Trailer and power unit therefor

• US 10,407,007 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2018
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydraulique Eagle, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hydraulique Eagle, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Gurari, Erez
• Application Number:
  US16/153,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20190106068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/10 arranged at the vehicle rear B60J5/04 takes precedence ; bonnets or lids B62D25/10; tail gates for pick-up trucks B62D33/0273; counterbalancing E05F; springs, e.g. pneumatic F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/162 the hydraulic system itself
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/4471 General means for controlling movements of the loading platform, e.g. hydraulic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/027 movable
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/08 Component parts or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/10 in which the servomotor position is a function of the pressure also pressure regulators as operating means for such systems, the device itself may be a position indicating system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The trailer generally has a wheeled frame with a coupling at a front end thereof, a moveable component, a power unit driving the movement of the moveable component, the power unit including an electrical motor and a capacitor pack, the capacitor pack being connected for powering the electrical motor, and being connectable to a DC electrical source.

Claims

1. A trailer comprising a wheeled frame with a coupling at a front end thereof, a box hinged around a horizontal axis and being pivotable around the hinge, a power unit driving the pivoting of the box, the power unit including an electric motor and a capacitor pack, the capacitor pack being connected for powering the electrical motor and having sufficient power to drive the movement of the box at least once, the capacitor pack being connectable to a DC alternator source of a towing vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a hydraulic cylinder connected between the box and the wheeled frame, the hydraulic cylinder being drivingly connected to the electric motor.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the power unit includes an actuator having a first end connected to the wheeled frame and a second end connected to the open box bed, at a front end thereof, the actuator being operable to selectively raise or lower the front end of the open box bed, thereby pivoting the open box bed around the hinge.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the actuator is a hydraulic cylinder, the power unit further comprising a hydraulic pump powered by the electrical motor.

5. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the actuator is the electric motor.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the capacitor pack is connectable to the alternator source via an electrical cable having a connector at the front end of the wheeled frame.

7. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the capacitor pack is connected to the electrical motor via an electrical cable having between 6 and 24 inches in length, preferably between 12 and 18 inches in length.

8. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the capacitor pack is a supercapacitor bank including a plurality of Li-ion supercapacitors.

9. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the capacitor pack is a supercapacitor bank including a plurality of supercapacitor elements in series between two main terminals.

10. The trailer of claim 9 wherein each supercapacitor element includes two individual elements in parallel.

11. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the capacitor pack has sufficient power to drive the movement of the box twice before recharging.

12. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the electric motor is a rotary electric motor.

13. The trailer of claim 1 wherein the capacitor pack is configured to deplete as it drives the movement of the box.