Power assisted manually propelled vehicle and wheel assembly thereof

US6092615A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Otto Bock Orthopaedische Industrie Besitz-und Verwaltungs-Kommanditgesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Martin Pusch · Westerode, DE
• Karl-Heinz Klingebiel · Duderstadt, DE
• Thomas Brendel · Treuchtlingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 27, 1998
• Grant date: Jul 25, 2000
• Expiry date: Feb 27, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S180/907
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A manually propelled vehicle has a power assisted drive wheel assembly coupled to a stationary chassis and a control system for actuating the powering. The drive wheel assembly is integrated with a gearless electric motor. The motor includes a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator. The drive wheel assembly includes a stationary wheel support coupled to the chassis and a rotatable drive wheel rotatably mounted to the stationary wheel support. The drive wheel has an outer rim and an inner ring, the outer rim being connected to the inner ring by support members. The stationary wheel support includes a first annular well for housing the control system and a power source, and a second annular well formed concentrically around the first annular well. The stator is mounted to the stationary wheel support in the second annular well and the rotor is mounted to the inner ring, which is rotatably coupled to the distal portion of the stationary wheel support via bearings. The drive wheel freely rotates relative to the stationary wheel support when no power is applied to the electric motor or if the motor fails. A grip ring is connected to the drive wheel. The control system inclu…