Gear train and clutch designs for multi-speed hub drives

1. A multi-speed hub drive wheel (MDW), comprising:

first and second gears;

a clutch shaft having a clutch collar disposed thereon, wherein said clutch shaft drives said clutch collar between a first position in which the clutch collar engages said first gear, a second position in which said clutch collar engages said second gear, and a third position in which said clutch collar maintains the MDW in neutral;

a drive shaft having a first spline disposed thereon;

a clutch disk equipped with a clutch yoke, wherein said clutch yoke and said clutch disk slidingly engage said first spline; and

a clutch motor which drives said clutch shaft.

2. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 1 , wherein said clutch collar comprises an annular sleeve through which said clutch shaft extends.

3. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 2 , wherein said clutch collar is further equipped with a tongue that engages said clutch yoke, and wherein said clutch yoke is disposed on said clutch.

4. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 3 , wherein said clutch is a synchro clutch.

5. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 3 , wherein said clutch slidingly engages a drive shaft by way of a drive spline.

6. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 5 , wherein said clutch collar moves in a first direction along said drive shaft to assume said first position, wherein said clutch collar moves in a second direction along said drive shaft to assume said second position, and wherein said second direction is opposite said first direction.

7. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 6 , wherein said clutch collar is in a first location on said drive shaft when it is in said first position, wherein said clutch collar is in a second location on said drive shaft when it is in said second position, wherein said clutch collar is in a third location on said drive shaft when it is in said third position, and wherein said third position is between said first and second positions.

8. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 3 , wherein said clutch collar engages a first friction cone when it is in said first position, and wherein said clutch collar engages a second friction cone when it is in said second position, and further comprising:

a first face gear disposed on said first friction cone;

a floating shaft gear equipped with a second face gear; and

a star gear meshed with said second face gear;

wherein said first face gear engages said second face gear such that said second face gear drives said star gear;

wherein, as the clutch collar moves from said third position to said first position, the clutch collar engages the first friction cone so as to match the speeds of its face gear and that on the floating shaft gear to drive its corresponding meshed star gear.

9. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 8 wherein, as the clutch collar moves from said third position to said second position, the clutch collar disengages said second friction cone and its associated face gears to achieve a neutral condition where no star gears are driven, and wherein said clutch is equipped with a ball détente which releasable holds said clutch in said third position.

10. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 1 , further comprising:

first and second star gears; and

a drive gear which rotatingly engages said first and second star gears;

wherein said clutch shaft extends between said first and second star gears.

11. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 1 , wherein said first and second gears float on caged needle bearings, and wherein said needle bearings lack races, and wherein said needle bearings roll on at least one surface selected from the group consisting of surfaces of the first gear, surfaces of the second gear, and surfaces of the drive shaft.

12. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 1 , wherein said clutch shaft is driven by a clutch motor, and wherein said clutch motor is selected from the group consisting of stepper motors and servo motors.

13. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 1 , wherein said MDW is disposed within a wheel, wherein said wheel is equipped with an upper ball attachment and a lower ball attachment, and wherein said MDW is disposed between said upper ball attachment and said lower ball attachment.

14. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 1 , wherein said MDW comprises a 2-speed star compound gear train module.

15. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 14 , wherein said 2-speed star compound gear train module is a backend drive.

16. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 14 , wherein said 2-speed star compound gear train module is a frontend drive, and further comprising a single-plane star compound final stage reducer.

17. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 14 , wherein the 2-speed star compound gear train module is a frontend drive, and further comprising a single-plane star compound final stage reducer.

18. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 1 , further comprising a driving yoke which is mated to said clutch collar.

19. The multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 18 , wherein said clutch collar is concentric with said drive shaft, wherein said clutch collar is driven by a servo which is concentric with said drive shaft, wherein said driving yoke is a servo driven screw which is offset from said clutch yoke, and wherein said clutch is actively controlled with a servo.

20. A prime mover in combination with the multi-speed hub drive wheel of claim 19 , wherein said servo comprises servo gears, and wherein said prime mover synchronizes the servo gears without use of friction cones, and wherein said servo gears are face gears equipped with tapered wedge teeth.