Selectively Attachable Hub Motor for Electric Vehicle Wheel Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hub motors in electric vehicles are difficult to remove, replace, or service without removing the entire wheel, making repairs and upgrades costly and requiring specialized facilities, limiting user convenience and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A motive wheel configuration with a selectively attachable and detachable hub motor that can be attached or detached from the outward-facing side of the wheel, allowing for easy service, repair, and upgrade without removing the wheel, featuring a concentric cylindrical rotor and stator that can be swapped between wheels to change drive types or add traction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hub motor is closely integrated with the wheel, then the structural stability and reliability are improved, but the ease of repair and replacement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hub motor is divided into separate serviceable components (motor housing, rotor, stator, bearings) that can be independently accessed and replaced. The motor housing acts as a modular unit that can be detached from the wheel, allowing technicians to service internal components without removing the entire wheel assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor housing is extracted as a separate serviceable unit from the wheel assembly. This allows the motor components to be removed and serviced independently while maintaining the integrated structure during normal operation. The extraction enables repair access without compromising structural stability during use.
2Reliability
If the hub motor is closely integrated with the wheel, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hub motor assembly is segmented into manufacturable modules (motor housing, rotor assembly, stator assembly, bearing sets) that can be produced separately and then assembled. This modular segmentation simplifies manufacturing processes while maintaining the integrated structure's reliability when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
Motor components are pre-assembled and tested as modular units before final installation into the wheel. This preliminary assembly allows for quality control and manufacturing efficiency, making the integrated structure easier to manufacture while ensuring reliability through pre-validated components.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the hub motor components are not accessible from the outward facing side, then the structural integrity is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The motor housing is extracted as an accessible unit through the outward facing side of the wheel. This extraction provides service access while maintaining structural integrity during normal operation, as the housing remains securely attached until removal is initiated through the designed access mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor housing transition from a fixed integrated state to a removable state through the outward facing access mechanism. This dynamic design allows the housing to remain securely attached during operation (maintaining structural integrity) while enabling easy removal when service is needed (improving ease of operation).
4Reliability
If the entire wheel must be removed to service the hub motor, then the structural stability is improved, but the loss of time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The service process is segmented into two independent operations: removing the motor housing from the wheel, and servicing the motor components. This segmentation allows technicians to service the motor without removing the entire wheel, significantly reducing service time while maintaining structural stability through the secure attachment design.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor housing is extracted as a separate serviceable unit, allowing motor servicing to proceed independently of the wheel assembly. This extraction eliminates the time-consuming step of removing and remounting the entire wheel, reducing service time while maintaining structural integrity through the designed housing attachment system.
5Reliability
If the hub motor is heavily integrated with the wheel, then the reliability is improved, but the adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hub motor is segmented into replaceable components (motor housing, rotor, stator) that can be independently swapped. This segmentation enables adaptability by allowing different motor configurations or upgraded components to be installed while maintaining the wheel's structural stability through the standardized housing attachment system.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor housing is extracted as a replaceable unit, enabling the installation of different motor types or upgraded components. This extraction provides adaptability for vehicle reconfiguration or upgrades while maintaining structural stability through the secure attachment design that ensures proper mounting of any motor unit.
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
Enables convenient and cost-effective maintenance and configuration changes, such as converting between front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive, or adding all-wheel drive capabilities, allowing users to perform repairs and upgrades independently and enhance vehicle performance for different conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a selectively attachable and detachable hub motor disposed proximate the outer wheel surface and configured for selective attachment to and detachment from the wheel and axle, the selectively attachable and detachable hub motor comprising a concentric cylindrical rotor and a cylindrical stator
Data Source
AI summary
A motive wheel and selectively attachable/detachable hub motor for an electric vehicle comprises an axle comprising an axle axis, outer end, and cylindrical axle hub; a wheel comprising an outer wheel surface, inner wheel surface, wheel hub configured for reversible rotatable disposition on the axle, and wheel rim configured to receive a tire; and a hub motor disposed proximate the outer wheel surface and configured for selective attachment to/detachment from the wheel and axle and comprising a cylindrical rotor and cylindrical stator, the cylindrical rotor configured for selective attachment to/detachment from the axle, the cylindrical stator extending away from the cylindrical rotor and configured for selective attachment to/detachment from the wheel hub, the hub motor configured for reversible rotation of the wheel and cylindrical stator, wherein upon attachment of the hub motor a motive wheel is provided, and wherein upon detachment of the hub motor a non-motive wheel is provided.