Drive Unit For Trailers And Caravans

Abstract

According to the invention, a drive unit for trailers or caravans is provided that has a chassis (2) with crawler sections (3), a coupling device (4) and steering and maneuvering devices. The drive unit is coupled to the trailer or caravan and is used to position the trailer or caravan in a controlled and simple manner, without having to worry about the risk of colliding with a neighbor or damaging one's own vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred exemplary embodiments will be described more fully below with reference to the drawing, in which

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the drive unit according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a section through the drive unit,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the drive unit with applied steering grip, and

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a remote control unit.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, respectively, will be described below.

FIG. 1 shows how the drive unit 1 is constructed, and the main components which are included. The drive unit 1 is based on a chassis 2 made of a profile on which crawler sections 3, a coupling device 4 for coupling to the nose wheel suspension of the trailer or of the caravan, as well as means for steering and maneuvering the drive unit may be mounted. The profile is dimensioned to be capable of supporting the load which is normally applied to the nose wheel. The profile may be extruded, but may also be welded. The material may be aluminum or steel.

The crawler sections 3 are mounted on each side of the chassis 2, as will be seen. The crawler sections 3 comprise a motor 10 with a gear 10a which is in engagement with a driving wheel 11, an idling wheel 12, at least one support wheel 12 and a crawler belt 14 via a drive connection 15. The drive connection may be established according to known principles and with known components, where chain wheel and chain is one of the solutions, but it may also be established as a toothed belt connection or a V-belt connection. A preferred embodiment is a chain wheel drive. The drive connection is dimensioned to reduce the number of revolutions by a factor in the range from 1.20 to 5.

The driving wheel 11 is provided with a spring-loaded coupling configured to lock the drive shaft with the drive wheel by a set of coupling means, which may be displaced in an axial direction, and which may be released manually by a grip 27, so that the belt may move freely and serve as a traditional nose wheel, if the energy supply should fail.

The motor 10 is an electric motor with a gear 10a mounted thereon. The motor operates on DC current and is fed from a DC voltage source. The gear 10a, which is constructed to cooperate with the motor 10, is dimensioned to reduce the number of revolutions by a factor in the range from 10 to 100. The gear is of a known structure and may be of a type having an offset or angled input shaft and output shaft, or a type where the input shaft and the output shaft are positioned in extension of each other.

The crawler belt 14 is made of a flexible material, such as plastics or rubber. The outer side of the belt is equipped with a pattern 16 which is configured so as to provide great friction between belt and support, whereby slipping is reduced to the greatest extent possible. The belt 14 runs around the wheels 11, 12, and 13, at least one support wheel 13 ensuring that the traction forces are transferred to the support to the greatest extent possible by pressing the belt between the wheels 11 and 12 tightly against the support so that the contact face against the support is as great as possible.

A coupling device 4 is arranged on the top of the chassis 2, said coupling device being intended to couple the drive unit 1 together with the nose wheel suspension of the trailer or of the caravan. The coupling device is configured as a U-profile 17 which is secured to the upper side of the chassis. The U-profile is provided with a bore for receiving a bolt 18, which bolt may be passed through the bore on the wheel fork of the nose wheel suspension and the bore in the U-profile of the drive unit in order to couple the drive unit and the nose wheel suspension together. The coupling-together is performed after the nose wheel has been removed. The use of the nose wheel suspension for the coupling-together ensures that the mounting of the drive unit may be performed in a simple manner by unskilled persons. The bolt 18 is configured so that it may be locked after mounting, to thereby ensure that the drive unit can remain mounted as long as the user so wishes.

The drive unit is provided with means for directional steering. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment with a steering grip 21 for manual steering, which is mounted on the drive unit at the coupling device 4 by means of the bolt 18. The steering grip incorporates a remote control unit 26 for the control of the speed of the motor drive and the direction of rotation via the motor control system. FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a remote control unit 25. Both control units (25, 26) are adapted for wireless communication, and they are for electrical control of the drive unit via a motor control system, which can control all functions in connection with start and stop, speed, forward, reverse as well as turning to the right or to the left. The control units are also available in a non-wireless embodiment.

