Middle motorized drive unit, gearbox, motor unit and motor reducer unit

Abstract

Various motorized mid-drive units are disclosed. The motorized mid-drive unit may be configured to drive a vehicle, such as a bicycle, having one or more cranks and driven wheels. The motorized mid-drive unit may include an electric motor, a decelerator, a gearbox (which may include one or more gears), a first one-way bearing, and a second one-way bearing. The first one-way bearing may enable power from the electric motor to be transferred to the driven wheel. The second one-way bearing may enable power from the one or more cranks to be transferred to the driven wheel. The decelerator may reduce a rotational speed output from the electric motor, which may be transmitted to the driven wheel. The motorized mid-drive unit may propel the vehicle with one or more cranks, with an electric motor, and / or with one or more cranks and an electric motor simultaneously.

Description

[0001] Incorporation by reference to any priority application

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 496,883, filed on April 18, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. All applications for foreign or domestic priority identified in the Application Data Sheet filed with this application are hereby incorporated by reference pursuant to 37 CFR 1.57. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention generally relates to wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles and tricycles, that include a pedal assembly and a motor assembly. Background Art

[0004] A wheeled vehicle may be driven by a pedal assembly that rotates a sprocket axially offset from a driven wheel of the vehicle. A chain may be used to transfer power from the sprocket to the driven wheel of the vehicle. Such a vehicle may alternatively be driven by a motor configured to transfer power to the driven wheel of the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0005] When the motor is also used to drive the sprocket, the operation of the motor may affect the operation of the pedal assembly by driving undesirable movement of the pedal assembly. For example, the operation of the motor may cause the pedal of the pedal assembly to rotate. The presence of the motor may also introduce friction losses in the operation of the pedal assembly. For example, at least a portion of the power generated by the rotation of the foot pedal of the pedal assembly may be lost due to the friction of the motor. An electric motor combined with a wheeled vehicle (such as a bicycle) may output an undesirable rotation speed (e.g., too fast) and / or provide low torque. The devices described herein (e.g., gearboxes, mid-drive units, etc.) can at least solve one or more of the aforementioned problems or other problems.

[0006] In certain embodiments, a gearbox suitable for use on a mid-drive electric bicycle is disclosed herein. The electric bicycle may include foot pedals (e.g., pedals) and a driven wheel. The gearbox may include an electric motor, a plurality of gears, a first one-way bearing, and / or a second one-way bearing. The first one-way bearing may enable power from the electric motor to be transferred to the driven wheel. The second one-way bearing may enable power from the foot pedals to be transferred to the driven wheel. The gearbox may enable a user to propel the electric bicycle using only the foot pedals, only the electric motor, and / or both the foot pedals and the electric motor. The gearbox may include a motor reducer that may reduce the output speed of the motor and / or increase the torque.

[0007] In some variations, a motorized mid-drive unit is disclosed herein that is configured to drive a bicycle having one or more cranks and a driven wheel. The motorized mid-drive unit may include an electric motor. The motorized mid-drive unit may include a speed reducer. The speed reducer may include an eccentric cam. The speed reducer may include a gear plate coupled to the eccentric cam. The speed reducer may include a ring gear that interfaces with the outwardly facing teeth of the gear plate. The speed reducer may include a speed reducer output gear that interfaces with the inwardly facing teeth of the gear plate. The motorized mid-drive unit may include a sprocket. The motorized mid-drive unit may include a first one-way bearing. The motorized mid-drive unit may include a second one-way bearing. The first one-way bearing may enable power from the electric motor to be transmitted to the driven wheel. The second one-way bearing may enable power from one or more cranks to be transmitted to the driven wheel. The speed reducer may reduce the rotational speed output from the electric motor and transmitted to the driven wheel. The motorized mid-drive unit may enable a user to propel a bicycle using only one or more cranks, only the electric motor, and / or both one or more cranks and the electric motor.

[0008] In some variations, the motorized mid-drive unit may include a sprocket that may receive power from the electric motor and one or more cranks to transfer power to a driven wheel via a chain.

[0009] In some variations, the motorized mid-drive unit may include an output gear. The motorized mid-drive unit may include a pedal axle rotatably coupled to one or more cranks. The sprocket may be rotatably coupled to the output gear. The output gear may be rotatably coupled to the pedal axle.

[0010] In some variations, the output gear is rotatably coupled to the pedal shaft via a second one-way bearing.

[0011] In some variations, the motorized mid-drive unit may include a first output gear and a second output gear. The first output gear may be connected to the second output gear. The first output gear may facilitate the transfer of power from the electric motor to the sprocket. The second output gear may facilitate the transfer of power from the electric motor and one or more cranks to the sprocket.

[0012] In some variations, a first one-way bearing may be coupled to the first output gear. A second one-way bearing may be coupled to the second output gear. Rotation of an inner race of the first one-way bearing in a first direction may lock the first one-way bearing to facilitate transfer of power from the electric motor to the first output gear. Rotation of an inner race of the second one-way bearing in a second direction may lock the second one-way bearing to facilitate transfer of power from the one or more cranks to the second output gear.

[0013] In some variations, the eccentric cam may be rotatably coupled to a motor shaft of the electric motor. The eccentric cam may be coupled to a gear plate. The eccentric cam may cause the gear plate to rotate around an elliptical path.

[0014] In some variations, the ring gear may reduce the rotational speed of the gear plate as the gear plate interfaces with the ring gear along the elliptical path.

[0015] In some variations, the gear plate can reduce the rotational speed of a speed reducer output gear. The speed reducer output gear can facilitate the transmission of power from the electric motor to the driven wheels.

[0016] In some variations, the gear plate may include a first inner portion and a second inner portion axially spaced apart from each other. The first inner portion may be connected to the eccentric cam. The second inner portion may be connected to the reducer output gear.

[0017] In some variations, a gear plate may increase the amount of torque from the electric motor and transferred to the driven wheels.

[0018] In some variations the gearbox may form part of a mid-drive unit that is axially offset from the axis of rotation of the driven wheels.

[0019] In some variations, a gearbox for a bicycle is disclosed herein. The gearbox may include a motor. The gearbox may include a reducer. The reducer may include a cam. The reducer may include a gear plate coupled to the cam. The reducer may include a ring gear connected to the outer teeth of the gear plate. The reducer may include an output gear connected to the inner teeth of the gear plate. The gearbox may include a first one-way bearing connected to the output gear. The gearbox may include a first output gear connected to the first one-way bearing. The gearbox may include a second one-way bearing connected to the shaft. The gearbox may include a second output gear, which may be connected to the second one-way bearing. The second output gear may be connected to the first output gear. The motor may transmit power to the first one-way bearing through the reducer to drive the first output gear to rotate the second output gear, thereby rotating the sprocket. The shaft may rotate when the user pedals to transmit power to the second one-way bearing, thereby driving the second output gear to rotate the sprocket. The first one-way bearing and the second one-way bearing can enable the sprocket to rotate by power transmitted from the motor rather than the rotation of the shaft caused by pedaling, by the rotation of the shaft caused by pedaling rather than the power transmitted from the motor, and / or by power transmitted from both the motor and the rotation of the shaft caused by pedaling.

[0020] In some variations, the cam may be an eccentric cam that may rotate the gear plate about a first axis that is offset from a second axis of a motor shaft of the motor.

[0021] In some variations, external teeth of the gear plate may engage teeth of the ring gear to slow the rotational speed of the gear plate.

[0022] In some variations, a gearbox that can be coupled to a bicycle is disclosed herein. The gearbox can include an electric motor that includes a housing and a motor shaft. The gearbox can include an eccentric cam that is coupled to the motor shaft of the electric motor. The electric motor can cause the eccentric cam to rotate about the motor shaft. The gearbox can include a gear plate that can be coupled to the eccentric cam. The eccentric cam can cause the gear plate to rotate on an elliptical path. The gearbox can include an annular gear that can be connected to an outer peripheral surface of the gear plate. The annular gear can be fixed relative to the housing. The annular gear can reduce the rotation speed of the gear plate. The gearbox can include an output gear that can be connected to an inner peripheral surface of the gear plate. The gear plate can reduce the rotation speed of the output gear. The output gear can transmit the motive force to a driven wheel of the bicycle.

[0023] In some variations, the eccentric cam may be coupled to a first interior portion of the gear plate that is devoid of gear teeth.

[0024] In some variations, the inner circumferential surface of the gear plate may include a plurality of gear teeth that may engage with the external gear teeth of the output gear.

[0025] In some variations, the outer peripheral surface of the gear plate may include external gear teeth that may interface with the internal gear teeth of the ring gear along an elliptical path.

[0026] In some variations, the output gear can rotate the first one-way bearing in a locked configuration to rotate the first output gear. The first output gear can be connected to the second output gear. The rotation of the second output gear can drive the sprocket of the bicycle to provide motive power to the bicycle.

