TWI861691B - Electric tricycle - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric tricycle includes a power mechanism, a differential mechanism, a transmission mechanism, and a rear wheel mechanism. The power mechanism includes a main motor with a main shaft and a secondary motor with a secondary shaft. The differential mechanism includes a main transmission member that can be driven to rotate by the main shaft, a secondary transmission member that can be driven to rotate by the secondary shaft, a connecting member that can be linked to the main transmission member and the secondary transmission member, an output shaft that can be driven to rotate by the connecting member, and a one-way clutch. When a speed difference occurs between the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft, causing the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member to be unequal, the one-way clutch will prevent the auxiliary shaft from transmitting power to the output shaft until the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member are the same, thereby achieving the clutch effect.

Description

Electric tricycle

The present invention relates to an electric tricycle with a front wheel and two rear wheels, and in particular to an electric tricycle with two motors.

The current electric tricycles driven by motors have a front wheel and two rear wheels. Some of these tricycles use only a single motor to drive the two rear wheels for the convenience of configuration. Although the use of a single motor is simpler in configuration and transmission mechanism, it cannot obtain additional auxiliary power when needed. The electric tricycle using two motors to drive the rear wheels inevitably needs to face the problem of speed difference between the motors. Currently, the solution to the speed difference is mostly disclosed in the utility model patent case No. CN207549957U of the People's Republic of China, which uses a planetary gear mechanism as a coupling differential to connect the motors. However, the aforementioned planetary gear mechanism is not only large in size, heavy in weight, and has high wear and tear, which is not conducive to the development of overall performance, but also needs to be coordinated with a friction clutch and multiple synchronizers. The large number of components greatly increases the difficulty of configuration and is not conducive to the compactness of the overall space.

In addition, the electric tricycle disclosed in the aforementioned utility model patent case No. CN207549957U of the People's Republic of China requires a long time to press the friction pressure plate to transmit the motor power when two motors need to be used for output simultaneously, and the pressing force of the clutch must be strong enough to transmit the huge power of the two motors, which will also cause considerable wear and tear on various components.

[Problems to be solved by the present invention]

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a dual-motor electric tricycle that does not require planetary gears and has low wear.

[Technical means to solve the problem]

Therefore, the electric tricycle of the present invention comprises a power mechanism, a differential mechanism, a transmission mechanism, and a rear wheel mechanism. The power mechanism comprises a main motor with a main shaft and a secondary motor with a secondary shaft. The differential mechanism includes a main transmission member that can be driven to rotate by the main shaft, an auxiliary transmission member that can be driven to rotate by the auxiliary shaft, a linking member that can be linked to the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member, an output shaft that can be driven to rotate by the linking member, and a one-way clutch. When the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member are equal, the one-way clutch allows the auxiliary shaft to link with the output shaft. When the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member are not equal, the one-way clutch prevents the auxiliary shaft from linking with the output shaft. The transmission mechanism can be driven by the output shaft. The rear wheel mechanism includes a differential that can receive the power input by the transmission mechanism, and two rear wheels connected to the differential and driven to rotate by the differential.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the main shaft of the power mechanism is provided for the main transmission member of the differential mechanism to be mounted, and the one-way clutch is mounted on the auxiliary shaft and is mounted by the auxiliary transmission member. When the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member are equal and there is no speed difference, the auxiliary shaft cannot rotate relative to the auxiliary transmission member, so that the auxiliary shaft can drive the auxiliary transmission member to rotate synchronously. When the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member are not equal and a speed difference occurs, the auxiliary shaft can rotate relative to the auxiliary transmission member, so that the auxiliary shaft cannot drive the auxiliary transmission member to rotate.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the one-way clutch of the differential mechanism is sleeved on the output shaft, and the linkage has a main driven gear engaged with the main transmission member and sleeved on the output shaft, and an auxiliary driven gear engaged with the auxiliary transmission member and sleeved on the one-way clutch. When the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member are equal and there is no speed difference, the output shaft is free. The method is to rotate relative to the secondary passive gear so that the secondary passive gear can drive the output shaft to rotate synchronously. When the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the secondary transmission member are not equal and a speed difference is generated, the output shaft can rotate relative to the secondary passive gear so that the secondary passive gear cannot drive the output shaft to rotate. The main shaft and the secondary shaft of the power mechanism are parallel to each other and rotate in the same direction.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the main transmission member, the auxiliary transmission member, and the connecting member of the differential mechanism are all umbrella gears, the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft of the power mechanism rotate in opposite directions, and the main shaft, the auxiliary shaft, and the axes of the rear wheels are parallel to each other.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the linkage of the differential mechanism has a main driven gear engaged with the main transmission member and sleeved on the output shaft, and a secondary driven gear engaged with the secondary transmission member and sleeved on the output shaft. The main shaft and the secondary shaft of the power mechanism are parallel to each other and rotate in the same direction.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft of the power mechanism are perpendicular or parallel to the axis of the rear wheel.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the frame unit includes a front frame, a rear frame located behind the front frame, and a tilting mechanism pivotally connecting the front frame and the rear frame. The tilting mechanism enables the front frame to tilt relative to the rear frame along a tilting axis, and the tilting axis extends along the front-rear direction. The main motor and the auxiliary motor of the power mechanism are respectively located on opposite left and right sides of the tilting axis.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the tiltable axis extends rearwardly through the bottom of the power mechanism and above the axis of the rear wheels.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the frame unit further includes a swing arm extending in the front-rear direction, the swing arm having two front arm portions pivotally connected to the rear frame and adjacent to the rear end of the tilting mechanism, two rear arm portions extending rearward from the front arm portions and pivotally connected to the rear wheels, and a connecting portion extending in the left-right direction and connected to the front arm portions, and the main motor and the auxiliary motor are fixed to the rear frame.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission mechanism is a gear box or a universal joint.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the maximum power of the auxiliary motor of the power mechanism is less than or equal to the maximum power of the main motor.