The chassis 2 is additionally adapted to contain the control system and the energy supply for steering and maneuvering the drive unit. FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the drive unit. It is shown that the chassis is provided with an enclosure 22 in which the battery pack 23, a charging circuit 7 for the battery, an electrical motor control circuit 8 and a communications circuit 9 are positioned. Further, a solar cell module 24 (see FIG. 1), which is the energy supply for the charging circuit 7, is arranged on the top of the chassis, and a power plug (not shown) for the connection of an external charging unit to the battery pack is mounted on the end plate of the chassis.

The battery pack 23 consists of a plurality of rechargeable batteries having a great capacity. Lithium batteries are a preferred type. The charging circuit 7 is dimensioned to cooperate with the battery pack 23 and the solar cell module 24. The motor control circuit 8 is arranged with soft start and to be able to control at least two motors individually and to cooperate with the communications circuit 9, which is adapted to cooperate with the control units 25 and 26 and to communicate in a non-wireless or a wireless form, and the wireless form is based on coded infrared light or coded radio signals, so that wireless signals from foreign control units cannot activate the drive unit.

Claims

1. A motorized, maneuverable drive unit (1) intended to be mounted on the nose wheel suspension of trailers and caravans in particular, characterized in that the drive unit (1) comprises a chassis (2) with at least one crawler section (3), a coupling device (4) to be coupled together with the nose wheel suspension, as well as means for steering and maneuvering the drive unit.

2. A drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that a crawler section (3) is mounted on each side of the chassis (2).

3. A drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the crawler sections (3) comprises a motor (10) with a gear (10a) which is in engagement with a driving wheel (11), an idling wheel (12), at least one support wheel (13) and a crawler belt (14) via a drive connection (15) in the form of a chain wheel drive or a drive belt connection.

4. A drive unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the driving wheel (11) is provided with a spring-loaded coupling for locking the drive shaft together with the drive wheel by a set of axially displaceable coupling means, which are released by a manual grip (27).

5. A drive unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the gear (10a) reduces the number of revolutions by a factor of 10 to 100 times, and that the drive connection reduces the number of revolutions by a factor of 1.20 to 5 times.

6. A drive unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the outer side of the crawler belt (14) is provided with a strong, friction-generating pattern (16).

7. A drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling device (4) comprises a reversed U-profile (17) secured to the top of the chassis (2), said U-profile being equipped with a bore for receiving a bolt, as well as a lockable steel bolt (18) for coupling the drive unit and the nose wheel suspension together.

8. A drive unit according to claim 1 characterized in that the drive unit is provided with means for directional steering.

9. A drive unit according to claim 8, characterized in that the means for directional steering are manual in the form of a steering grip (21).

10. A drive unit according to claim 8, characterized in that the means for directional steering are electrical and comprise a motor control system (8, 9).

11. A drive unit according to claim 10, characterized in that the control means comprise a wireless and/or a non-wireless connection between the motor control system (8, 9) and a remote control unit (25, 26).

12. A drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the chassis (2) additionally comprises an enclosure (22) for a battery pack (23), a charging circuit (7) for the battery, an electrical motor control circuit (8) as well as an electrical communications circuit (9) for remote control of the drive unit, that a solar cell module (24) is additionally arranged on the top plate of the chassis, the charging circuit (7) adapted to cooperate with the battery pack (23) and with the solar cell module (24), the end plate of the chassis provided with a charging plug for an external charging unit, the motor control circuit (8) provided with a soft start function and adapted to control at least two motors individually and to cooperate with the communications circuit (9), and the communications circuit adapted to operate with non-wireless signals or with wireless signals based on coded, infrared light or coded signals in the radio frequency range.

13. A drive unit according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the crawler sections (3) comprises a motor (10) with a gear (10a) which is in engagement with a driving wheel (11), an idling wheel (12), at least one support wheel (13) and a crawler belt (14) via a drive connection (15) in the form of a chain wheel drive or a drive belt connection.

14. A drive unit according to claim 13, characterized in that the driving wheel (11) is provided with a spring-loaded coupling for locking the drive shaft together with the drive wheel by a set of axially displaceable coupling means, which are released by a manual grip (27).

15. A drive unit according to claim 13, characterized in that the gear (10a) reduces the number of revolutions by a factor of 10 to 100 times, and that the drive connection reduces the number of revolutions by a factor of 1.20 to 5 times.

16. A drive unit according to claim 13, characterized in that the outer side of the crawler belt (14) is provided with a strong, friction-generating pattern (16).