[0027] In some variations, a gearbox for a vehicle including a driven wheel and a pedal assembly is disclosed herein, the pedal assembly including a sprocket and a shaft. The gearbox may include a motor assembly including an output shaft. The gearbox may include a motor reducer assembly. The motor reducer assembly may include a cam disposed on the output shaft. The cam may include an eccentric profile. The motor reducer assembly may include a gear plate coupled to the cam. The motor reducer assembly may include a ring gear connected to the outer teeth of the gear plate. The motor reducer assembly may include an output gear connected to the inner teeth of the gear plate. The motor reducer assembly may drive the output gear to rotate at a speed reduced relative to the rotational speed of the output shaft of the motor assembly. The gearbox may include a first one-way bearing connected to the output gear. The gearbox may include a first output gear connected to the first one-way bearing. The gearbox may include a second one-way bearing configured to be connected to the shaft of the pedal assembly. The gearbox may include a second output gear connected to the second one-way bearing. The second output gear may be connected to the first output gear and connected to the sprocket of the pedal assembly. The motor assembly can rotate the output shaft to drive the first output gear to rotate, thereby rotating the second output gear and the sprocket to drive the driven wheel to rotate, thereby propelling the vehicle. The shaft of the pedal assembly can rotate due to pedaling to drive the second output gear and the sprocket to rotate, thereby driving the driven wheel to rotate to propel the vehicle. The first one-way bearing can slide so that the shaft of the pedal assembly can drive the second output gear to rotate without driving the output shaft to rotate. The second one-way bearing can slide so that the output shaft of the motor assembly can drive the first output gear to rotate, thereby rotating the second output gear without driving the shaft of the pedal assembly to rotate.

[0028] In some variations, the first one-way bearing and the second one-way bearing may slide to enable the output shaft and the shaft of the pedal assembly to rotate simultaneously.

[0029] In some variations, the pedal assembly may include a chain coupling the sprocket and the driven wheel sprocket.

[0030] In some variations, a motor-reducer assembly may increase the torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

[0031] In some variations, the ring gear may increase the torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

[0032] In some variations, the gear plate may increase the torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

[0033] In some variations, the interface between the ring gear and the outer teeth of the gear plate may slow the rotation of the gear plate relative to the output shaft.

[0034] In some variations, the interface between the output gear and the internal teeth of the gear plate may slow the rotation of the output gear relative to the gear plate.

[0035] In some variations, the cam may cause the gear plate to rotate in an elliptical path.

[0036] In some variations, the elliptical path is offset from the axis of rotation of the output shaft.

[0037] In some variations, a motor unit for a vehicle having a pedal assembly is disclosed herein. The motor unit may include a motor assembly including an output shaft. The motor unit may include a motor reducer assembly. The motor reducer assembly may include a cam disposed on the output shaft. The cam may include an eccentric profile. The motor reducer assembly may include a gear plate coupled to the cam. The motor reducer assembly may include a ring gear connected to the outer teeth of the gear plate. The motor reducer assembly may include an output gear connected to the inner teeth of the gear plate. The motor reducer assembly may drive the output gear to rotate at a speed reduced relative to the rotational speed of the output shaft of the motor assembly.

[0038] In some variations, a motor-reducer assembly may increase the torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

[0039] In some variations, the interface between the gear plate and the ring gear may increase the torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

[0040] In some variations, the gear plate may increase the torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

[0041] In some variations, the interface between the ring gear and the outer teeth of the gear plate may slow the rotation of the gear plate relative to the output shaft.

[0042] In some variations, the interface between the output gear and the internal teeth of the gear plate may slow the rotation of the output gear relative to the gear plate.

[0043] In some variations, the cam may cause the gear plate to rotate in an elliptical path.

[0044] In some variations, the elliptical path may be offset from the axis of rotation of the output shaft.

[0045] In some variations, disclosed herein is a gearbox for a vehicle having a driven wheel and a pedal assembly including a sprocket and a shaft. The gearbox may include a motor unit.

[0046] In some variations, the gearbox may include a first one-way bearing coupled to an output gear. The gearbox may include a first output gear coupled to the first one-way bearing. The gearbox may include a second one-way bearing, which may be coupled to the shaft of the pedal assembly. The gearbox may include a second output gear that may be coupled to the second one-way bearing. The second output gear may be connected to the first output gear. The second output gear may be coupled to a sprocket of the pedal assembly. The motor assembly may rotate the output shaft to drive the first output gear to rotate, thereby rotating the second output gear and the sprocket to drive the driven wheel to rotate, thereby propelling the vehicle. The shaft of the pedal assembly may rotate due to pedaling to drive the second output gear and the sprocket to rotate, thereby driving the driven wheel to rotate to propel the vehicle. The first one-way bearing may slide so that the shaft of the pedal assembly can drive the second output gear to rotate without driving the output shaft to rotate. The second one-way bearing may slide so that the output shaft of the motor assembly can drive the first output gear to rotate, thereby rotating the second output gear without driving the shaft of the pedal assembly to rotate.

[0047] In some variations, a motor reducer unit for a vehicle having a pedal assembly is disclosed herein. The motor reducer unit may include a cam disposed on an output shaft of the motor unit. The cam may include an eccentric profile. The motor reducer unit may include a gear plate coupled to the cam. The motor reducer unit may include a ring gear connected to the outer teeth of the gear plate. The motor reducer unit may include an output gear connected to the inner teeth of the gear plate. The motor reducer unit may drive the output gear to rotate at a speed reduced relative to the rotational speed of the output shaft of the motor unit.

[0048] In some variations, a gearbox for a vehicle having a pedal assembly and a driven wheel is disclosed herein. The gearbox may include a motor including an output shaft. The gearbox may include a first output gear disposed on the output shaft, and a first one-way bearing disposed between the output shaft and the first output gear. The output shaft may drive the rotation of the first output gear. The gearbox may include a second output gear connected to the first output gear. The second output gear may be disposed on an axle of the pedal assembly, and a second one-way bearing disposed between the axle and the second output gear. The axle may drive the rotation of the second output gear. The motor may drive the output shaft to drive the first output gear to rotate the second output gear, thereby rotating a sprocket of the pedal assembly coupled to the second output gear to drive the driven wheel to rotate. The axle of the pedal assembly may drive the second output gear to rotate the second output gear, thereby rotating a sprocket of the pedal assembly coupled to the second output gear to drive the driven wheel to rotate. The first one-way bearing may slide so that the first output gear can rotate at a speed different from the speed of the output shaft. The second one-way bearing may slide so that the second output gear can rotate at a speed different from the speed of the axle. The gearbox may include a speed reducer that can reduce the rotational speed of the output shaft relative to the rotational speed driven by the motor.

[0049] Neither the foregoing summary nor the following detailed description and the related drawings are intended to limit or define the scope of protection. The scope of protection is defined by the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings depict only certain embodiments according to the present disclosure and should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof, and the present disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description. In the drawings, similar symbols generally identify similar components unless the context dictates otherwise.

[0051] Figure 1A A perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle is illustrated that includes a pedal assembly and a mid-drive unit including a motor assembly for propelling the vehicle.

[0052] Figure 1B Picture shows Figure 1A Left side view of the vehicle.

[0053] Figure 1C Picture shows Figure 1A A top view of the vehicle.

[0054] Figure 1D Picture shows Figure 1A Right side view of the vehicle.

[0055] Figure 1E Illustration of a chain and sprocket Figure 1A Right side view of the vehicle.

[0056] Figure 2A The diagram shows the Figure 1A A perspective view of the gearbox of a vehicle.

[0057] Figure 2B Pictured Figure 2A Left side view of the gearbox.

[0058] Figure 2C Pictured Figure 2A Top view of the gearbox.

[0059] Figure 2D Pictured Figure 2A Right side view of the gearbox.

[0060] Figure 3A Shown without housing Figure 2A A perspective view of some of the components of the gearbox.

[0061] Figure 3B Pictured Figure 2A A perspective view of components of a gearbox with some parts removed.

[0062] Figure 3C Pictured Figure 2A A top view of the components of a gearbox.

[0063] Figure 3D Schematically illustrates Figure 2A A cross-sectional view of the components of a gearbox.

[0064] Figure 4A Schematically illustrates Figure 2A Parts of the gearbox.

[0065] Figure 4B Shows Figure 4A A schematic diagram of a pedal assembly schematically illustrates the power path of the motive force provided by the pedal assembly.

[0066] Figure 4C Shows Figure 4A A schematic diagram of an electric motor assembly is shown schematically, in which the power path of the motive force provided by the motor assembly is schematically shown.

[0067] Figure 4D Shows Figure 4A Schematic diagram of a vehicle body, which schematically illustrates the combined power path of motive force provided by a pedal assembly and a motor assembly (e.g., simultaneously).

[0068] Figure 5A Pictured Figure 2A A perspective view of components of a gearbox including a motor assembly having a motor and a reducer.