[Effects that can be achieved by the present invention]

When the electric tricycle of the present invention uses only a single power, the main motor is started to drive the main transmission member through the main shaft, and then the connecting member is linked to rotate the output shaft, and finally the rear wheel is driven to rotate through the transmission mechanism and the differential. When dual power is needed, the secondary shaft of the secondary motor drives the secondary transmission member, so that the secondary transmission member and the main transmission member output power to the connecting member at the same time, achieving the effect of dual motor power. When the speed difference between the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft causes the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member to be unequal, the one-way clutch will prevent the auxiliary shaft from transmitting power to the output shaft until the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the auxiliary transmission member are the same, thereby achieving the clutch effect. The present invention does not require the use of planetary gears, so compared with the conventional structure, it can produce advantages such as fewer parts, smaller volume, lighter weight and less wear, thereby facilitating the development of overall performance. In addition, when the dual motors transmit power, the present invention does not require the friction pressure plate to be pressed, which can greatly reduce wear and power loss.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the one-way clutch is disposed between the auxiliary shaft and the auxiliary transmission member. When a speed difference occurs between the auxiliary shaft and the main shaft, the one-way clutch causes the auxiliary shaft to idle relative to the auxiliary transmission member, thereby achieving a clutch effect.

In some embodiments of the present invention, power is transmitted by the main and auxiliary driven gears respectively engaging with the main and auxiliary transmission members, and the one-way clutch is arranged between the output shaft and the auxiliary driven gear. When a speed difference occurs between the auxiliary shaft and the main shaft, the one-way clutch causes the auxiliary driven gear to idle relative to the output shaft, thereby achieving a clutch effect.

In some embodiments of the present invention, an umbrella gear mechanism is provided for transmission, in which the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft are arranged on the same axis and rotate in opposite directions.

In some embodiments of the present invention, power is transmitted by engaging the primary and secondary driven gears with the primary and secondary transmission members, respectively, providing a transmission mode using a cylindrical gear mechanism.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the main shaft and the secondary main shaft can be perpendicular to the axis of the rear wheel or parallel to the axis of the rear wheel, thereby generating a variety of configuration options and improving design flexibility.

Before the present invention is described in detail, it should be noted that similar components are represented by the same reference numerals in the following description.

