Power and control assembly for an electric drive apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric drives for lawn mowers and utility vehicles lack a compact and versatile design that effectively protects power and control conductors, limiting their orientation and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A CAN Bus-enabled, electrically-powered, offset planetary reduction drive with a protected, integrated power and control module is designed to provide a compact envelope and versatile mounting interface, allowing for flexible orientation and enhanced protection of power and control conductors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a compact design is implemented, then the envelope size is reduced, but the protection of power and control conductors becomes compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The power and control conductors are routed through the interior cavity of the drive housing, nesting the conductor protection function within the existing structural envelope. This eliminates the need for external conductor protection components while maintaining a compact design, as the housing itself serves dual purposes: structural containment and conductor protection.
2Device complexity
If a fixed mounting orientation is used, then the device structure is simplified, but the adaptability to different vehicle configurations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drive housing incorporates a universal mounting interface with multiple potential mounting surfaces and orientations, allowing the same device to be adapted to different vehicle configurations without requiring custom mounting structures. The housing can be mounted in various orientations while maintaining proper conductor routing and protection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conductors are routed externally, then the mounting orientation is fixed, but the conductor protection is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor routing is moved from an external two-dimensional path to an internal three-dimensional pathway within the housing cavity. This dimensional transition allows conductors to be protected while accommodating various mounting orientations, as the internal routing adapts to the housing's position in space rather than requiring fixed external conductor paths.
Data Source
AI summary
A drive includes an electric motor disposed in a housing and driving a motor shaft, a Hall effect sensor adjacent to the motor, a power and control assembly, and a pinion gear driven by the motor shaft. A planetary gear reduction assembly is driven by the pinion gear, and an output axle has an axis of rotation that is offset from and parallel to the motor shaft axis of rotation. The reduction drive is substantially bilaterally symmetrical about a plane passing through the motor shaft axis of rotation and the output axle axis of rotation. The power and control assembly comprises a control board oriented perpendicular to a power board and includes a heat dissipation apparatus that applies multi-point, localized, indirect pressure to a plurality of field effect transistors mounted on the power board.