[0069] Figure 5B Pictured Figure 5A A cross-sectional view of a motor unit comprising a motor and a reducer.

[0070] Figure 5C Pictured Figure 5A An exploded view of a motor unit, which includes a motor and a reducer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] The disclosed technology relates to a motorized drive unit that can be used with a vehicle, such as an electric bicycle (e-bike). At least some components of the motorized drive unit can be located in a middle section of the vehicle, such as between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the components located in the middle section of the vehicle may include a motorized mid-drive unit that can be used with an electric bicycle (also known as a mid-drive electric bicycle). Such a motorized mid-drive unit can be configured for use on various vehicles, including bicycles, tricycles, and / or other pedal vehicles. Certain embodiments of the mid-drive unit and its components are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification. In some embodiments, the mid-drive unit may include a small motor, a reduction gear, and / or at least two one-way bearings. The present disclosure may be implemented in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0371686, and includes the technology described therein, and includes any features disclosed therein, and the entire contents of the patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0072] A. Overview

[0073] In some embodiments, a mid-drive vehicle (e.g., an electric bicycle) may include a gearbox, which may also be referred to as a transmission and / or a derailleur. A mid-drive vehicle may include a driven wheel (e.g., a rear wheel), a sprocket (e.g., a sprocket), a pedal assembly with a crank, and / or a bottom bracket axle. The driven wheel may be of various sizes, and its diameter may include approximately 27.5". The gearbox may be configured to couple (e.g., mate) with the frame of the vehicle. The gearbox may include a coupling (e.g., mounting) feature that may couple (e.g., engage) with the frame. In some embodiments, the gearbox may be at least partially positioned (e.g., mounted) at a location (e.g., in a position) where the crank is coupled (e.g., mounted) to the vehicle (e.g., a bottom bracket axle). In some variations, the gearbox may be positioned (e.g., mounted) without modifying the frame of the vehicle. The gearbox may facilitate conversion and / or modification of a non-powered vehicle into a powered vehicle (e.g., converting a non-powered bicycle into a powered bicycle).

[0074] The gearbox may include a motor, a reducer, one or more gears, a first one-way bearing and / or a second one-way bearing. The motor may be powered by a battery, which may be located in or near the gearbox, or elsewhere on the vehicle. The gearbox may include one or more (e.g., two) pieces of metal plate, for example, formed by only one or more (e.g., two) pieces of metal plate. The motor and / or reducer may be disposed between two pieces of metal plate, wrapped by metal plate, etc. The gearbox may include an aluminum extrusion. The motor and / or reducer may be at least partially surrounded by an aluminum extrusion. In some embodiments, the gearbox may include a cycloid gear, a harmonic drive and / or other eccentric drive mechanisms described herein or otherwise described.

[0075] The gearbox may include one or more gears, which may include at least a first gear and a second gear. The first gear may be coupled to a first one-way bearing. The second gear may be coupled to a second one-way bearing. The first one-way bearing may be configured to enable power from a motor (e.g., an electric motor) to be transmitted to a driven wheel (e.g., a rear wheel) of the vehicle. Power from the electric motor may be transmitted from the electric motor to the first one-way bearing, then to the first gear, then to the second gear, and then to the sprocket. The sprocket may drive the driven wheel, which may be facilitated by a chain coupling the sprocket and the driven wheel. The second one-way bearing may facilitate power transmission from the bottom bracket shaft of the pedal assembly to the driven wheel. Power from the crank may be transmitted to the bottom bracket shaft, then to the second one-way bearing, then to the second gear, and then to the sprocket. The gearbox may be configured to enable a user to drive the vehicle by stepping on one or more cranks of the pedal assembly, by the electric motor, and / or by stepping on one or more cranks of the pedal assembly and by the electric motor at the same time. In some embodiments, when the motor is driving the driven wheel to rotate, the user can simultaneously rotate the foot pedal backward. In various embodiments, the user pedaling does not drive the motor and / or the motor does not hinder the user from pedaling. The size of the motor can be small enough to avoid interfering with the user pedaling the vehicle.

[0076] The reducer may include a cam, a gear plate, an output gear and / or a ring gear. The cam may be coupled to the motor shaft of the motor. The cam may have an eccentric profile and / or may be configured to rotate eccentrically. For example, the cam may have an elliptical profile and / or may be configured to rotate around an axis of rotation that is not colinear with the axial center of the cam. The gear plate may be configured to be coupled to the cam. The outer teeth of the gear plate may be connected to the ring gear, which may control (e.g., reduce) the rotation speed of the gear plate relative to the rotation speed of the motor shaft of the motor. The inner teeth of the gear plate may be connected to the outer teeth of the output gear, which may control (e.g., reduce) the rotation speed of the output gear relative to the rotation speed of the gear plate. The output gear may be coupled to the first gear, which may include being coupled to the first gear via a first one-way bearing. Therefore, the reducer may reduce the rotation speed of the first gear relative to the motor shaft, which may increase the torque. The gearbox may form a part of a mid-drive unit that is axially offset from the rotation axis of the driven wheel.

[0077] B. Vehicles with mid-mounted drive units - Figures 1A to 1E

[0078] Figures 1A to 1E Various views of a vehicle 100 are illustrated, the vehicle including a pedal assembly 110 and a mid-drive unit 116, the mid-drive unit including a gearbox 120. The vehicle 100 may be a bicycle (e.g., an electric bicycle), a tricycle, or other vehicle. The vehicle 100 may include a driven wheel 102 (e.g., a rear wheel) and a frame 104. Although not shown, the vehicle 100 may also include a front wheel. The frame 104 may include a seat tube 106 and a down tube 108, as well as other features (e.g., seat stays, chain stays, head tube, top tube, etc.).

[0079] The gearbox 120 (e.g., a gearbox, a transmission) may be located at or in (e.g., near) the region where the down tube 108 or its axial projection intersects the seat tube 106 or its axial projection. The gearbox 120 may be located at the intersection of the seat tube 106 and the down tube 108. The gearbox 120 may have a housing 122.

[0080] The pedal assembly 110 may include a pedal shaft 132 (e.g., shaft, crankshaft) that may extend through the gearbox 120 (e.g., one side of the shaft 132 protrudes from one side of the gearbox 120, and the other side of the shaft 132 protrudes from the other side of the gearbox 120). The pedal assembly 110 may include one or more cranks 130 that may be coupled to opposite sides of the pedal shaft 132 (e.g., two cranks are juxtaposed on opposite sides of the pedal shaft 132). Although Figures 1A to 1E Not shown, but one or more cranks 130 may each be connected to and support a pedal at an outer or free end of the one or more cranks 130 .

[0081] The gearbox 120 may be operably coupled to or include a torque transmitting device, such as a sprocket 140 (eg, a sprocket), which may include one or more sprocket teeth 142. Figure 1E As shown, the sprocket 140 can be operably coupled to the driven wheel 102 via the chain 105 (e.g., the chain 105 can travel around the sprocket 103 of the driven wheel 102, such as to form a loop). The driven wheel 102 can be driven by power transmitted from the sprocket 140 to the chain 103 and the sprocket 103 of the driven wheel 102 to rotate the driven wheel 102. For example, the rotation of the sprocket 140 (which can be driven by a user pedaling coupled to the crank 130) can drive the chain 105 to rotate the rear wheel 102 (e.g., the sprocket 103 of the driven wheel 102). One or more sprocket teeth 142 can be connected to the chain 105 to transmit power from the sprocket 140 to the driven wheel 102. In some embodiments, the front wheel can be the driven wheel 102.

[0082] As described herein, the gearbox 120 may include a motor assembly (e.g., a motor reducer assembly) that can provide power to drive (e.g., rotate) the driven wheels 102 of the vehicle 100. The pedal assembly 110 (e.g., the pedal shaft 132, the crank 130, and the pedals) can provide power to drive (e.g., rotate) the driven wheels 102 of the vehicle 100. The power may be transmitted along at least partially separate paths through the gearbox 120, but may be converged into a common output section at a component within the gearbox 120. Prior to the common output section, the separate power paths may be isolated from each other, for example, by respective one-way bearings positioned along each power path, as discussed in more detail below.

[0083] C. External features of the gearbox—— FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D

[0084] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D Pictured Figures 1A to 1D 100 . The gearbox 120 may include a housing 122 that may at least partially enclose a plurality of components (e.g., a motor assembly 160) arranged along different or multiple axes of rotation. The housing 122 may be a variety of materials, which may include at least plastic and / or metal (e.g., die cast metal). The housing 122 may be sized to be inserted into or otherwise extend into a space between components of the vehicle frame 104. The housing 122 may be generally oval in shape, although other shapes are also contemplated.

