Vehicle and suspension arm assembly
A vehicle ( 8 ) comprising a vehicle body ( 81 ), a ground-engaging wheel ( 7 ), a suspension arm ( 1 ) by means of which the wheel ( 7 ) is mounted on the vehicle body ( 81 ), an electric motor/generator ( 2 ) with a mechanical driveline by means of which the motor/generator ( 2 ) is connected to the wheel ( 7 ) such that rotation of the wheel ( 7 ) about a wheel axis (B) may be driven by the motor ( 2 ) or rotation of the wheel may drive the generator ( 2 ), wherein the motor/generator ( 2 ) is mounted on the suspension arm ( 1 ).
1 . A vehicle comprising a vehicle body, a pair of wheels located on opposite sides of the vehicle body, a suspension arm wherein one of the pair of wheels is mounted on the vehicle body, an electric motor/generator with a driveline wherein the electric motor/generator is connected to the one of the pair of wheels such that rotation of the one of the pair of wheels about a wheel axis may be driven by the electric motor/generator or that rotation of the one of the pair of wheels may drive the electric motor/generator, the electric motor/generator rotating about a motor axis (A), the vehicle further comprising a wheel hub assembly wherein the electric motor/generator is mounted on the suspension arm, the wheel hub assembly and the electric motor/generator being mounted on a same side of the suspension arm so that the wheel hub assembly is located between two parallel imaginary vertical planes with the suspension arm lying in one of the two parallel imaginary vertical planes, and the electric motor/generator also extends from the suspension arm into a space between the two parallel imaginary vertical planes, the motor axis being located anywhere along a semi-circular arc about the wheel axis, wherein the electric motor/generator is not located in the space between the pair of wheels.
2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension arm has a first portion which is pivotally connected to the vehicle body and a second portion which is connected to the vehicle body via a spring.
3 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the electric motor/generator is mounted on the suspension arm between the first portion and the second portion.
4 . The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the electric motor/generator is mounted on a third portion of the suspension arm which is offset relative to a line extending between the first portion and the second portion.
5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor/generator is mounted above the wheel hub assembly.
6 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor/generator is mounted directly above a centreline of the one of the pair of wheels.
7 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the wheel hub assembly comprises at least one epicyclic gear train.
8 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the driveline comprises a gear train, a belt, a chain, a drive shaft with bevel gears or a combination of one or more of the gear train, the belt, the chain, and the drive shaft with the bevel gears.
9 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the driveline is mounted on and or integrated with the suspension arm.
10 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the driveline is connected to a brake disc, a wheel hub or an adaptor plate.
11 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a pair of suspension arms wherein the pair of wheels are mounted on the vehicle body, each one of the pair of wheels being mounted to each one of the pair of suspension arms, there being a pair of electric motor/generators wherein one of the pair of electric motor/generators is mounted on each one of the pair of suspension arms, each one of the pair of suspension arms being further provided with a driveline wherein each one of the pair of electric motor/generators is connected to one of the pair of wheels mounted on one of the pair of suspension arms such that rotation of each of the pair of wheels may be driven by one of the pair of electric motor/generators or that rotation of each of the pair of wheels may drive one of the pair of electric motor/generators, each one of the pair of electric motor/generators rotating about a motor axis, the vehicle further comprising a pair of wheel hub assemblies wherein each one of the pair of wheels is mounted on one of the pair of suspension arms, each one of the pair of wheel hub assemblies and each one of the pair of electric motor/generators being mounted on one of the pair of suspension arms on a same side of the vehicle so that the pair of wheel hub assemblies is located between two parallel imaginary vertical planes with one of the pair of suspension arms lying in one of the two parallel imaginary vertical planes, and each one of the pair of electric motor/generators also extends from one of the pair of suspension arms into a space between the two parallel imaginary vertical planes, the motor axis being located anywhere along a semi-circular arc about the wheel axis, wherein each of the pair of electric motor/generators is not located in the space between the pair of wheels.
12 . The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein each one of the pair of suspension arms has a first portion which is pivotally connected to the vehicle body and a second portion which is connected to the vehicle body via a spring, and each one of the pair of suspension arms is not connected to each other so that each one of the pair of suspension arms can pivot relative to the vehicle body independently of the other.
13 . The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the pair of suspension arms are connected to each other by an axle beam which is longitudinally and vertically offset relative to the wheel axis of each of the pair of wheels.
14 . A vehicle comprising a tractor and a trailer or a semi-trailer, the trailer or the semi-trailer having a vehicle body, a ground-engaging wheel, a suspension arm wherein the wheel is mounted on the vehicle body, an electric motor/generator with a driveline by means of which the motor/generator is connected to the wheel such that rotation of the wheel about a wheel axis may be driven by the electric motor/generator or such that rotation of the wheel may drive the electric motor/generator, wherein the electric motor/generator is mounted on the suspension arm, wherein the trailer or/the semi-trailer is connected to the tractor so that the tractor or the semi-trailer can be towed by the tractor, and the tractor is provided with a drive apparatus which is operable to drive the tractor, the or each electric motor/generator of the trailer or the semi-trailer being operable to either assist the drive apparatus of the tractor in driving the vehicle or to be operated instead of the drive apparatus to drive the vehicle without use of the drive apparatus of the tractor.
15 . A vehicle suspension arm assembly comprising a suspension arm with a first portion wherein the suspension arm can be pivotally connected to a vehicle body, a second portion on which is mounted a spring, the vehicle suspension arm assembly further comprising an electric motor/generator, a wheel hub assembly having a wheel mount on which a wheel may be mounted, and a driveline which connects the electric motor/generator to the wheel hub assembly such that rotation of the wheel mount about a wheel axis may be driven by the electric motor/generator or such that rotation of the wheel mount may drive the electric motor/generator, wherein the electric motor/generator, the wheel hub assembly and the driveline are mounted on the suspension arm, and the electric motor/generator and the wheel hub assembly are on a same side of the suspension arm, the wheel hub assembly being mounted on an intermediate portion of the suspension arm which is between the first portion and the second portion of the suspension arm, the electric motor/generator being mounted on a third portion of the suspension arm which is offset relative to a line extending between the first portion and the second portion, and the third portion is connected to the intermediate portion by a driveline support portion of the suspension arm, the driveline being mounted on the driveline support portion.
16 . The suspension arm assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the intermediate portion is offset between the first portion and the second portion.
17 . The suspension arm assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the wheel hub assembly comprises at least one epicyclic gear train which is connected between the wheel mount and the driveline to transmit a drive torque between the driveline and the wheel mount, the epicyclic gear train comprises a sun gear which is connected to the driveline so that the driveline drives or is driven by rotation of the sun gear, and a planet gear which meshes with the sun gear and which is supported by a carrier, the carrier being connected to the wheel mount such that rotation of the wheel mount is driven by or drives rotation of the carrier.
18 . The suspension arm assembly according to claim 15 wherein the spring is mounted on the second portion via a spring support shaft, the electric motor/generator is configured to rotate about a motor axis, wherein the suspension arm includes a support strut which extends from the second portion to the third portion, and the driveline support portion, the support strut and the second portion of the suspension arm form a triangle with the motor axis, the wheel axis and the spring support shaft each being at one of three corners of the triangle.