Wheel rim-mounted regeneration coil-magnet system

• US 10,501,143 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Seagraves, Jamel, Tang, Chih-Wei, Aich, Sudipto, Carrus, Justin, Gomez, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stabley, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US15/649,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20170305496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/14 to electric lighting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/10 Dynamic electric regenerative braking B60L7/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/06 Arrangement of lighting dynamos or drives therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B62L 1/00 Brakes back-pedalling brakes B62L5/00; Arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/65 with axle and driving shaft arranged coaxially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1407 on vehicles not being driven by a motor, e.g. bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A bicycle includes a frame, a charging circuit carried by the frame and configured to capture energy associated with movement of the bicycle, a power module carried by the frame, and a switch disposed electrically between the charging circuit and power module. The power module, in response to an indication that the bicycle is travelling downhill, closes the switch to enable energy transfer between the charging circuit and power module.

Claims

1. A bicycle comprising:

a frame;

a charging circuit carried by the frame and configured to capture energy associated with movement of the bicycle;

a power module carried by the frame and selectively attached to an external device, the power module configured to, in response to an indication of an external device being connected to the power module, close an electrical connector disposed electrically between the charging circuit and power module to enable power transfer therebetween, wherein the power module is further configured to close the electrical connector in response to an indication of a braking state of the bicycle.

2. The bicycle of claim 1, the power module further configured to open the connector in response to the external device being disconnected from the power module.

3. The bicycle of claim 1, wherein the power module is further configured to close the electrical connector in response to receiving a user command from a user interface.