated in Figures 11A and 11B, camshaft 260 has been actuated to select the combination of overdrive gear 314A, or "L," and index gear 316A, or "1," representing the first bicycle speed ratio according to Table 1. In shifter subassembly 226, needles 246 corresponding to gears 314A and 316A extend through needle shaft 244, while the remaining needles 246 are retracted below the outer surface 254 of needle shaft 244 and do not mesh with their respective gears 314, 316. The lack of meshing between the remaining gears 314, 316 and their respective needles 246 allows the remaining gears 314, 316 to rotate freely about needle shaft 244. In this regard, while rotation of the compound cooperating gear 180 may rotate all of the speed increasing gears 314 and / or rotation of the output compound gear 318 may rotate all of the indexing gears 316, only the combination of gears 314, 316 that engage the needles 246 extending from the camshaft 260 will engage the layshaft subassembly 236 (and therefore the shifter subassembly 226) at any given time. It should be noted that the needle spring 250 is not shown in FIG. 11B for clarity purposes only and is not intended to limit the present invention, and that the needle spring 250 engages the needles 246 so that contact is always maintained between all of the needles 246 and the camshaft 260.

[0157] As illustrated in FIG11C , camshaft 260 has been actuated to select overdrive gear 314A, or "L." Overdrive gear 314A includes a gear protrusion 422 that engages a surface of a corresponding extended pin 246, causing overdrive gear 314A to drive needle shaft 244 as overdrive gear 314A rotates. In one non-limiting embodiment, gear protrusion 422 is contoured or shaped to permit torque transmission without slippage and facilitate disengagement between needle shaft 244 and overdrive gear 314A. In another non-limiting embodiment, gear protrusion 422 is contoured or shaped to be unidirectional, causing gear protrusion 422 to engage pin 246 when overdrive gear 314A rotates in a first direction but to clear pin 246 when overdrive gear 314A rotates in a second direction. In some embodiments, an adjacent gear protrusion 424 may be provided that causes overdrive gear 314A to rotate away if a different pin 246 comes into contact with overdrive gear 314A. This allows the speed-increasing gear 314A to be radially constrained to the needle shaft 244 without preventing the needle 246 from radially moving out of the needle shaft 244. It should be noted that for the purposes of the present invention, FIG. 11C may also be considered to represent the selection of speed-increasing gear 314B or "M" and / or speed-increasing gear 314C or "H."

[0158] As illustrated in FIG11D , camshaft 260 has been actuated, selecting index gear 316A, or "1." Index gear 316A includes a gear protrusion 426 that engages a surface of a corresponding extension pin 246, such that when pin shaft 244 rotates, pin shaft 244 drives index gear 316A. In one non-limiting embodiment, gear protrusion 426 is contoured or shaped to allow torque transmission without slippage and facilitate disengagement between pin shaft 244 and index gear 316A. In another non-limiting embodiment, gear protrusion 426 is contoured or shaped to be unidirectional, such that gear protrusion 426 engages pin 246 when index gear 316A rotates in a first direction, but clears pin 246 when index gear 316A rotates in a second direction. In some embodiments, an adjacent gear protrusion 428 may be provided that rotates index gear 316A away if needle 246 comes into contact with the adjacent gear protrusion 428. This allows index gear 316A to be radially constrained to needle shaft 244 without preventing needle 246 from radially moving away from needle shaft 244. It should be noted that for the purposes of the present invention, FIG. 11D may also be considered to represent the selection of index gear 316B or "2" and / or index gear 316C or "3."

[0159] It is prudent to consider that when the needle shaft 244 drives the indexing gear 316A and the speed increasing gear 314A drives the needle shaft 244, the camshaft protrusion 263 for the indexing gear 316 may need to be aligned with the camshaft protrusion 263 for the speed increasing gear 314.

[0160] Figures 11E and 11F illustrate variations of the gear protrusions 422 and 424 of gears 314 and 316. As shown in Figure 11E, the needle 246 may be contained within a recess 430 between the gear protrusions 422 and 424. However, as shown in Figure 11F, the gear protrusions 422 and 424 have an inclined surface 432 that allows the needle 246 to be more easily and efficiently shifted into a locked position. It should be noted that for the purposes of the present invention, Figures 11E and 11F may also be considered to represent the gear protrusions 426 and 428.

