Granted Patent B2

US 12,654,540 · App. 17/796,889 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventors: Dennis Adrianus Petrus Van Iersel (Nuenen, NL); Tim Johannes Jacqueline Jansen (Nuenen, NL); Wouter Lucas Jansen (Eindhoven, NL)

Assignee: Lightyear IPCo B.V.

B60K7/0007H02K7/088

Abstract

Claims (32)

1 . A wheel assembly for a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:

an in-wheel motor;

an axle;

a first wheel bearing; and

a lock nut;

wherein the in-wheel motor comprises a stator, a rotor and electromagnets,

wherein the stator is fixedly connected to the axle,

wherein the stator comprises the electromagnets,

wherein the rotor coaxially surrounds the stator,

wherein the first wheel bearing is arranged on the axle to rotatably connect the rotor to the axle,

wherein the lock nut is arranged on the axle,

wherein the axle has an engagement portion that is adapted to engage with an upright of the vehicle,

wherein the engagement portion is between the first wheel bearing and the lock nut,

wherein the lock nut is arranged to clamp the upright between the first wheel bearing and the lock nut,

wherein the lock nut is arranged to preload the first wheel bearing,

wherein the first wheel bearing is in direct contact with the upright on one side; and

wherein the first wheel bearing is in direct contact with the stator on the opposite side.

2 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first wheel bearing is arranged between the engagement portion and the stator.

3 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lock nut is arranged to preload the first wheel bearing through the upright.

4 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first wheel bearing comprises a rolling element bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring and rolling elements, wherein the outer ring radially encloses the inner ring, wherein the rolling elements are arranged radially in between the inner ring and the outer ring, wherein the inner ring is arranged on the axle, wherein the outer ring is arranged on the rotor, wherein the inner ring is deformable by the lock nut, wherein the lock nut is arranged to preload the rolling elements to the outer ring by deforming the inner ring.

5 . The wheel assembly of claim 4 , wherein the inner ring has a first ring part and a second ring part, wherein the rolling elements comprise two rows of rolling elements, wherein the first ring part contacts one of the two rows, wherein the second ring part contacts the other of the two rows, wherein the lock nut is arranged to deform the inner ring by moving the first ring part and the second ring part relative each other.

6 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 , comprising a passage,

wherein the rotor encloses an inner volume in which the stator is arranged,

wherein the passage is for accommodating electric conductors from the vehicle to the inner volume through the first wheel bearing,

wherein the wheel assembly comprises an environmental sealing between the rotor and the axle sealing the inner volume,

wherein the passage is through or over the axle.

7 . The wheel assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the environmental sealing is integrated in the first wheel bearing.

8 . The wheel assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the electric conductors pass within the first wheel bearing via a bore through the axle or one or more grooves on the axle.

9 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 , comprising a brake disk of a disk brake mounted on the rotor.

10 . The wheel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the in-wheel motor is a motor from the group of Axial Flux Permanent Magnet motors, Radial Flux Permanent Magnet motors, induction motors, and reluctance motors.

11 . A vehicle equipped with the wheel assembly according to claim 1 and comprising the upright.

12 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the upright comprises a steel portion, wherein the lock nut is arranged to preload the first wheel bearing through the steel portion.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (38)