[0085] The housing 122 of the gearbox 120 can be coupled (e.g., fixed) relative to the frame 104 of the vehicle 100. For example, the gearbox 120 can be mounted on the vehicle 100 or the frame 104 via the crankshaft or pedal shaft 132. The gearbox 120 can be coupled to an intermediate component (e.g., a bracket) that is coupled to the frame 104 and / or directly coupled to the frame 104 (e.g., the seat tube 106 and / or the down tube 108) via one or more fasteners (e.g., clamps, bolts, screws, etc.). In some embodiments, the gearbox 120 can be welded and / or adhered to the frame 104. In some variations, the gearbox can be an integral component of the frame 104.

[0086] As shown, the pedal shaft 132 may extend through the housing 122 of the gear case 120 to protrude from opposite sides of the housing 122. The protruding ends of the pedal shaft 132 may be coupled to the cranks 130, which may be coupled to the pedals.

[0087] D. Internal features of the gearbox—— FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D

[0088] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D The gearbox 120 is illustrated with portions of the housing 122 removed to illustrate components within the gearbox 120 . Figure 3A A perspective view of a gearbox 120 is shown having one or more metal sheets 158 (e.g., two metal sheets) and an extrusion 156 positioned between the one or more metal sheets 158 to surround components of the gearbox 120. For example, the extrusion 156 and the one or more metal sheets 158 may surround portions of the pedal shaft 132 and the motor assembly 160. Figure 3B A perspective view of the gearbox 120 is shown with the housing 122 removed along with the metal plate 158 and the extrusion 156 . Figure 3C and Figure 3D A top view and a schematic cross-sectional view of the gearbox 120 are shown, respectively. For illustration purposes, the crank 130 is not shown. Figure 3B and Figure 3C is shown in, and Figure 3D Only one of the cranks 130 connected to the pedals 112 is shown. As shown, the gearbox 120 may include a motor assembly 160, a first one-way bearing 134 (e.g., a motor one-way bearing), a first output gear 144 (e.g., a motor output gear), a second one-way bearing 136 (e.g., a pedal one-way bearing), and / or a second output gear 146 (e.g., a pedal output gear). Each of the components of the gearbox 120 may contribute to the motive force to move (e.g., propel) the vehicle 100 in one direction (e.g., forward).

[0089] D. Dual power paths of the gearbox—— FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D

[0090] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D Components of a gearbox 120 having a rotation axis, a power path of the motive force provided by the pedal assembly 110 (e.g., through one or more cranks 130), a power path of the motive force provided by the motor assembly 160, and a combined power path of the motive force provided by both the pedal assembly and the motor assembly 160 are schematically illustrated, respectively.

[0091] like Figure 4A As shown, the gearbox 120 may include a pedal shaft 132 that can rotate about a second rotation axis 137. The pedal shaft 132 may be coupled to a second one-way bearing 136 (e.g., a pedal one-way bearing) and a second output gear 146 and be coaxial with the second one-way bearing and the second output gear. The second one-way bearing 136 may be radially disposed between the pedal shaft 132 and the second output gear 146, which may include the second one-way bearing 136 being coupled to the second output gear 146. The second output gear 146 may be coupled to the sprocket 140, which may include being coupled together by a coupler 148 (e.g., an annular structure, a ring) disposed between the second output gear 146 and the sprocket 140. In some variations, the coupler 148 is not directly coupled to the pedal shaft 132. The pedal shaft 132, the second output gear 146, the second one-way bearing 136, the coupler 148, and / or the sprocket 140 may be centered on the second rotation axis 137. When the user is pedaling the pedal connected to the crank 130 in a first rotational direction to provide forward motive force, the pedal shaft 132, the second output gear 146, the second one-way bearing 136, the connector 148 and / or the sprocket 140 can rotate together in the first rotational direction (e.g., forward rotational direction).

[0092] In operation, to transfer motive force via the pedal assembly 110 without the motor assembly 160, the pedal shaft 132 may be rotated in a first direction by applying one or more forces to the pedal 112 coupled to the crank 130 to transfer rotational force (e.g., via the coupling 148) to the sprocket 140 coupled to the second output gear 146, as shown in FIG. Figure 4BThe power path shown in FIG. 1 is schematically shown. When the pedal shaft 132 rotates in a first direction (e.g., a forward rotational direction), the second one-way bearing 136 and the second output gear 146 may also rotate in the first direction (e.g., a forward direction), which may cause the vehicle 100 to travel in a forward direction by transmitting power to the sprocket 140 (e.g., through a chain looped around the sprocket 140 and a sprocket of the driven wheel 102). A user may apply one or more forces to the pedal 112 coupled to the crank 130 in the first rotational direction to rotate the pedal shaft 132 in the first rotational direction, so that the second one-way bearing 136, the second output gear 146, the coupler 148 and / or the sprocket 140 rotate in the first rotational direction. The rotation of the sprocket 140 in the first rotational direction may drive the driven wheel 102 (e.g., a rear wheel) to rotate in the first rotational direction by the chain around the sprocket 140 and the sprocket coupled to the driven wheel 102.

[0093] The second one-way bearing 136 can provide a conditional rotational coupling between the pedal shaft 132 and the second output gear 146. Rotation of the second one-way bearing 136 in one direction can cause the inner race and the outer race of the second one-way bearing 136 to move together and lock relative to each other (e.g., be rotationally locked together) to provide a rotational coupling (e.g., be rotationally locked together) between the pedal shaft 132 and the second output gear 146. For example, when rotating in a first rotational direction, the second one-way bearing 136 can be locked so that the inner race of the second one-way bearing 136 is restricted from moving relative to the outer race of the second one-way bearing 136, which can allow torque to be transmitted from the pedal shaft 132 to the second output gear 146 to rotate the sprocket 140 coupled to the second output gear 146 through the coupling 148. The rotation of the second output gear 146 can drive the rotation of the sprocket 140 so as to transmit the power output to (e.g., rotate) the driven wheel 102, thereby moving the vehicle 100 in a desired (e.g., forward) direction. When the pedal shaft 132 rotates in a second rotational direction (e.g., opposite to the first rotational direction), the second one-way bearing 136 may slide so that the pedal shaft 132 and the second output gear 146 do not rotate together in the second rotational direction (e.g., are not rotationally coupled). The second one-way bearing 136 may isolate the rotation of the pedal shaft 132 in the second rotational direction from the second output gear 146. For example, when the pedal shaft 132 rotates in the second (opposite) direction, the second one-way bearing 136 may slide when an outer race coupled to the second output gear 146 and an inner race coupled to the pedal shaft 132 move independently of each other (e.g., not together).

[0094] When the second output gear 146 is driven in the first rotational direction by other mechanisms (e.g., mechanisms other than the pedal shaft 132 and one or more cranks 130), such as the motor assembly 160, the second one-way bearing 136 may slide (e.g., the rotational movement of the outer race of the second one-way bearing 136 coupled to the second output gear 146 may be independent of the rotational movement of the inner race coupled to the pedal shaft 132). This sliding may prevent torque from being transmitted from the second output gear 146 to the pedal shaft 132. This sliding may prevent or reduce the rotational resistance of the pedal shaft 132 when the second output gear 146 driven by the motor assembly 160 rotates.

[0095] The second output gear 146 can be connected (e.g., engaged) with the first output gear 144 driven by the motor assembly 160. However, when the second output gear 146 is powered by (e.g., receives transmitted torque from) the rotation of the pedal shaft 132 in the first rotational direction, the first output gear 144 can freely rotate around the first one-way bearing 134 in a second rotational direction (e.g., a rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction) due to the sliding of the first one-way bearing 134 (e.g., the outer race of the first one-way bearing 134 can slide relative to the inner race of the first one-way bearing 134, which can include the outer race rotating independently relative to the inner race). As the pedal shaft 132 rotates in the first rotational direction due to the user pedaling in the first rotational direction, the first output gear 144 can freely rotate in the second rotational direction around the motor shaft 162, which can be driven by the motor assembly 160 due to the sliding of the first one-way bearing 134 (e.g., the outer race of the first one-way bearing 134 coupled to the first output gear 144 can rotate independently relative to the inner race of the first one-way bearing 134 coupled to the motor shaft 162 that can be driven by the motor assembly 160). Therefore, torque is not transmitted from the pedal shaft 132 driven in the first rotational direction due to pedaling to the motor shaft 162 of the motor assembly 160.

[0096] The first one-way bearing 134 and / or the second one-way bearing 136 may include any suitable one-way bearing (such as a sprag bearing) biased (e.g., using a spring) in an asymmetric retaining space and / or a bearing having an intermediate ball bearing or other bearing member (such as a needle bearing).

[0097] As described above, the gearbox 120 may also include a motor assembly 160. The motor assembly 160 may rotate the driven wheel 102 in a first rotational direction (e.g., through the interface between the first output gear 144 and the second output gear 146) to propel the vehicle 100 in a desired direction (e.g., forward). The motor assembly 160 may rotate the motor shaft 162 and the first output gear 144 coupled to the motor shaft 162 in the second rotational direction, which may rotate the second output gear 146 interfaced with the first output gear 144 in the first rotational direction, which may drive the driven wheel 102 in the first rotational direction.

