초록 ▼

A motorized wheel assembly is provided for a wheelchair in which there is a seat for receiving the occupant attached to a vertical shaft with a single central wheel mounted at the bottom of the shaft for rotation about a horizontal axis transverse to the chair and defining a direction of forward mov

A motorized wheel assembly is provided for a wheelchair in which there is a seat for receiving the occupant attached to a vertical shaft with a single central wheel mounted at the bottom of the shaft for rotation about a horizontal axis transverse to the chair and defining a direction of forward movement of the wheel forwardly of the chair. On the shaft is carried a battery and control unit for supplying power to the drive motor of the, wheel mounted on the hub of the wheel. An outrigger frame includes a sleeve slidable on the shaft and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from the sleeve each arm carrying a castor wheel to prevent toppling of the device. Steering is achieved by the feet of the user applied to the outrigger frame to rotate the chair and the drivewheel about a vertical axis. The wheel is of the motor in a hub design which is achieved by providing a cylindrical housing surrounding the motor with at least one annular bearing on the outer peripheral surface of the housing carrying the rim of the wheel which directly surrounds the housing. An output shaft at one end of the housing drives the rim through a coupling extending around the housing.

대표청구항 ▼

A driven wheel assembly for providing motive power to an article to which the wheel is attached, the wheel assembly comprising a wheel tire for engaging the ground, a wheel rim on which the tire is mounted for rotation about an axis of the wheel rim, a motor and transmission assembly for driving the

A driven wheel assembly for providing motive power to an article to which the wheel is attached, the wheel assembly comprising a wheel tire for engaging the ground, a wheel rim on which the tire is mounted for rotation about an axis of the wheel rim, a motor and transmission assembly for driving the wheel, housing means including a substantially cylindrical portion and an end face within which the motor and transmission assembly is mounted, the motor and transmission assembly having an output member extending through the end face, rigid drive connection means for communicating drive from the output member to the wheel rim for driving the tire relative to the ground, a sleeve shaped portion of the wheel rim coaxially surrounding the substantially cylindrical portion of the housing means, and bearing means for supporting the wheel rim the drive connection means and the output member as a single unit for rotation relative to the housing means, wherein the bearing means consists solely of an annular bearing positioned between the cylindrical portion of the rim and the sleeve shaped portion of the housing means and a second bearing smaller in diameter than the annular bearing located between the output member and the housing means, and wherein the tire is mounted directly upon and in contact with the sleeve shaped portion of the wheel rim.