[0161] As illustrated in FIG11G , during a riding phase in which the gear assembly remains unchanged and power is transmitted to the belt 112 through the transmission subassembly 110, the latch subassembly 238 engages the needle shaft 244 to prevent the cam shaft 260 from rotating relative to the needle shaft 244, such that the cam shaft 260 and the needle shaft 244 rotate together and do not move relative to each other. For example, the plunger 266 can extend outward from the latch cavity 270 to engage one of the radially mating holes 271 in the needle shaft 244.

[0162] However, during another riding phase of changing gear combinations, the latch subassembly 238 is disengaged to decouple the camshaft 260 from the needle shaft 244, and the camshaft 260 is configured to rotate relative to the needle shaft 244 until the latch subassembly 238 is locked in a new position (the new position corresponding to a new speed or gear combination). For example, when the plunger 266 is rotationally forced against the needle shaft 244, the tip of the plunger 266 (e.g., which may be rounded to facilitate insertion into and withdrawal from the radially mating holes 271) causes the plunger 266 to slide radially inward toward the latch spring 268. The camshaft 260 rotates until the plunger 266 reaches the next radially mating hole 271 in the needle shaft 244, causing the plunger 266 to engage the next radially mating hole 271 and lock the camshaft 260 and the needle shaft 244 together in a new position corresponding to a different combination of the needle shaft 246. Needle 246 then extends outward from needle shaft 244 to engage a new gear 314 and / or 316, thereby selecting a new bicycle speed ratio. It should be noted that for clarity purposes, arrows are used to illustrate the movement of plunger 266 and the opposite rotation of camshaft 260 relative to needle shaft 244 in FIG. 11G . Additionally, it should be noted that while speed-increasing gears 314A and 314B are shown, either gear 314 or 316 could be similarly represented without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0163] As illustrated in Figures 11H-11K , the shifter planetary gearset 242 actuates the camshaft 260. Unlike the motor planetary gearset 138, in which the motor gear 152 is the sun gear and the ring gear 166 is the output, the shifter planetary gearset 242 drives the needle ring 292, with the needle sun gear 284 being the output. According to Equation 1 above, this allows the shifter planetary gearset 242 to operate as a speed increaser rather than a speed reducer. Because there is only one set of needle planetary gears 286, the needle sun gear 284 rotates in the opposite direction compared to the needle ring 292, and the negative sign in Equation 1 is used to describe the ratio of the shifter planetary gearset 242. However, it should be noted herein that the shifter planetary gearset 242 can be configured as a speed increaser, but this is not intended to be limiting. For example, the shifter planetary gear set 242 can be used as a speed reducer without departing from the scope of the present invention in that the shifter planetary gear set 242 can be operated to form a phase shift or phase change between the concentric camshaft 260 and the needle shaft 244 (e.g., the phase shift or phase change would otherwise move together and at the same speed).

[0164] In some embodiments, when the cam ring 300 is fixed in place, the common carrier 288 freewheels because each planetary set 283, 295 operates in the same configuration. For example, the pin sun gear 284 and the cam sun gear 301 each operate as a respective input, the pin planetary gears 286 and the cam planetary gears 296 each operate as a respective output through the common carrier 288, and the pin ring 292 and the cam ring 300 each operate as a reaction element.

[0165] However, changing the gear combination to switch the bicycle's "speed" involves rotating the worm shaft 304, which in turn rotates the cam ring 300. This causes the cam sun gear 301 to rotate in the opposite direction via the transfer of rotational energy through the cam planetary gears 296, changing the configuration of the cam planetary set 295 to one in which the cam ring 300 is the input, the cam sun gear 301 is the output, and the cam planetary gears 296 are the reaction elements.

[0166] Because carrier 288 is common between needle planet gears 286 and cam planet gears 296, carrier 288 similarly becomes a reaction element for needle planet set 283. Thus, securing needle ring 292 (e.g., to sprocket-side housing 116) provides needle planet set 283 with two reaction members, causing sun gears 284 and 301 to rotate relative to each other. This relative rotation creates a phase shift or change between needle shaft 244 and camshaft 260, causing camshaft 260 to rotate, resulting in a change in gear combination or one of the bicycle's speed ratios.