[0098] The motor assembly 160 may include a motor shaft 162. The motor shaft 162 may rotate about the first rotation axis 135, which may be substantially parallel to the second rotation axis 137. The motor shaft 162 may be driven in a second rotation direction by the motor assembly 160. The motor shaft 162 may rotate the first one-way bearing 134 and the first output gear 144 in the second rotation direction (e.g., counterclockwise when viewed from the right side of the vehicle 100) to move the vehicle 100 forward.

[0099] The first one-way bearing 134 can be coupled to the first output gear 144 and the motor shaft 162 and coaxial with the first output gear and the motor shaft. The first one-way bearing 134 can be radially disposed between the first output gear 144 and the motor shaft 162. The first one-way bearing 134 can include an outer race coupled to the first output gear 144 and an inner race coupled to the motor shaft 162. The first one-way bearing 134 can be locked with the motor shaft 162 driven by the motor assembly 160 in the second rotational direction (e.g., the outer race and the inner race can rotate together), so that the motor shaft 162 and the first output gear 144 rotate together in the second rotational direction. In some configurations, the rotation of the motor shaft 162 can cause the first one-way bearing 134 to lock, so that the first output gear 144 rotates together with the motor shaft 162 in the second rotational direction. When the rotational movement of the inner race of the first one-way bearing 134 and the outer race of the first one-way bearing 134 are coupled together (e.g., the inner race and the outer race rotate together, and the inner race and the outer race cannot rotate independently relative to each other), the first one-way bearing 134 can be locked (e.g., when rotating in a second rotational direction), which can allow torque to be transmitted from the motor shaft 162 to the first output gear 144.

[0100] In some variations, the motive force of the vehicle 100 can be transmitted through the motor assembly 160 without the motive force of the rotation of the pedal shaft 132 caused by pedaling. The motor assembly 160 can drive the rotation of the motor shaft 162. In order to control the speed or torque of the motor assembly 160, one or more elements or gears can be configured to reduce or lower the rotational speed (e.g., revolutions per minute) of the motor shaft 162.

[0101] The motor assembly 160 may be powered by a user adjustable throttle, such as a thumb throttle. The motor reducer assembly 160 may propel the vehicle 100 without using the pedal assembly 110 (eg, one or more cranks 130, pedals, and / or pedal shaft 132).

[0102] Figure 4C 1 shows a power path for transmitting power using the motor assembly 160 without pedaling (e.g., pedaling alone). The motor assembly 160 can rotate the motor shaft 162 in a second rotational direction. The first one-way bearing 134 can be locked so that the first output gear 144 rotates with the motor shaft 162. The first output gear 144 can be connected with the second output gear 146 to drive the second output gear 146 to rotate. The second one-way bearing 136 can slide (e.g., the outer race of the second one-way bearing 136 rotates independently relative to the inner race of the second one-way bearing 136) to enable the second output gear 146 to rotate independently (e.g., freely rotate) relative to the pedal shaft 132, which can enable the second output gear 146 to rotate without rotating the pedal shaft 132, the crank 130, and the pedal. The second output gear 146 can be coupled to the sprocket 140 by the coupling 148 so that the second output gear 146 and the sprocket 140 rotate together. The rotation of the sprocket 140 can drive a chain coupled to the sprocket of the driven wheel 102, so that the driven wheel 102 rotates to propel the vehicle 100. When the second output gear 146 is rotated by the first output gear 144, the second one-way bearing 136 can slip, which can prevent torque from being transmitted to the pedal shaft 132 through the second one-way bearing 136 or the second output gear 146. When the rotation of the driven wheel 102 is powered by the motor assembly 160, this can inhibit or prevent the rotation of one or more cranks 130 so that the user can ride and power the vehicle 100 without pedaling. The first output gear 144 can be connected (e.g., meshed, engaged) with the second output gear 146. The rotation of the first output gear 144 can cause the opposite rotation of the second output gear 146 (e.g., in a clockwise direction when viewed from the right side of the vehicle 100), which can provide rotational power or torque to the sprocket 140. In some variations, actuation of the motor assembly 160 (eg, rotation of the first output gear 144 ) does not cause rotation of the pedal shaft 132 .

[0103] In some variations, the first output gear 144 and the second output gear 146 may be sized and / or configured to have a gear ratio of 1:1 (e.g., the first output gear 144 and the second output gear 146 may have the same diameter, and the first output gear 144 may have the same number of teeth as the second output gear 146). In some variations, the first output gear 144 and the second output gear 146 may have a gear ratio different from 1:1. For example, the first output gear 144 may have a smaller diameter and / or a smaller number of gear teeth than the second output gear 146. The second output gear 146 may have a larger diameter and / or have more gear teeth than the first output gear 144. In some variations, the first output gear 144 may have a larger diameter and / or have more gear teeth than the second output gear 146.

[0104] In some variations, the vehicle 100 may be powered by both the motor assembly 160 and the pedal assembly 110 (eg, by a user pedaling one or more cranks 130 to rotate the pedal shaft 132 ). Figure 4D The power path for transmitting power simultaneously with the motor assembly 160 and the power assembly 110 is schematically shown. When a user applies force to one or more cranks 130 to rotate the pedal shaft 132, the second one-way bearing 136 can lock and transmit torque to the second output gear 146. When the user provides power to the motor assembly 160, the motor shaft 162 can rotate and lock the first one-way bearing 134, which can transmit torque to the first output gear 144 connected to the second output gear 146, and then rotate the second output gear 146. Therefore, the sprocket 140 can receive power (e.g., rotation of the pedal shaft 132) from the motor assembly 160 and the pedal assembly 110 at the same time, so that the vehicle 100 is operated in a motor-assisted mode, in which the rider can use the motor assembly 160 to provide supplemental motive force to the vehicle 100 while pedaling.

[0105] In some variations, the first one-way bearing 136 or the second one-way bearing 136 may slip when the pedal assembly 110 and the motor assembly 160 are operated simultaneously to prevent the motor assembly 160 from driving the pedal shaft 132 to rotate and the pedal assembly 110 from driving the motor shaft 162 to rotate. For example, when the motor assembly 160 is driving the second output gear 146 to rotate faster than the pedal assembly 110, the second one-way bearing 136 may slip, causing the second output gear 146 to rotate faster than the pedal shaft 132, which may prevent the motor assembly 160 from rotating the pedal shaft 132 and the crank 130 coupled to the pedal shaft. When the pedal assembly 110 is pedaled at a speed that drives the first output gear 144 to rotate faster than the motor assembly 160, the first one-way bearing 136 may slip, causing the first output gear 144 to rotate faster than the motor shaft 162, which may prevent the pedal assembly 110 from driving the motor shaft 162 to rotate. In some variations, rotation of sprocket 140 may be driven by either pedal assembly 110 or motor assembly 160 , depending on which assembly drives second output gear 146 to rotate faster.

[0106] The motor assembly 160 can be controlled in a variety of ways. For example, the motor assembly 160 can provide a motive force that supplements (e.g., increases) the motive force provided by the user via the pedal. In some variations, the motor assembly 160 can provide a motive force when the user is not pedaling. In some variations, the motor assembly 160 can provide a motive force when the user is pedaling. In some variations, the vehicle 100 can include sensors that can be used to control the motor, such as torque sensors, proximity sensors, and / or other sensors. For example, when a threshold torque level is detected and / or exceeded, the motor assembly 160 can be actuated. This can be achieved by the motor assembly 160 Automatic motion assistance and / or can allow the user to control the operation of the motor by using a pedal assembly (e.g., by applying a torque amount greater than or equal to a threshold to the pedal assembly). In some variations, the propulsion of the vehicle 100 can be powered by the motor assembly 160 and the user through the pedal assembly 110 at the same time.

[0107] E. Motor assembly—— FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C

[0108] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C An embodiment of a motor assembly 160 is shown. The motor assembly 160 may include a housing 164 having a first portion 166 and a second portion 168. The motor assembly 160 may include a motor 170 (eg, an electric motor).

[0109] The motor assembly 160 may include a reducer 210 (e.g., such as a reducer assembly or a motor reducer assembly). The reducer 210 may include a high gear reduction ratio (e.g., 1:5, 1:6, 1:10, 1:20) to reduce the output speed of the motor 170 and / or provide increased torque from the motor 170 to the driven wheels 102, which can help the vehicle 100 move from a stationary position and / or climb a hill. The reducer 210 may include a plurality of different gears having different gear diameter sizes and / or different gear tooth counts that are connected to each other to reduce a first speed of the output shaft of the motor 170 to a slower second speed of the motor shaft 162 coupled to the first output gear 144.

