Electric Vehicle Drive Unit Arrangement Beside Wheel
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to design an efficient suspension system and optimal arrangement for electric motors in electric vehicles where the motor cannot be housed within the wheel recess, leading to protrusion and increased design costs due to the need for larger in-wheel motors for high-speed performance.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a vertically-swingable upper and lower arm suspension system with a knuckle connection, allowing the drive unit to be positioned beside the tire, partially within the wheel recess, and routing high-voltage wires along the motor case to minimize protrusion and facilitate easier connection and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the size of the in-wheel motor is increased to achieve high-speed traveling and further increase in performance, then the output is improved, but the motor cannot be fully housed in the bowl-shaped recessed portion of the wheel and protrudes from the recessed portion to a vehicle body center side, which largely affects the design of the wheel suspension device and leads to increase in design cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the in-wheel motor from a traditional in-wheel location to a location beside the wheel in the vehicle width direction. This dimensional change allows the motor to be positioned outside the wheel recess while maintaining power output, thereby avoiding interference with the suspension device and reducing design complexity.
2Power
If the size of the in-wheel motor is increased to achieve high-speed traveling and further increase in performance, then the output is improved, but the motor protrudes from the recessed portion which leads to increase in design cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the in-wheel motor from a traditional in-wheel location to a location beside the wheel in the vehicle width direction. This dimensional change allows the motor to be positioned outside the wheel recess while maintaining power output, thereby avoiding interference with the suspension device and reducing design complexity.
3Volume of moving object
If the drive unit is positioned beside the tire partially within the wheel recess, then the protrusion is reduced and compact placement is achieved, but the arrangement becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the drive unit into separate components (motor and reducer) that can be independently positioned. The motor is placed beside the wheel while the reducer is positioned to utilize the wheel recess space, allowing each component to be optimized separately and simplifying the overall arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent positions the drive unit components to nest within available spaces. The reducer is placed partially within the wheel recess while the motor extends beside the wheel, effectively utilizing the three-dimensional space and minimizing protrusion without excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In an electric vehicle, a bearing supporting portion supporting another end of a motor shaft is provided in a reducer case and protrudes to a recessed portion while extending at a lateral side of the knuckle. The reducer case being part of a drive unit is partially housed in the recessed portion of a wheel. The drive unit can be located closer to a rear wheel by an amount corresponding to the housed portion. Accordingly, it is possible to dispose part of the drive unit inside the wheel and thereby suppress protruding of the drive unit to a small degree.