[0167] In one non-limiting embodiment, the camshaft 260 has nine equally spaced positions, or one position for each gear ratio resulting from a particular gear combination representing a selected bicycle speed ratio, such that the camshaft 260 can rotate in 40 degree (°) increments (e.g., with an angular position change of 40°) between the radially mating holes 271. The cam ring 300 rotates the camshaft 260 via the cam planet gears 296 at a ratio of the number of teeth 303 on the cam ring 300 to the number of teeth 307 on the cam sun gear 301, as shown in Equation 3: Equation 3 in The rotation angle of the cam ring 300, The rotation angle of the cam sun gear 301, The number of teeth of the cam ring 300, and is the number of teeth on the cam sun gear 301. In this non-limiting embodiment, the tooth ratio is such that a 22.95 degree clockwise shift at the cam ring 300 (via the worm shaft 304) (e.g., as represented by angle 434 in FIG. 11J ) causes a 40° rotation of the cam shaft 260 between the radially mating holes 271 (e.g., as represented by angle 436 in FIG. 11I ). In one example, the threads 305 on the worm shaft 304 and the teeth 303 of the cam ring 300 can be configured such that one rotation of the worm shaft 304 rotates the cam ring 300 by one tooth 303, such that approximately 8.29 revolutions of the worm shaft 304 are necessary to complete a 22.95° rotation of the cam ring 300.

[0168] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11J and FIG. 11K , an exterior surface 435 of the cam ring 300 may include gear indicators 437 that each represent a specific gear combination or speed ratio of the transmission subassembly 110. For example, the exterior surface 435 may include one gear indicator 437 for each gear combination or speed ratio. In the exemplary configuration described herein, the exterior surface 435 has nine gear indicators 437 for nine different gear combinations or speed ratios. It should be noted that the specific gear indicator 437 representing a specific gear combination or speed ratio of the transmission subassembly 110 may be aligned with the threads 305 on the worm shaft 304. Furthermore, it should be noted that the gear indicators 437 are visible within the housing subassembly 102, including but not limited to by removing the shifter planet cover 118 or through a transparent or translucent portion of the housing subassembly 102 (e.g., such as a transparent or translucent shifter planet cover 118). In this regard, it is possible to monitor whether the mid-motor kit 100 is properly aligned within the transmission subassembly 110 without disassembling the entire mid-motor kit 100 .

[0169] It should be noted that when the cam ring 300 returns to a fixed reaction state, the needle shaft 244 and the cam shaft 260 return to a 1:1 rotational speed.

[0170] In some embodiments, the components of the mid-mounted motor assembly 100 are made of one or more materials, including but not limited to aluminum or other metals, carbon fiber or another composite material, plastic, rubber, or the like. In additional embodiments, the flexure elements or springs 172, 192, 250, 268, 276 can be coil springs, springs terminated at either end with a ring or loop, partial loops, fully complete loops, or the like. However, it should be noted that the flexure elements or springs 172, 192, 250, 268, 276 can be more broadly described as biasing members, which can include but are not limited to other solid structures, such as air bags, hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems, or the like.

[0171] It should be understood that although the present invention illustrates a nine-speed mid-motor kit 100 having nine combinations of gears 314, 316 within the transmission subassembly 110, the number of gears 314, 316 is not intended to limit the present invention. Rather, it is contemplated that various subassemblies of the mid-motor kit 100 may be modified to include more or fewer gears 314, 316, thereby creating more or fewer gear combinations (or speeds) for the electric bicycle.

[0172] In this regard, the advantages of the present invention include, but are not limited to, a mid-motor kit including a power transmission for an electric bicycle. Specifically, the advantages of the present invention relate to a mid-motor kit including a power transmission configured to combine a crankshaft output generated from an applied torque with a power output from a mid-motor to drive a belt connected to a rear wheel. The mid-motor kit takes the power delivered by the motor and converts it from speed-dominant to torque-dominant, reducing the motor's speed to the rider's cadence.

[0173] Advantages of the present invention also include, but are not limited to, a mid-mounted motor assembly comprising a transmission subassembly that receives combined power, modifies the combined power based on a gear ratio between a selected transmission gear combination, and outputs the modified combined power to a belt drive subassembly. Shifting the transmission subassembly to change gear combinations includes a set of cams controlled manually or automatically by a controller, wherein the cams are inserted into the transmission subassembly such that the transmission gears rotate about the cams and are configured to interface with the cams.

