The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 13, 2001
Filed:
May. 08, 1998
Jordan L. Gay, Sarasota, FL (US);
Vectrix Corporation, Newport, RI (US);
Abstract
A vehicle drive assembly with a motor configured for driving the vehicle and including a rotatably driven motor shaft. A first swing arm has a first end housing the motor and a second end pivotably and supportively attachable to a vehicle body, with an elongated portion joining the ends. The vehicle also has a gearbox housing configured for transmitting torque to a road surface through a road engaging member, and a transmission directly engaged with the motor shaft and housed within the gearbox housing. The transmission is configured for transmitting torque from the motor shaft to the housing. A second swing arm is pivotably and supportively attachable to the vehicle body. An axle is fixed to the second swing arm, received within the gearbox housing, and attached to the transmission such that the second swing arm is supported by the transmission. The transmission preferably includes a planetary gear reduction unit with a gear carrier rotationally fixed to the first swing arm and a plurality of gears operatively associated with the shaft and the gearbox housing to transmit torque therebetween. Preferably at least one of the gears is mounted to the gear carrier, more preferably a plurality of planetary gears is mounted to the gear carrier.