1 and 2, a first embodiment of the electric tricycle of the present invention comprises a frame unit 1, a rear wheel mechanism 2 disposed on the frame unit 1, a power mechanism 3 disposed on the frame unit 1, a differential mechanism 4 disposed on the frame unit 1, and a transmission mechanism 5 disposed on the frame unit 1. The frame unit 1 includes a front frame 11, a rear frame 12 located behind the front frame 11, a tilting mechanism 13 pivotally connected to the front frame 11 and the rear frame 12, and a swing arm 14 pivotally connected to the rear frame 12. The tilting mechanism 13 enables the front frame 11 to tilt relative to the rear frame 12 along a tilting axis 131, the tilting axis 131 extending in the front-rear direction, and the portion extending backward passes under the power mechanism 3. The swing arm 14 has two front arms 141 pivoted to the rear frame 12 and adjacent to the rear end of the tilting mechanism 13, two rear arms 142 extending backward from the front arms 141 and pivoted to the rear wheel mechanism 2, and a connecting portion 143 extending in the left-right direction and connected to the front arms 141. The rear wheel mechanism 2 includes a differential 21 that can receive the power input from the transmission mechanism 5, and two rear wheels 22 connected to the differential 21 and driven to rotate by the differential 21. The rear wheels 22 are pivoted on the rear arms 142 , respectively, and the tiltable axis 131 passes above the axis 221 of the rear wheels 22 .

The power mechanism 3 includes a main motor 31 fixed to the rear frame 12 and located on one side of the tilting axis 131 along the left-right direction, and a secondary motor 32 fixed to the rear frame 12 and located on the other side of the tilting axis 131 along the left-right direction. In the first embodiment, the maximum power of the secondary motor 32 is less than or equal to the maximum power of the main motor 31. The main motor 31 has a main shaft 311 extending in the left-right direction toward the secondary motor 32, and the secondary motor 32 has a secondary shaft 321 extending in the left-right direction coaxially with the main shaft 311. The main shaft 311 and the secondary shaft 321 rotate in opposite directions to each other. Assuming a reference axis A passing through the main shaft 311 and the secondary shaft 321, the main shaft 311 and the secondary shaft 321 rotate around the reference axis A, one clockwise and one counterclockwise.

The differential mechanism 4 includes a main transmission member 41 disposed on the main shaft 311, a one-way clutch 42 disposed on the auxiliary shaft 321, an auxiliary transmission member 43 disposed on the one-way clutch 42, a linking member 44 engaged with the main transmission member 41 and the auxiliary transmission member 43, and an output shaft 45 sleeved by the linking member 44. In the first embodiment, the main transmission member 41, the auxiliary transmission member 43, and the linking member 44 are umbrella gears. The one-way clutch 42 is mainly composed of an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of bearings sandwiched between the two, which can be one-way bearings in the first embodiment. The inner ring and the outer ring can rotate unidirectionally relative to each other in a specific direction, that is, the inner ring rotates while the outer ring does not rotate, or the outer ring rotates while the inner ring does not rotate. When the inner ring and the outer ring rotate in a non-specific direction, a great resistance will be generated, so that the inner ring and the outer ring cannot rotate relative to each other and must rotate synchronously. The transmission mechanism 5 can be selected as a gear box or a universal joint according to the requirements of configuration and power transmission, and of course it can also be a planetary gear set.