[0110] The reducer 210 may include a cam 172, a gear plate 174, an output gear 176 (e.g., a reducer output gear), and / or a ring gear 178. The cam 172 may have an eccentric profile and / or may be designed to rotate eccentrically. For example, the cam 172 may have an elliptical profile and / or may be designed to rotate around an axis of rotation that is not colinear with the axis of rotation 179 of the motor 170. The axis of rotation of the cam 172 may be elliptical or follow an elliptical path during operation. The gear plate 174 may be coupled to the cam 172. The gear plate 174 may have an outer portion 180 with a plurality of gear teeth 181. The gear plate 174 may include a first inner portion 182 and a second inner portion 184 axially spaced apart from each other. The first inner portion 182 may be free of gear teeth and may be coupled to the cam 172 (e.g., coupled to the outer surface 171 of the cam 172). In some variations, the first inner portion 182 of the gear plate 174 may include a bearing (e.g., a ball bearing or a roller bearing). The second inner portion 184 may have a plurality of gear teeth 185 .

[0111] The ring gear 178 may be in contact with the gear plate 174. The ring gear 178 may have a plurality of gear teeth 191 on an inner surface 190 of the ring gear 178. The plurality of gear teeth 191 on the inner surface 190 may be in contact with (e.g., engage, mate with) the plurality of gear teeth 181 on the outer portion 180 of the gear plate 174. The number of gear teeth on the gear plate 174 may be different from (e.g., not equal to) the number of gear teeth on the inner surface 190 of the ring gear 178. For example, the number of gear teeth 191 on the inner surface 190 may be greater than the number of teeth 181 on the outer portion 180 of the gear plate 174. The gear reduction ratio (e.g., a gear reduction ratio of 2:3, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5) may result in a reduction in the rotational speed from the motor 170 to the gear plate 174.

[0112] The output gear 176 can interface with the gear plate 174. The output gear 176 can have an outer surface 186 with a plurality of gear teeth 187. In some variations, the second inner portion 184 of the gear plate 174 can have a plurality of gear teeth 185 that can interface with the gear teeth 187 of the outer surface 186 of the output gear 176. The number of gear teeth 187 on the outer surface 186 can be less than the number of gear teeth 185 on the second inner portion 184 of the gear plate 174. The gear ratio between the gear teeth 187 of the output gear 176 and the gear teeth 185 of the gear plate 174 can be 2:3, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, and / or any ratio that can reduce the rotational speed from the motor 170 to the output gear 176. Rotation of the gear plate 174 can cause the output gear 176 to rotate. The output gear 176 can be coupled to the first one-way bearing 134 and the first output gear 144 by a member 188 (e.g., a shaft, a threaded shaft, a cylindrical mount, or other member). The member 188 can be integral with the output gear 176. The member 188 can be the motor shaft 162. The member 188 can be coupled to the motor shaft 162. The member 188 can transmit the rotation of the output gear 176 to the first one-way bearing 134 outside the housing 164 to provide motive force to the vehicle 100.

[0113] In operation, the motor 170 can drive the cam 172 to rotate at a first speed (e.g., a desired speed). The output speed of the motor 170 driving the cam 172 can be controlled by a user (e.g., using a throttle valve). The cam 172 can be rotatably coupled to the first inner portion 182 of the gear plate 174. Therefore, due to the irregular profile of the cam 172, the cam 172 can cause the gear plate 174 to rotate at a slower speed relative to the cam 172. For example, since the elliptical profile of the cam 172 is not rigidly coupled (e.g., via gears) to the first inner portion 182, and the first inner portion 182 can slide relative to the cam 172, the speed transmitted from the motor 170 to the gear plate 174 is reduced. Additionally, the cam 172 can cause the gear plate 174 to rotate around an irregular path (e.g., an elliptical path) or profile that is different from the path or profile of the rotation axis 179 of the motor 170. The gear plate 174 can rotate relative to the ring gear 178.

[0114] In various embodiments, the ring gear 178 can provide a speed reduction (e.g., reducing the speed of the output gear 176 relative to the speed of the motor 170). The ring gear 178 can remain stationary (e.g., remain stationary). When the outer portion 180 of the gear plate 174 (via the plurality of gear teeth 181) contacts the fixed inner surface 190 of the ring gear 178 (via the plurality of gear teeth 191), the speed of the gear plate 174 can be slowed or further reduced (e.g., to a lesser extent than would be reduced solely due to the interaction between the gear plate 174 and the cam 172). In addition, the gear plate 174 rotates about a rotation axis that is different from the rotation axis 179 because the gear plate 174 rotates about an irregular profile (e.g., a surface profile of the cam 172, an elliptical path). Additionally, due to the movement of the rotation axis of the gear plate 174, the plurality of gear teeth 181 of the gear plate 174 irregularly engage the plurality of gear teeth 191 of the inner surface 190 of the ring gear 178. When the plurality of gear teeth 181 of the outer portion 180 of the gear plate 174 contact the plurality of gear teeth 191 of the inner surface 190 of the ring gear 178 , the rotational speed of the gear plate 174 is further reduced.

[0115] The output gear 176 is operable to transfer torque (e.g., rotation) from the motor 170 to the first one-way bearing 134, and then to the driven wheel 102. Advantageously, the configuration of the speed reducer 210 (e.g., cam 172, gear plate 174, output gear 176, and / or ring gear 178) can reduce (e.g., decrease) the speed of the motor 170 and increase the amount of torque transferred to the vehicle 100 (e.g., driven wheel 102). The output gear 176 is located above the shaft 192 of the motor 170 extending through the cam 172. Due to the interaction (e.g., relative positioning) between the cam 172, gear plate 174, output gear 176, and / or ring gear 178, the gear plate 174 can reduce the speed at which the motor 170 drives the output gear 176. The gear teeth 185 of the second inner portion 184 of the gear plate 174 can be connected (e.g., engaged) with the plurality of gear teeth 187 of the outer surface 186 of the output gear 176. Due to the slower rotation speed of the gear plate 174, the second inner portion 184 can reduce the speed of the output gear 176. The configuration of the reducer 210 described herein can enable a significant rotation speed reduction (e.g., due to a high gear reduction ratio) from the motor 170 to the output gear 176 and thus to the sprocket 140 and the driven wheel 102. For example, the motor 170 can be driven to rotate at a first rotation speed, and the output gear 176 can rotate at a slower second rotation speed. Advantageously, this can allow high torque to be transmitted to the driven wheel 102 while making the motor 170 small enough to be placed on an electric bicycle.

[0116] The motor 170 may include a drive shaft 192 that may be driven (e.g., rotated) by the motor 170. The motor unit 160 may include a plurality of bearings disposed on the drive shaft 192 to isolate one or more features of the motor unit 160 from the rotation of the drive shaft 192. For example, the motor unit 160 may include a first bearing 200 and / or a second bearing 202 disposed between the housing 164 and a portion of the motor shaft 192 to isolate the rotation of the drive shaft 192 from the housing 164. The motor unit 160 may include a third bearing 204 and / or a fourth bearing 206 disposed between the output gear 176 and the motor shaft 192 to isolate the rotation of the drive shaft 192 from the output gear 176.

[0117] The cam 172 can be coupled (e.g., fixedly coupled) to the drive shaft 192. The cam 172 can rotate with the drive shaft 192. As described herein, the gear plate 174 can be disposed on (e.g., coupled to) the cam 172, which can include an outer peripheral surface disposed around the cam 172. The cam 172 can include an eccentric profile, which can be a profile that includes an outer peripheral profile that deviates from a circular shape. In some variations, the motor unit 160 can include a bearing 208 disposed between the cam 172 and the gear plate 174. The bearing 208 can facilitate some sliding between the cam 172 and the gear plate 174.

[0118] The gear plate 174 can be disposed within the ring gear 178. The ring gear 178 can be fixedly coupled to the housing 164 (e.g., the second portion 168) or integral with the housing. The rotation of the cam 172 can drive the gear plate 174 to move and / or rotate along an elliptical path. The gear teeth 181 of the outer portion 180 of the gear plate 174 can interface with the gear teeth 191 of the inner surface 190 of the ring gear 178, which can manage (e.g., reduce) the rotation speed of the gear plate 174 relative to the rotation speed of the drive shaft 192.

[0119] As described herein, the output gear 176 can be disposed on the drive shaft 192, and the third bearing 204 and the fourth bearing 206 are disposed between the drive shaft 192 and the output gear 176, so that the rotation of the drive shaft 192 does not directly drive the rotation of the output gear 176. Instead, the movement and / or rotation of the gear plate 174 can drive the rotation of the output gear 176. As described herein, the gear teeth 185 of the second inner portion 184 of the gear plate 174 can be connected with the gear teeth 187 of the outer surface 186 of the output gear 176 to drive the rotation of the output gear 176, which can control (e.g., reduce) the rotation speed of the output gear 176 relative to the rotation speed of the gear plate 174. The first output gear 144 can be coupled to a portion (e.g., member 188) of the output gear 176 that protrudes outside the housing 164. As described herein, the portion (e.g., member 188) can be the motor shaft 162. The reduction in rotation speed can at least provide the benefits described herein.