[0174] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that modifications and variations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention, as set forth in the appended claims. Furthermore, the invention described herein is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It should be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for purposes of illustration and should not be construed as limiting.

[0175] 100: Mid-Motor Kit / Nine-Speed Mid-Motor Kit 102: Housing subassembly / subassembly 104: Crankshaft subassembly / subassembly 106: Motor subassembly / subassembly 108: Sensor drive subassembly / subassembly 110: Transmission subassembly / subassembly 112: Belt 114: Motor side housing / housing 116: Sprocket side housing / housing 118: Shifter planetary cover 120: Drain plug 122: Crankshaft 124: Crankshaft spline 126: Crankshaft clutch / clutch 128: Crankshaft clutch spacer 130: Buckle 132: Crank arm 134: Crank arm hardware 136: Motor / Subassembly 138:Motor planetary gear set / subassembly 140: Ring shaft subassembly / subassembly 142: Motor housing 144: Motor Hardware 146: Power Lines 148: Data Line 150: Motor shaft 152: Motor gear 154: First surface cavity 156: Bearing 158: Outer planetary gear / gear / planetary gear 160:Internal planetary gear / gear / planetary gear 162: Motor shaft clearance 164: Bearing pin 166: Planetary ring gear / ring gear 168: Ring shaft 170: Pawl 172: Detent spring / spring / flexure element 174: pawl and spring groove 176: Ratchet gear 178: Ratchet buckle / buckle 180:Compound synergistic gear 182: Spur gear 184:Compound spur gear 184A:Compound spur gear 184B:Compound spur gear 184C: Compound spur gear 186: Bearing 188: Ratchet 189: Ratchet teeth / teeth 190:Axial retainer 191: Crankshaft aperture 192: Flexure element / spring 194: Magnet 194A: Magnet 194B: Magnet 196:Sensor subassembly 198: Mounting bracket 200:Sensor printed circuit board 202: Hall sensor 202A: First Hall sensor 202B: Second Hall sensor 204: Combined power and data line / power and data line 206:Hardware 208:Hardware 210: Seal 212:Sensor aperture 214:Controller 216: Second surface cavity 218: Crankshaft aperture / aperture 220: Crankshaft aperture / aperture 222: Radial shaft seal 224: Buckle 226: Shifter subassembly 228:Gear box assembly 230: Belt drive subassembly 232: The first set of transmission gears 234: The second set of transmission gears 236: Countershaft subassembly / shifter countershaft subassembly 238: Zhizi sub-assembly 240: Synchronizer subassembly 242: Shifter planetary gear set 244: Needle axis / first needle axis / second needle axis 246: needle / first needle / second needle 248: Pinhole 250: Needle spring / flexure element / spring 252: Needle spring groove 254: External surface of needle shaft 256: First set of needles 258: Second set of needles 260: Camshaft 262: Needle shaft cavity 263: Camshaft protrusion 264: Bearing 266: Plunger 268:Flexure element / spring 270:Zhizi Cavity 271: Radial fitting hole 272: Preload screw 274: Synchronizer spring shaft 276: Synchronizer spring / flexure element / spring 278:Synchronizer cavity 280: Pin 282: Ball bearing 283: Needle planet group / planet group 284: Needle sun gear / sun gear 286: Needle planetary gear 288:Carrier / Common carrier 290: Needle planetary gear pin / pin 292: Needle Ring 294:Carrier bearing 295: Cam planetary group / planetary group 296: Cam planetary gear 298: Cam planetary gear pin / pin 299: Common gear pin 300: Cam ring 301: Cam sun gear / sun gear 302: Cam ring bearing 303: Cam ring teeth / teeth 304: Worm shaft 305: Worm shaft thread / thread 306: Servo mechanism 307: Cam sun gear tooth / tooth 308:Servo mechanism bracket 310: Worm gear bearing 312: Seal 314: Speed increasing gear / gear 314A: Speed increasing gear / gear 314B: Speed increasing gear 314C: Speed increasing gear 315: Speed increasing gear pore / pore 316: Indexing gear / gear 316A: Indexing gear / gear 316B: Indexing gear 316C: Indexing gear 317: Indexing gear aperture / aperture 318: Output compound gear 320:Compound spur gear 320A: Compound spur gear 320B:Compound spur gear 320C:Compound spur gear 322: Bearing 324: Seal 326: Crankshaft aperture 328: Axis-shooting frame / Axis-shooting frame sprocket bracket 330: Locking ring 332: Belt drive sprocket 334: Bearing 336: Radial shaft seal 338: Bearing 340: Radial shaft seal 342: Bearing 344: Needle shaft bracket 346: Bearing 350: Method / Procedure Flowchart 400:Step / Action 402: Step / Action 404: Step / Action 406:Step / Action 408:Step / Action 410:Step / Action 412:Step / Action 414:Step / Action 416:Step / Action 418:Steps / Operations 420: Steps 422: Gear protrusion 424: Gear protrusion 426: Gear protrusion 428: Gear protrusion 430: Groove 432: Inclined surface 434: Cam ring rotation angle / angle 435: External surface of cam ring / external surface 436: Camshaft rotation angle / angle 437: Gear transmission indicator H: High L: Low M:Medium