When only a single power is used, the main motor 31 is started and the auxiliary motor 32 is turned off, the main shaft 311 drives the main transmission member 41 to rotate, and transmits power to the connecting member 44 to drive the output shaft 45 to rotate, and finally the output shaft 45 transmits power through the transmission mechanism 5 and the differential 21 to drive the rear wheel 22 to rotate. When dual power is used, in addition to the main motor 31 being started to generate the power transmission as described above, the auxiliary motor 32 is also turned on to rotate the auxiliary shaft 321. The auxiliary shaft 321 drives the auxiliary transmission member 43 to rotate through the one-way clutch 42, which causes the auxiliary transmission member 43 to also drive the connecting member 44 to rotate, thereby generating greater power. There is no speed difference between the rotating shafts 321, so the auxiliary transmission member 43 and the auxiliary transmission member 43 also have no speed difference and rotate synchronously. At this time, the rotation direction of the inner ring (connected to the auxiliary rotating shaft 321) of the one-way clutch 42 relative to the outer ring (connected to the auxiliary transmission member 43) will generate resistance and make the two unable to rotate in opposite directions, so that the auxiliary rotating shaft 321 can drive the auxiliary transmission member 43 to rotate through the resistance. When there is a speed difference between the main shaft 311 and the auxiliary shaft 321, the main shaft 311 will affect the speed of the connecting member 44, and cause the rotation speed of the auxiliary transmission member 43 to be different from the rotation speed of the auxiliary shaft 321. At this time, relative rotation will be generated between the two, and at this time, the direction of relative rotation of the inner ring and the outer ring of the one-way clutch 42 is a direction that does not generate resistance and allows rotation. Ultimately, the auxiliary shaft 321 will idle without linking the auxiliary transmission member 43, thereby achieving the effect of clutch.

The present invention does not need to use planetary gears, so compared with the conventional structure, it can produce advantages such as fewer parts, smaller volume, lighter weight and less wear, which is beneficial to the overall performance development. In addition, when the dual motors transmit power, the present invention does not need to press the friction pressure plate, which can greatly reduce wear and power loss.

3, 4, and 5, which are a second embodiment of the electric tricycle of the present invention. The second embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment, except that the main shaft 311 and the secondary shaft 321 have the same rotation direction, the main transmission member 41 and the secondary transmission member 43 are cylindrical gears, and the connecting member 44 has a main passive gear 441 engaged with the main transmission member 41 and sleeved on the output shaft 45, and a secondary passive gear 442 engaged with the secondary transmission member 43. The configuration of the second embodiment can be as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, where the main shaft 311, the auxiliary shaft 321, and the axis 221 of the rear wheel 22 are parallel to each other, or as shown in FIG. 5, where the main shaft 311 and the auxiliary shaft 321 are arranged in the front-rear direction and perpendicular to the axis 221 of the rear wheel 22. When the configuration is the former, the output shaft 45 is parallel to the axis 221 of the rear wheel 22, and the transmission mechanism 5 can drive the differential 21 by chain transmission or shaft transmission. When the configuration is the latter, the output shaft 45 is perpendicular to the axis 221 of the rear wheel 22. The one-way clutch 42 can be arranged between the auxiliary shaft 321 and the auxiliary transmission member 43 as shown in FIG3 , or can be arranged on the output shaft 45 and provided with the auxiliary passive gear 442 as shown in FIG4 . The latter configuration can make the auxiliary passive gear 442 idle relative to the output shaft 45 when a speed difference occurs, so that the output shaft 45 is only driven by the main passive gear 441 without being linked with the auxiliary passive gear 442, and the clutch effect can also be achieved.

In summary, the present invention has a small number of components and is light and small in size, which is beneficial to the overall performance development. The one-way clutch 42 does not need to use a friction pressure plate, which can greatly reduce wear and power loss. The present invention can also have different configurations depending on overall needs, thereby improving versatility and design flexibility, so it can indeed achieve the purpose of the present invention.

However, the above is only an example of the implementation of the present invention, and it should not be used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. All simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention and the content of the patent specification are still within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

1········ Frame unit 11······ Front frame 12······ Rear frame 13······ Tilt mechanism 131····· Tilt axle 14······ Swing arm 141····· Front arm 142····· Rear arm 143····· Connecting part 2········ Rear wheel mechanism 21······ Differential 22······ Rear wheel 221····· Axle 3········ Power mechanism 31······ Main motor 311····· Main shaft 32······ Auxiliary motor 321····· Auxiliary shaft 4········ Differential mechanism 41······ Main transmission 42······ One-way clutch 43······ Auxiliary transmission 44······ Connecting element 441····· Main and passive gears 442····· Auxiliary passive gears 45······ Output shaft 5········ Transmission mechanism A········ Reference axis

Other features and functions of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram from a top view, illustrating a first embodiment of the electric tricycle of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view, illustrating a side view and related configuration of the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram from a top view, illustrating a second embodiment of the electric tricycle of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram from a top view, illustrating another arrangement of a one-way clutch in the second embodiment; and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram from a top view, illustrating another arrangement of a main motor and a secondary motor in the second embodiment.

