Electrically powered vehicles or bicycles having motor and power supply contained within wheels

Abstract

An electrically powered vehicle has a motor, controller and power supply contained within a wheel compartment. A cylindrical stator frame is fixed on the wheel axle, with an inner surface of the stator frame defining a space for housing the power supply and controller circuitry. A plurality of electromagnet stator segments are mounted on an outer surface of the stator frame. A cylindrical rotor frame is coupled to the axle through bearings. An inner surface of the rotor frame supports a plurality of permanent magnets that surround the stator segments to form a radial air gap therebetween. Mounted to the outer surface of the rotor frame by appropriate supporting structure is a vehicle tire.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrically powered vehicle comprising a wheel, said wheel comprising:
 an axle; 
 a cylindrical stator frame fixed on the axle, an inner surface of the stator frame defining a space for housing a power supply; 
 a plurality of electromagnet stator segments mounted on and distributed about an outer surface of the stator frame, wherein said stator frame is non-magnetic and said electromagnet stator segments are ferromagnetically isolated from each other; 
 a cylindrical rotor frame coupled to the axle through bearings, an inner surface of the rotor frame supporting a plurality of permanent magnets distributed to surround the stator segments to form a radial air gap therebetween; and 
 a tire mounted to an outer surface of the rotor frame, wherein the space in the cylindrical stator frame for housing the power supply is bounded in the radial direction by the axle and the inner surface of the stator frame and is bounded in the axial direction by a partition plate extending between the axle and the stator frame; 
 wherein the space in the cylindrical stator frame for housing the power supply is bounded in the radial direction by the axle and the inner surface of the stator frame and is bounded in the axial direction by a partition plate extending between the axle and the stator frame. 
 
     
     
       2. A vehicle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the power supply comprises a plurality of battery cells. 
     
     
       3. A vehicle as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of battery cells are D-cells. 
     
     
       4. A vehicle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical stator frame space comprises control elements for driving the electromagnet stator segments. 
     
     
       5. A vehicle as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the cylindrical stator frame space further comprises battery recharging circuitry. 
     
     
       6. A vehicle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a bicycle and the wheel is a rear wheel. 
     
     
       7. A vehicle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a bicycle and the wheel is a front wheel. 
     
     
       8. A vehicle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electromagnet stator segments are spatially separated from each other. 
     
     
       9. A vehicle as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are spatially separated from each other. 
     
     
       10. An electrically powered vehicle comprising a first and a second wheel connected by a vehicle frame, one of the first and second wheels being a front wheel and the other of the first and second wheels being a rear wheel, said first wheel comprising:
 an axle;   a cylindrical stator frame fixed on the axle, the cylindrical stator frame comprising a first power supply;   a plurality of electromagnet stator segments mounted on and distributed about an outer surface of the stator frame;   a cylindrical rotor frame coupled to the axle, an inner surface of the rotor frame supporting a plurality of permanent magnets distributed to surround the stator segments to form a radial air gap therebetween; and   a tire mounted to an outer surface of the rotor frame;   wherein said second wheel has a storage space in which a second a power supply is contained, and further comprising an electrical cable that is carried by the vehicle frame for connection between the electromagnet stator segments of said first wheel and the second power supply of said second wheel and   wherein a space in the cylindrical stator frame for housing the first power supply is bounded in the radial direction by the axle and an inner surface of the stator frame and is bounded in the axial direction by a partition plate extending between the axle and the stator frame.   
     
     
       11. A vehicle as recited in claim 10, further comprising a switch coupled to the electrical cable for selectively connecting the power supply in the second wheel. 
     
     
       12. A vehicle as recited in claim 11, further comprising a handle bar and wherein the switch comprises a throttle at the handle bar. 
     
     
       13. A vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein the first wheel is a rear wheel. 
     
     
       14. A vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein the first wheel is a front wheel. 
     
     
       15. A vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein the first and second power supplies are contained respectively in a hub of said first and second wheels. 
     
     
       16. A vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein an inner surface of said stator frame of the first wheel defines the space for housing said first power supply. 
     
     
       17. A vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein said stator frame is non-magnetic and said electromagnet stator segments are ferromagnetically isolated from each other. 
     
     
       18. A vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein the first or second power supply comprises a plurality of battery cells. 
     
     
       19. A vehicle as recited in claim 18, wherein the plurality of battery cells are D-cells. 
     
     
       20. A vehicle as recited in claim 10, wherein the storage space further comprises battery recharging circuitry. 
     
     
       21. An electrically powered vehicle comprising, a first and a second wheel connected by a vehicle frame, said first wheel comprising:
 an axel;   a cylindrical stator frame fixed on the axel;   a plurality of electromagnet stator segments mounted on and distributed about an outer surface of the stator frame;   a cylindrical rotor frame coupled to the axle, an inner surface of the rotor frame supporting a plurality of permanent magnets distributed to surround the stator segments to form a radial air gap therebetween; and   a tire mounted to an outer surface of the rotor frame;   said second wheel comprising:   an axle;   a cylindrical stator frame fixed on the axle, a plurality of electromagnet stator segments mounted on and distributed about an outer surface of the stator frame;   a cylindrical rotor frame coupled to the axle, an inner surface of the rotor frame supporting a plurality of permanent magnets distributed to surround the stator segments to form a radial air gap therebetween; and   a tire mounted to an outer surface of the rotor frame, in order to provide an all wheel drive propulsion   wherein said second wheel has a storage space in which a first power supply is contained, and further comprising an electrical cable carried by the vehicle frame for connection between the electromagnet stator segments of said first wheel and the first power supply of said second wheel and   wherein a space in the cylindrical stator frame for housing a second power supply is bounded in the radial direction by the axle and an inner surface of the stator frame and is bounded in the axial direction by a partition plate extending between the axle and the stator frame.