help - mobility scooter

Thread Starter

matt chrome

Joined Feb 6, 2010
4
Hello all, I`m new on this forum, so please be gentle! I have a Booster Town and country scooter which developed a problem after a period of non use. It turned out that the armature was covered in oil/grease and the brushes were stuck in their holders. I cleaned it up and now it works beautifully. My quandery is this: before I fixed the motor, when I applied the throttle, the solenoid mounted above the motor would operate the assembly at the end of the motor (also operated by a lever) But now the motor has been mended, and appears to be functioning normally, the solenoid does not operate anymore when applying the throttle, although I do hear an internal click at the assembly end of the motor, (electro magnetic brake coming off?) and everything appears to be operating normally. My question is: Under what conditions should the solenoid be operating under, and why? Because if I want to push the scooter I can operate the lever. Can someone please enlighten me?
Thanks......... Matt
 
Last edited:

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
the "solenoids" at the end of the motors are actually electromechanical brakes, which do operate similar to a solenoid, when powered it will pull in a spring loaded plate that normally pushes against the motors shaft to stop it, so when you took it apart, you did not put the parts back together properly and now your electromechanical brakes are not functioning anymore, you may still hear a click when they engage but they may not stop the motors from freewheeling when power is turned off.... so don't park it on a hill :)
 

retched

Joined Dec 5, 2009
5,207
It may be a clutch solenoid. Some electric wheelchairs have clutch releases to disengage the motors for manual locomotion.
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
It may be a clutch solenoid. Some electric wheelchairs have clutch releases to disengage the motors for manual locomotion.

Actually, wheelchairs have a manual lever that disconnects the motors output shaft from the gears in the gearbox (internally) so it can be moved manually, it is like putting your car in neutral :rolleyes:..... ( I have tons of these motors salvaged from all sorts of different wheelchairs and mobility scooters that I use for my battle bots and other roaming automatons :D...)...
 

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
Actually, wheelchairs have a manual lever that disconnects the motors output shaft from the gears in the gearbox (internally) so it can be moved manually, it is like putting your car in neutral :rolleyes:..... ( I have tons of these motors salvaged from all sorts of different wheelchairs and mobility scooters that I use for my battle bots and other roaming automatons :D...)...
Hey. Do u have any small 3 phase motors rated at around 200V by any chance.

Rifaa
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
Hello all, I`m new on this forum, so please be gentle! I have a Booster Town and country scooter which developed a problem after a period of non use. It turned out that the armature was covered in oil/grease and the brushes were stuck in their holders. I cleaned it up and now it works beautifully. My quandery is this: before I fixed the motor, when I applied the throttle, the solenoid mounted above the motor would operate the assembly at the end of the motor (also operated by a lever) But now the motor has been mended, and appears to be functioning normally, the solenoid does not operate anymore when applying the throttle, although I do hear an internal click at the assembly end of the motor, (electro magnetic brake coming off?) and everything appears to be operating normally. My question is: Under what conditions should the solenoid be operating under, and why? Because if I want to push the scooter I can operate the lever. Can someone please enlighten me?
Thanks......... Matt
When you "mended" the motor, you had to remove that brake assembly, did you put the plates and spring back the way they were? you can possibly remove the cap from the other motors brake assembly and see if the mended motors brake assembly is the same as the other one...

The electronic brakes are used as a safety device to lock the wheels in place when power is off to the unit, these brakes will only release when the joystick is operated by the user.....
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
Hey. Do u have any small 3 phase motors rated at around 200V by any chance.

Rifaa
DC or AC?? How Small?? Do you have an industry standard reference (i.e. NEMA 23, C Mount, etc)? I have quite a few so give me some specifics....

B. Morse
 

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
DC or AC?? How Small?? Do you have an industry standard reference (i.e. NEMA 23, C Mount, etc)? I have quite a few so give me some specifics....
Oh boy.... u are going way over there.
I just like to get my hands on a 3 phase that is capable of driving small loads
like CNC machines.
I like to build a small Lath kind of thingy, and I do have a programmable vector inverter.
The inverter is rated at 2.2kw 50/60 Hz 3 phase 200/230V 0.01-400hz.
Any thing that fits and not too big.

Rifaa
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
Oh boy.... u are going way over there.
I just like to get my hands on a 3 phase that is capable of driving small loads
like CNC machines.
I like to build a small Lath kind of thingy, and I do have a programmable vector inverter.
The inverter is rated at 2.2kw 50/60 Hz 3 phase 200/230V 0.01-400hz.
Any thing that fits and not too big.

Rifaa

well, a lot of the 3 phase motors I have are really big! They may be too big for that, although I have a surplus stock of some NEMA23 4 wire Bi-Polar Stepper Motors that I used to make a CNC Mill/Drill + general Engraver machine....

These are the motors >>


You can see my CNC project here >> http://www.morse-code.com/id18.htm
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
Matt : This should be pretty close to what you have on the mobility scooter, most of these electromechanical brake assemblies are pretty much the same in function......

ElectroMech Brake3 edit.jpg
 

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
Respect my friend... I will take some time alone to view this post with a coffee by my side.
You have made one that I was thinking of. so I will be on your back at later times. for now I will leave you alone and study.......
Glad to be among you guys.

Rifaa
 

BMorse

Joined Sep 26, 2009
2,675
Respect my friend... I will take some time alone to view this post with a coffee by my side.
You have made one that I was thinking of. so I will be on your back at later times. for now I will leave you alone and study.......
Glad to be among you guys.

Rifaa

While you are drinking your coffee, you can watch the video here on how the CNC Mill was constructed.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyEQuATs2JU

B. Morse
 
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