Occupant-propelled fluid powered rotary device, truck, wheeled platform, or vehicle

• US 20050280232A1
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Eaton Cole
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Eaton Cole
• Inventors: Cole, Jeffrey Eaton
• Granted Patent: US 7,040,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/87.042
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/01 Skateboards A63C17/02 - A63C17/28 take precedence; rolling devices on skis A63C5/035
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/12 with driving mechanisms

Abstract

An occupant propelled device having at least one hydraulic cylinder, a platform and a housing. The at least one hydraulic cylinder has at least two chambers in fluid communication. The platform is attachable to the at least one hydraulic cylinder, such that upon movement of the platform a hydraulic fluid is displaced from one chamber to the other chamber. The housing is attachable to the platform at a pivot point and has at least one axle adapted to receive at least one wheel.

Claims

1. An occupant propelled device comprising:

at least one hydraulic cylinder having at least two chambers in fluid communication;

at least one platform attachable to the at least one hydraulic cylinder at a first connection point and a second connection point, wherein movement of the platform displaces a hydraulic fluid from one of the at least two chambers;

a housing attachable to the platform at a pivot point and having at least one axle adapted to receive a wheel, wherein the pivot point is positioned between the first connection point and the second connection point of the at least one hydraulic cylinder; and

at least one wheel.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one hydraulic motor adapted to receive the hydraulic fluid from the at least two chambers, wherein the hydraulic motor is configured to rotate by the displaced hydraulic fluid creating torque to drive the at least one axle.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a directional control valve configured to direct the flow of the hydraulic fluid to engage or bypass the hydraulic motor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one hydraulic cylinder comprises a double-ended-piston-rod.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the pivot point is approximately symmetrically positioned between the first connection point and the second connection point.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the platform is a deck of a skateboard.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one platform comprises at least two separate platforms.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing is a skateboard truck.

9. The device of claim 3, further comprising a switch adapted to direct the hydraulic fluid to bypass the at least one hydraulic motor.

10. The device of claim 3, wherein the directional control valve further comprises a pair of springs configured to adjust a defined working pressure range within which the at least one hydraulic motor receives hydraulic fluid and an outside pressure range within which the hydraulic fluid bypasses the hydraulic motor.

11. The device of claim 2, wherein the hydraulic motor further comprises a bypass valve configured to enable fluid communication between an inlet chamber and a discharge chamber of the at least one hydraulic motor.

12. The device of claim 3, further comprising a piston accumulator adapted to store a pressurized hydraulic fluid, wherein the piston accumulator stores the pressurized hydraulic fluid and upon expansion of at least one of the chambers the pressurized hydraulic fluid is released to the hydraulic motor.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more check valves configured to prevent a reverse flow of the hydraulic fluid.

14. An occupant propelled device comprising at least two hydraulic cylinders, each cylinder having at least one chamber in fluid communication;

at least one platform attachable to the at least two hydraulic cylinders at a first connection point and a second connection point, wherein movement of the platform displaces a hydraulic fluid from one of the at least two hydraulic cylinders;

a housing attachable to the platform at a pivot point and having at least one axle adapted to receive a wheel, wherein the pivot point is positioned between the first connection point and the second connection point of the at least two hydraulic cylinders; and

at least one wheel.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising at least one hydraulic motor adapted to receive the hydraulic fluid from the at least two cylinders, wherein the hydraulic motor is configured to rotate by the displaced hydraulic fluid creating torque to drive the at least one axle.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a directional control valve configured to direct the flow of the hydraulic fluid to engage or bypass the hydraulic motor.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the pivot point is approximately symmetrically positioned between the first connection point and the second connection point.

18. The device of claim 16, further comprising a switch adapted to direct the hydraulic fluid to bypass the at least one hydraulic motor.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the directional control valve further comprises a pair of springs configured to adjust a defined working pressure range within which the at least one hydraulic motor receives hydraulic fluid and an outside pressure range within which the hydraulic fluid bypasses the hydraulic motor.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the hydraulic motor further comprises a bypass valve configured to enable fluid communication between an inlet chamber and a discharge chamber of the at least one hydraulic motor.