12······ Rear frame 13······ Tilt mechanism 131····· Tilt axle 14······ Swing arm 141····· Front arm 142····· Rear arm 143····· Connecting part 2········ Rear wheel mechanism 21······ Differential 22······ Rear wheel 221····· Axle 3········ Power mechanism 31······ Main motor 311····· Main shaft 32······ Auxiliary motor 321····· Auxiliary shaft 4········ Differential mechanism 41······ Main transmission 42······ One-way clutch 43······ Auxiliary transmission 44······ Connecting element 45······ Output shaft 5········ Transmission mechanism

Claims (9)

An electric tricycle comprises: a power mechanism, including a main motor with a main shaft, and a secondary motor with a secondary shaft; a differential mechanism, including a main transmission member that can be driven to rotate by the main shaft and sleeved on the main shaft, a secondary transmission member that can be driven to rotate by the secondary shaft, a connecting member that can be linked with the main transmission member and the secondary transmission member, an output shaft that can be driven to rotate by the connecting member, and a one-way clutch that is sleeved on the secondary shaft and sleeved by the secondary transmission member, when the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the secondary transmission member are equal and there is no speed difference, the one-way clutch allows the secondary transmission member to rotate. The shaft links the output shaft, and the secondary shaft cannot rotate relative to the secondary transmission member, so that the secondary shaft can drive the secondary transmission member to rotate synchronously. When the rotation speeds of the main transmission member and the secondary transmission member are not equal and a speed difference is generated, the one-way clutch makes the secondary shaft not linked to the output shaft, and the secondary shaft can rotate relative to the secondary transmission member, so that the secondary shaft cannot drive the secondary transmission member to rotate; a transmission mechanism that can be driven by the output shaft; and a rear wheel mechanism, including a differential that can receive the power input by the transmission mechanism, and two rear wheels connected to the differential and can be driven to rotate by the differential. As described in claim 1, the main transmission member, the auxiliary transmission member, and the connecting member of the differential mechanism are all umbrella gears, the main shaft and the auxiliary shaft of the power mechanism rotate in opposite directions, and the main shaft, the auxiliary shaft, and the axis of the rear wheel are parallel to each other. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1, wherein the linkage of the differential mechanism has a main driven gear engaged with the main transmission member and mounted on the output shaft, and a secondary driven gear engaged with the secondary transmission member and mounted on the output shaft, and the main shaft and the secondary shaft of the power mechanism are parallel to each other and rotate in the same direction. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1 or 3, wherein the main shaft and the secondary shaft of the power mechanism are perpendicular or parallel to the axis of the rear wheel. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1 further comprises a frame unit, the frame unit comprising a front frame, a rear frame located behind the front frame, and a tilting mechanism pivotally connecting the front frame and the rear frame, the tilting mechanism enables the front frame to tilt relative to the rear frame along a tilting axis, the tilting axis extends in the front-rear direction, and the main motor and the auxiliary motor of the power mechanism are respectively located on opposite left and right sides of the tilting axis. An electric tricycle as described in claim 5, wherein the tiltable axis extends rearward through the bottom of the power mechanism and above the axis of the rear wheel. As described in claim 5, the frame unit further includes a swing arm extending in the front-rear direction, the swing arm having two front arms pivotally connected to the rear frame and adjacent to the rear end of the tilting mechanism, two rear arms extending rearward from the front arms and pivotally connected to the rear wheels, and a connecting portion extending in the left-right direction and connected to the front arms, the main motor and the auxiliary motor are fixed to the rear frame. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1, wherein the transmission mechanism is a gear box or a universal joint. The electric tricycle as described in claim 1, wherein the maximum power of the auxiliary motor of the power mechanism is less than or equal to the maximum power of the main motor.

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