[0120] E. Certain terms

[0121] Certain terms may be used in the following description for reference purposes only and are therefore not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as "upper," "lower," "upward," "downward," "above," "below," "top," "bottom," "left," and the like refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Such terms may include the words specifically mentioned above, their derivatives, and words of similar meaning. Similarly, the terms "first," "second," and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0122] Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood within the context of use, conditional language such as "can," "can," "might," or "may" is generally intended to convey that some embodiments include and other embodiments do not include certain features, elements, and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that features, elements, and / or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments must include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether such features, elements, and / or steps are included in any particular embodiment or will be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0123] Unless specifically stated otherwise, linking language such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y, and Z" is understood in context as generally used to convey that an item, term, etc. can be X, Y, or Z. Thus, such linking language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

[0124] As used herein, terms related to circular shapes, such as "diameter" or "radius", should be understood not to require completely circular structures, but should apply to any suitable structure having a cross-sectional area that can be measured from side to side. Terms generally related to shapes, such as "spherical" or "circular" or "cylindrical" or "semi-circular" or "semi-cylindrical" or any related or similar terms, do not require strict conformance to the mathematical definitions of spheres, circles, cylinders or other structures, but may include structures that are reasonably approximate.

[0125] As used herein, the terms "approximately," "about," and "substantially" refer to an amount close to the stated amount that still performs the desired function or achieves the desired result. For example, in some embodiments, where the context permits, the terms "approximately," "about," and "substantially" may refer to an amount that is less than or equal to 10% of the stated amount. As used herein, the term "approximately" refers to a value, amount, or characteristic that primarily includes or tends toward a specific value, amount, or characteristic. For example, in some embodiments, where the context permits, the term "approximately parallel" may refer to a situation where the deviation from exact parallelism is less than or equal to 20 degrees. As another example, in some embodiments, where the context permits, the term "approximately perpendicular" may refer to a situation where the deviation from exact perpendicularity is less than or equal to 20 degrees.

[0126] The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively in an open-ended manner and do not exclude additional elements, features, actions, operations, and the like. Likewise, the terms "some," "some," and the like are synonymous and are used in an open-ended manner. In addition, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not its exclusive sense), so when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

[0127] Some embodiments have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are drawn to scale, but such scale is not restrictive, as dimensions and ratios other than those shown are intended and within the scope of the disclosed invention. Distances, angles, etc. are merely illustrative and do not necessarily have an exact relationship to the actual size and layout of the device shown. Components may be added, deleted, and / or rearranged. In addition, any specific features, aspects, methods, properties, characteristics, qualities, attributes, elements, etc. disclosed herein in conjunction with the various embodiments may be used in all other embodiments set forth herein. In addition, any method described herein may be implemented using any device suitable for performing the steps.

[0128] In general, the language of the claims should be interpreted broadly based on the language used in the claims.The language of the claims is not limited to the non-exclusive embodiments and examples shown and described in the present disclosure or discussed during the prosecution of the application.

[0129] F. Summary

[0130] Various embodiments and examples of mid-drive motorized drive units and associated vehicles and methods are disclosed herein. Although the invention is disclosed in the context of certain embodiments and examples, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and / or uses of embodiments and certain modifications and equivalents thereof. The scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosure of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere in this specification, and may be limited by claims presented in this section or elsewhere in this specification or in the future.

[0131] Although certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In fact, the novel methods and systems described herein can be embodied in various other forms. In addition, various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made to the systems and methods described herein without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The attached claims and their equivalents are intended to cover these forms or modifications that fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Any feature from one embodiment may be included in any other embodiment. No element, feature, step, or aspect is critical or necessary.

[0132] Features, materials, characteristics or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example should be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described in this section or elsewhere in this specification unless incompatible therewith. All features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) and / or all steps of any method or process so disclosed may be combined in any combination, except for at least some mutually exclusive combinations of such features and / or steps. The scope of protection is not limited to the details of any preceding embodiments. The scope of protection extends to any novel feature or any novel combination of features of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel step or any novel combination of steps of any method or process so disclosed.

[0133] In addition, certain features described in the present disclosure in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in multiple implementations individually or in any suitable sub-combination. In addition, although features may be described above as functioning in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be deleted from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a sub-combination or a variation of a sub-combination.

[0134] For purposes of the present disclosure, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not all of these advantages need be achieved according to any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, one skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure may be embodied or performed in a manner that achieves one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as taught or suggested herein.

Claims

1. A motorized mid-drive unit configured to drive a bicycle having one or more cranks and a driven wheel, the motorized mid-drive unit comprising: Electric motor; A reducer, the reducer comprising: Eccentric cam; a gear plate coupled to the eccentric cam; a ring gear that interfaces with the outwardly facing teeth of the gear plate; and a speed reducer output gear, the speed reducer output gear being connected to the inwardly facing teeth of the gear plate; Sprocket; a first one-way bearing; and Second one-way bearing; wherein the first one-way bearing is configured to enable power from the electric motor to be transmitted to the driven wheel; wherein the second one-way bearing is configured to enable power from the one or more cranks to be transmitted to the driven wheel; wherein the speed reducer is configured to reduce the rotation speed output from the electric motor and transmitted to the driven wheel; and Wherein the motorized mid-drive unit is configured to enable a user to propel the bicycle using only the one or more cranks, only the electric motor, and both the one or more cranks and the electric motor.

2. The motorized mid-drive unit according to claim 1, wherein: The sprocket is configured to receive power from the electric motor and the one or more cranks to transmit the power to the driven wheel through a chain.

3. The motorized mid-drive unit of claim 2, further comprising an output gear, and further comprising a pedal axle rotatably coupled to the one or more cranks, and wherein the sprocket is rotatably coupled to the output gear, and the output gear is rotatably coupled to the pedal axle.

4. The motorized mid-drive unit according to claim 3, wherein: The output gear is rotatably coupled to the pedal shaft through the second one-way bearing.

5. The motorized mid-drive unit of claim 2, further comprising a first output gear and a second output gear, wherein the first output gear is connected to the second output gear, wherein the first output gear is configured to facilitate the transfer of power from the electric motor to the sprocket, and wherein the second output gear is configured to facilitate the transfer of power from the electric motor and the one or more cranks to the sprocket.

6. The motorized mid-drive unit according to claim 5, wherein: The first one-way bearing is coupled to the first output gear and the second one-way bearing is coupled to the second output gear, wherein rotation of an inner race of the first one-way bearing in a first direction locks the first one-way bearing to facilitate transmission of power from the electric motor to the first output gear, and wherein rotation of an inner race of the second one-way bearing in a second direction locks the second one-way bearing to facilitate transmission of power from the one or more cranks to the second output gear.

7. The motorized mid-drive unit of claim 1, wherein: The eccentric cam is rotatably coupled to a motor shaft of the electric motor, and wherein the eccentric cam is coupled to the gear plate and is configured to rotate the gear plate about an elliptical path.

8. The motorized mid-drive unit according to claim 7, wherein: The ring gear is configured to reduce a rotational speed of the gear plate when the gear plate interfaces with the ring gear along the elliptical path.

9. The motorized mid-drive unit of claim 1, wherein: The gear plate is configured to reduce a rotational speed of the speed reducer output gear, and wherein the speed reducer output gear is configured to facilitate transmission of power from the electric motor to the driven wheel.

10. The motorized mid-drive unit of claim 1, wherein: The gear plate has a first inner portion and a second inner portion axially spaced apart from each other, and wherein the first inner portion is engaged with the eccentric cam, and wherein the second inner portion is connected with the reducer output gear.

11. The motorized mid-drive unit of claim 1, wherein: The gear plate is configured to increase the amount of torque from the electric motor and transferred to the driven wheels.

12. The motorized mid-drive unit of claim 1, wherein: A portion of the mid-drive unit is axially offset from the axis of rotation of the driven wheel.

13. A gear box for a bicycle, the gear box comprising: motor; A reducer, the reducer comprising: Cam; a gear plate coupled to the cam; a ring gear connected to the outer teeth of the gear plate; and An output gear, the output gear being connected to the inner teeth of the gear plate; a first one-way bearing coupled to the output gear; a first output gear coupled to the first one-way bearing; a second one-way bearing coupled to the shaft; and a second output gear, the second output gear being coupled to the second one-way bearing, the second output gear being connected to the first output gear; wherein the motor is configured to transmit power to the first one-way bearing through the reducer to drive the first output gear to rotate the second output gear, thereby rotating the sprocket; wherein the shaft is configured to be rotated by a user pedaling to transmit power to the second one-way bearing, thereby driving the second output gear to rotate the sprocket; and The first one-way bearing and the second one-way bearing are configured to enable the sprocket to rotate by power transmitted from the motor rather than the rotation of the shaft caused by pedaling, by power transmitted from the rotation of the shaft caused by pedaling rather than the motor, and by power transmitted from both the motor and the rotation of the shaft caused by pedaling.