21. The device of claim 16, further comprising a piston accumulator adapted to store a pressurized hydraulic fluid, wherein the piston accumulator stores the pressurized hydraulic fluid and upon expansion of one of the at least two cylinders, the pressurized hydraulic fluid is released to the hydraulic motor.

22. The device of claim 14, further comprising one or more check valves configured to prevent a reverse flow of the hydraulic fluid.

23. A hydraulic skateboard comprising:

a skateboard deck;

at least two hydraulic cylinders, each of the at least two hydraulic cylinders in fluid communication, wherein the skateboard deck is attachable to the at least two hydraulic cylinders such that movement of the skateboard deck displaces a hydraulic fluid from one of the at least two hydraulic cylinders;

a pair of skateboard trucks, wherein at least one of the pair of skateboard trucks further comprises at least one hydraulic motor adapted to receive the hydraulic fluid from the at least two hydraulic cylinders, wherein each skateboard truck is attachable to the skateboard deck and configured to be attachable to the skateboard deck at a pivot point, wherein the pivot point is positioned between a first connection point and a second connection point of the at least two hydraulic cylinders and wherein the skateboard deck comprises at least one axle protruding from the truck and configured to receive a wheel;

at least one hydraulic motor configured to rotate by displaced hydraulic fluid from one of the at least two hydraulic cylinders creating torque to drive the at least one axle; and

at least one wheel attached to the at least one axle of each skateboard truck.

24. The skateboard of claim 23, further comprising a directional control valve configured to direct the flow of hydraulic fluid to engage or bypass the hydraulic motor.

25. The skateboard of claim 23, wherein each of the at least two hydraulic cylinder comprise a chamber configured to receive and displace the hydraulic fluid from the cylinder.

26. The skateboard of claim 24, further comprising a switch adapted to direct the hydraulic fluid to bypass the at least one hydraulic motor.

27. The skateboard of claim 24, wherein the directional control valve further comprises a pair of springs configured to adjust a defined working pressure range within which the at least one hydraulic motor receives hydraulic fluid and an outside pressure range within which hydraulic fluids bypass the hydraulic motor.

28. The skateboard of claim 23, further comprising a bypass valve configured to enable fluid communication between an inlet chamber and a discharge chamber of the at least one hydraulic motor.

29. The skateboard of claim 24, further comprising a piston accumulator adapted to store a pressurized hydraulic fluid, wherein the piston accumulator stores the pressurized hydraulic fluid and upon expansion of one of the at least two cylinders the pressurized fluid is released to the hydraulic motor.

30. A hydraulic skateboard comprising:

at least one hydraulic cylinder, having at least two chambers in fluid communication;

a skateboard deck attachable to the at least one hydraulic cylinder at a first connection point and a second connection point, wherein movement of the platform displaces a hydraulic fluid;

a pair of skateboard trucks, each skateboard truck being adapted to be attachable to the skateboard deck at a pivot point and comprising at least one axle protruding from the truck and configured to receive at least one wheel, and wherein at least one of the pair of skateboard trucks further comprises at least one hydraulic motor adapted to receive the hydraulic fluid from the at least two hydraulic cylinders creating torque to rotate the at least one axle.

31. The skateboard of claim 30, further comprising a directional control valve configured to direct the flow of hydraulic fluid to engage or bypass the hydraulic motor.

32. The skateboard of claim 31, further comprising a switch adapted to direct the hydraulic fluid to bypass the at least one hydraulic motor.

33. The skateboard of claim 31, wherein the directional control valve further comprises a pair of springs configured to adjust a defined working pressure range within which the at least one hydraulic motor receives hydraulic fluid and an outside pressure range within which hydraulic fluids bypass the hydraulic motor.

