Segmented Rotor Wheel Drive Mechanism for Reduced Weight
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheel-driven mechanisms for vehicles like wheelchairs and bicycles are costly and heavy due to the extensive use of permanent magnets, and they lack efficient manual rotation capabilities during power-off modes.
Innovation Solution
A wheel-driven mechanism with a rotor divided into blocks, where only one block contains permanent magnets, reducing weight and cost, and featuring a stator with adjustable electromagnets and arc-shaped fringe electromagnets to facilitate magnetic coupling and manual rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If permanent magnets are disposed in all blocks of the rotor, then the magnetic coupling force is strong, but the weight and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor is divided into multiple blocks, and permanent magnets are disposed in only one block rather than all blocks. This segmentation approach maintains the necessary magnetic coupling force while significantly reducing the total amount of permanent magnets used, thereby reducing weight and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Permanent magnets are concentrated in a specific local region (one block) of the rotor rather than being uniformly distributed. This local quality approach creates a focused magnetic field that provides sufficient coupling force for operation while minimizing the overall quantity of magnets required.
2Reliability
If permanent magnets are disposed in all blocks of the rotor, then the magnetic field coverage is complete, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor structure is segmented into multiple blocks with permanent magnets installed in only one block. This reduces the manufacturing cost by decreasing the quantity of expensive permanent magnets while maintaining functional reliability through proper magnetic field design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive permanent magnets with a more cost-effective configuration using fewer magnets combined with electromagnetic fields generated by the stator, reducing overall manufacturing costs while maintaining operational reliability.
3Device complexity
If the space between electromagnets and permanent magnets is fixed, then the structure is simple, but manual rotation during power-off is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The space between the electromagnets and permanent magnets is made adjustable rather than fixed. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the gap to be increased during power-off mode to reduce magnetic attraction, enabling easy manual rotation while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces the weight and cost of the mechanism while enabling smooth operation with reduced static magnetic forces, allowing easy movement during power-off and improved manual rotation capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of electromagnets disposed on the stator and being adjacent to the inner side of the rotor... magnetically couple to the permanent magnets for turning the rotor
Implementation Method 2
A plurality of permanent magnets disposed on the rotor... magnetically couple to the permanent magnets for turning the rotor
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a wheel driven mechanism for a vehicle such as a wheelchair, an electrical bicycle, or a motorcycle, especially to a vehicle which has a wheel driven by power but without using an independent electric motor. The wheel driven mechanism comprises a rotor, a plurality of permanent magnets, a stator, and a plurality of electromagnets. The rotor is divided into a first block and a second block, and the permanent magnets are disposed within the first block to reduce the weight and the cost of the wheel driven mechanism. Furthermore, the user can easily rotate the handwheel mechanism during power off.