Claims

1. A shifter subassembly for a transmission subassembly in a vehicle, comprising: a shaft assembly including: a pin shaft having a plurality of pin holes; a plurality of pins, wherein each of the plurality of pins is positioned within one of the plurality of pin holes; and a camshaft inserted into a cavity defined within the pin shaft, wherein the camshaft and the pin shaft are coaxial; wherein the camshaft is configured to rotate relative to the pin shaft between a first angular position and a second angular position, wherein the camshaft includes a plurality of camshaft surfaces that selectively engage the plurality of pins to selectively extend the plurality of pins radially outward from the pin shaft. When the camshaft is in the first angular position relative to the needle shaft, and one of the plurality of needles, a first needle assembly, extends radially outward from the needle shaft, the first needle assembly engages with a first transmission gear assembly of the transmission device subassembly corresponding to a first speed ratio. When the camshaft is in the second angular position relative to the needle shaft, and one of the plurality of needles, a second needle assembly, extends radially outward from the needle shaft, the second needle assembly engages with a second transmission gear assembly of the transmission device subassembly corresponding to a second speed ratio. Each of the plurality of needles is held in place within its respective needle hole by a needle spring.

2. The shifter subassembly of claim 1, further comprising: a latch subassembly comprising: a plunger positioned within a latch cavity defined within the camshaft, wherein the plunger is operable to engage the needle shaft; and a spring positioned within the latch cavity, wherein the spring is operable to maintain the plunger in contact with the needle shaft, wherein rotation of the camshaft between the first angular position and the second angular position causes the plunger to disengage from a first radial engagement hole in the needle shaft and engage with a second radial engagement hole in the needle shaft.

3. The shifter subassembly as described in claim 2, wherein, The pin subassembly further includes a preload screw that positions the plunger at a predetermined depth within the pin cavity to provide a predetermined load for engaging the first radial mating hole with the plunger.

4. The shifter subassembly of claim 1, further comprising: a shifter planetary gear set, comprising: a pin planetary set including a pin ring, a plurality of pin planetary gears and a pin sun gear, wherein the pin planetary set meshes with the pin shaft; a cam planetary set including a cam ring, a plurality of cam planetary gears and a cam sun gear, wherein the cam planetary set meshes with the cam shaft; and a common carrier, wherein the plurality of cam planetary gears and the plurality of pin planetary gears are coupled to the common carrier.

5. The shifter subassembly as described in claim 4, wherein, The planetary cam assembly can be actuated by rotating the cam ring via a servo mechanism through a worm shaft, wherein the rotation of the cam ring causes the cam shaft to rotate between the first angular position and the second angular position.

6. The shifter subassembly of claim 4, further comprising: a synchronizer subassembly comprising: a synchronizer spring shaft positioned within a synchronizer cavity defined within the camshaft, wherein the cam sun gear is operable to engage the synchronizer spring shaft and provide energy via the synchronizer spring shaft to rotate the camshaft between the first angular position and the second angular position; and a synchronizer spring positioned within the synchronizer cavity, wherein the synchronizer spring is operable to store the energy provided to the synchronizer spring shaft.

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