34. The skateboard of claim 30, further comprising a bypass valve configured to enable fluid communication between an inlet chamber and a discharge chamber of the at least one hydraulic motor when the at least one hydraulic motor.

35. The skateboard of claim 31, further comprising a piston accumulator adapted to store a pressurized hydraulic fluid, wherein the piston accumulator stores the pressurized hydraulic fluid and upon expansion of one of the two chambers the pressurized fluid is released to the hydraulic motor.

36. A hydraulic system comprising:

at least one hydraulic cylinder having at least two chambers; and

a housing attachable to a platform at a pivot point and having at least one axle adapted to receive at least one wheel, wherein the pivot point is positioned between a first connection point and a second connection point of the at least one hydraulic cylinder to the platform; and

wherein movement of the platform displaces a hydraulic fluid from one chamber to the other chamber.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising at least one hydraulic motor adapted to receive the hydraulic fluid from the at least two chambers, wherein the hydraulic motor is configured to rotate by the displaced hydraulic fluid creating torque to drive the at least one axle.

38. The system of claim 37, further comprising a directional control valve configured to direct the flow of the hydraulic fluid to engage or bypass the hydraulic motor.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the at least one hydraulic cylinder is a double-ended-piston-rod hydraulic cylinder.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the at least two chambers of the double-ended-piston-rod hydraulic cylinder are separated by a piston.

41. A hydraulic propulsion system comprising:

a hydraulic cylinder having two chambers in fluid communication with one another;

a housing connected to a platform at a pivot point;

at least one axle extending from the housing; and

wherein the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the housing and upon movement of the hydraulic cylinder about the pivot point a hydraulic fluid is displaced from one of the at least two chambers.

42. The system of claim 41, further comprising at least one hydraulic motor adapted to receive the hydraulic fluid from the at least two chambers, wherein the hydraulic motor is configured to rotate by the displaced hydraulic fluid creating torque to drive the at least one axle.

43. The system of claim 42, further comprising a directional control valve configured to direct the flow of the hydraulic fluid to engage or bypass the hydraulic motor.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein the at least one hydraulic cylinder is a double-ended-piston-rod hydraulic cylinder.

45. A hydraulic system for a skateboard comprising:

at least two hydraulic cylinders each having a chamber in fluid communication with one another; and

a housing attachable to a platform at a pivot point and having at least one axle adopted to receive at least one wheel; and

wherein upon movement of the platform at least one of the two cylinders displaces a hydraulic fluid to the other chamber.

46. The device of claim 45, further comprising at least one hydraulic motor adapted to receive the hydraulic fluid from the at least two chambers, wherein the hydraulic motor is configured to rotate by the displaced hydraulic fluid creating torque to drive the at least one axle.

47. The system of claim 46, further comprising a directional control valve configured to direct the flow of the hydraulic fluid to engage or bypass the hydraulic motor.

48. The skateboard of claim 47, further comprising a bypass valve configured to enable fluid communication between an inlet chamber and a discharge chamber of the at least one hydraulic motor when the at least one hydraulic motor is not engaged by the hydraulic fluid.

52. The device of claim 48, further comprising a wheel, wherein the wheel surrounds the axle.

49. A hydraulic device comprising:

at least two hydraulic cylinders, each of the at least two hydraulic cylinders in fluid communication;

a housing comprising;

at least one hydraulic motor configured to receive a hydraulic fluid from the at least two hydraulic cylinders, wherein the hydraulic motor is configured to rotate creating torque to drive an axle;

a directional control valve configured to direct the flow of the hydraulic fluid to engage or bypass the hydraulic motor; and

an axle surrounding the housing.

50. The device of claim 49, further comprising a plurality of bearings between the housing and the axle, wherein the bearings are configured to reduce radial loading on the axle.

51. The device of claim 49, further comprising at least one platform, wherein the platform is attachable to the at least two hydraulic cylinders.