14. The gearbox according to claim 13, wherein: The cam is an eccentric cam configured to rotate the gear plate about a first axis that is offset from a second axis of a motor shaft of the motor.

15. The gearbox according to claim 14, wherein: The external teeth of the gear plate are configured to engage with the teeth of the ring gear to slow the rotational speed of the gear plate.

16. A gear box configured to be coupled to a bicycle, the gear box comprising: an electric motor, the electric motor comprising a housing and a motor shaft; an eccentric cam coupled to the motor shaft of the electric motor, the electric motor being configured to rotate the eccentric cam about the motor shaft; a gear plate coupled to the eccentric cam, the eccentric cam being configured to rotate the gear plate in an elliptical path; a ring gear connected to an outer peripheral surface of the gear plate, the ring gear being fixed relative to the housing and configured to reduce a rotation speed of the gear plate; as well as an output gear, the output gear being connected to the inner circumferential surface of the gear plate, the gear plate being configured to reduce the rotation speed of the output gear; The output gear is configured to transmit motive power to a driven wheel of the bicycle.

17. The gearbox according to claim 16, wherein: The eccentric cam is coupled to a first inner portion of the gear plate that is free of gear teeth.

18. The gearbox according to claim 17, wherein: The inner circumferential surface of the gear plate includes a plurality of gear teeth configured to engage with the external gear teeth of the output gear.

19. The gearbox according to claim 16, wherein: The outer peripheral surface of the gear plate includes external gear teeth, and the external gear teeth are connected with the internal gear teeth of the ring gear along the elliptical path.

20. The gearbox of claim 16, wherein: The output gear is configured to rotate the first one-way bearing in a locked configuration to rotate the first output gear, the first output gear being connected to the second output gear, wherein the second output gear is driven to rotate the sprocket of the bicycle to provide motive force for the bicycle.

21. A gearbox for a vehicle comprising a driven wheel and a pedal assembly, the pedal assembly comprising a sprocket and a shaft, the gearbox comprising: a motor assembly, the motor assembly comprising an output shaft; A motor reducer assembly, the motor reducer assembly comprising: a cam disposed on the output shaft, the cam comprising an eccentric profile; a gear plate coupled to the cam; a ring gear connected to the outer teeth of the gear plate; and An output gear, the output gear being connected to the inner teeth of the gear plate; wherein the motor-reducer assembly is configured to drive the output gear to rotate at a reduced speed relative to the rotational speed of the output shaft of the motor assembly; a first one-way bearing coupled to the output gear; a first output gear coupled to the first one-way bearing; a second one-way bearing configured to be coupled to the shaft of the pedal assembly; and a second output gear coupled to the second one-way bearing, the second output gear being connected to the first output gear and coupled to a sprocket of the pedal assembly; wherein the motor assembly is configured to rotate the output shaft to drive the first output gear to rotate, thereby rotating the second output gear and the sprocket to drive the driven wheel to rotate, thereby propelling the vehicle; wherein the shaft of the pedal assembly is configured to rotate due to pedaling to drive the second output gear and the sprocket to rotate, thereby driving the driven wheel to rotate to propel the vehicle; wherein the first one-way bearing is configured to slide so that the shaft of the pedal assembly can drive the second output gear to rotate without driving the output shaft to rotate; and The second one-way bearing is configured to slide to enable the output shaft of the motor assembly to drive the first output gear to rotate, thereby causing the second output gear to rotate without driving the shaft of the pedal assembly to rotate.

22. The gearbox according to claim 21, wherein: The first one-way bearing and the second one-way bearing are configured to slide to enable the output shaft and the shaft of the pedal assembly to rotate simultaneously.

23. The gearbox of claim 21, wherein: The pedal assembly includes a chain coupling the sprocket and the sprocket of the driven wheel.

24. The gearbox of claim 21, wherein: The motor-reducer assembly is configured to increase torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

25. The gearbox of claim 21, wherein: The ring gear is configured to increase torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

26. The gearbox of claim 21, wherein: The gear plate is configured to increase torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

27. The gearbox of claim 21, wherein: The interface between the ring gear and the external teeth of the gear plate is configured to slow rotation of the gear plate relative to the output shaft.

28. The gearbox of claim 21, wherein: The interface between the output gear and the internal teeth of the gear plate is configured to slow rotation of the output gear relative to the gear plate.

29. The gearbox of claim 21, wherein: The cam is configured to rotate the gear plate in an elliptical path.

30. The gearbox of claim 29, wherein: The elliptical path is offset from the axis of rotation of the output shaft.

31. A motor unit for a vehicle having a pedal assembly, the motor unit comprising: a motor assembly, the motor assembly comprising an output shaft; A motor reducer assembly, the motor reducer assembly comprising: a cam disposed on the output shaft, the cam comprising an eccentric profile; a gear plate coupled to the cam; a ring gear connected to the outer teeth of the gear plate; and An output gear, the output gear being connected to the inner teeth of the gear plate; The motor-reducer assembly is configured to drive the output gear to rotate at a reduced speed relative to the rotational speed of the output shaft of the motor assembly.

32. The motor unit according to claim 31, wherein The motor-reducer assembly is configured to increase torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

33. The motor unit according to claim 31, wherein: The interface between the ring gear and the gear plate is configured to increase torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

34. The motor unit of claim 31, wherein: The gear plate is configured to increase torque transmitted by the motor assembly.

35. The motor unit of claim 31, wherein: The interface between the ring gear and the external teeth of the gear plate is configured to slow rotation of the gear plate relative to the output shaft.

36. The motor unit of claim 31, wherein: The interface between the output gear and the internal teeth of the gear plate is configured to slow rotation of the output gear relative to the gear plate.

37. The motor unit of claim 31, wherein: The cam is configured to rotate the gear plate in an elliptical path.

38. The motor unit of claim 37, wherein: The elliptical path is offset from the axis of rotation of the output shaft.

39. A gearbox for a vehicle having a driven wheel and a pedal assembly, the pedal assembly comprising a sprocket and a shaft, the gearbox comprising a motor unit according to any one of claims 31 to 38.

40. The gearbox of claim 39, further comprising: a first one-way bearing coupled to the output gear; a first output gear coupled to the first one-way bearing; a second one-way bearing configured to be coupled to the shaft of the pedal assembly; as well as a second output gear coupled to the second one-way bearing, the second output gear being connected to the first output gear and coupled to a sprocket of the pedal assembly; wherein the motor assembly is configured to rotate the output shaft to drive the first output gear to rotate, thereby rotating the second output gear and the sprocket to drive the driven wheel to rotate, thereby propelling the vehicle; wherein the shaft of the pedal assembly is configured to rotate due to pedaling to drive the second output gear and the sprocket to rotate, thereby driving the driven wheel to rotate to propel the vehicle; wherein the first one-way bearing is configured to slide so that the shaft of the pedal assembly can drive the second output gear to rotate without driving the output shaft to rotate; and The second one-way bearing is configured to slide to enable the output shaft of the motor assembly to drive the first output gear to rotate, thereby causing the second output gear to rotate without driving the shaft of the pedal assembly to rotate.

41. A motor-reducer unit, the motor-reducer unit being used for a vehicle having a pedal assembly, the motor-reducer unit comprising: a cam disposed on an output shaft of the motor unit, the cam comprising an eccentric profile; a gear plate coupled to the cam; a ring gear connected to the outer teeth of the gear plate; as well as An output gear, the output gear being connected to the inner teeth of the gear plate; The motor-reducer unit is configured to drive the output gear to rotate at a speed that is reduced relative to a rotation speed of the output shaft of the motor unit.

42. A gearbox for a vehicle having a pedal assembly and a driven wheel, the gearbox comprising: a motor, the motor comprising an output shaft; a first output gear, the first output gear being disposed on the output shaft, a first one-way bearing being disposed between the output shaft and the first output gear, wherein the output shaft is configured to drive the first output gear to rotate; as well as a second output gear, the second output gear being connected to the first output gear, the second output gear being disposed on a shaft of the pedal assembly, a second one-way bearing being disposed between the shaft and the second output gear, wherein the shaft is configured to drive the second output gear to rotate; wherein the motor is configured to drive the output shaft to drive the first output gear to rotate the second output gear, thereby rotating a sprocket of the pedal assembly coupled to the second output gear to drive the driven wheel to rotate; wherein the shaft of the pedal assembly is configured to drive the second output gear to rotate the second output gear, thereby rotating the sprocket of the pedal assembly coupled to the second output gear to drive the driven wheel to rotate; and wherein the first one-way bearing is configured to slide to enable the first output gear to rotate at a speed different from a speed of the output shaft; and Wherein the second one-way bearing is configured to slide to enable the second output gear to rotate at a speed different from a speed of the shaft.

43. The gearbox of claim 42, further comprising a speed reducer configured to reduce the rotational speed of the output shaft relative to the rotational speed driven by the motor.

Images