POWER CONVERTER MODULE FOR A BATTERY-OPERATED VEHICLE

• US 20100163321A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RPS Corporation
• Original Assignee: RPS Corporation
• Inventors: Goff, Sean K.
• Application Number:
  US12/346,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20100163321A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.210
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/60 Industrial applications, e.g. pipe inspection vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A power converter module and a battery-operated vehicle which is powered using the power converter module are disclosed. This power converter module may swappable with a battery module that is similarly sized, so that the battery-operated vehicle can selectively run from either the battery module or the power converter module. The power converter module converts fuel into an electrical power supply having a form similar to the power supplied by the battery module.

Claims

1. A battery-operated vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

a battery compartment formed in the chassis;

a drive motor for propelling the chassis, the drive motor being in electrical communication with the battery compartment via an electrical system;

a power converter module received in the battery compartment, the power converter module including;

a fuel tank;

an internal combustion engine connected to the fuel tank;

a generator connected to and driven by the internal combustion engine; and

a surge protector connected to the generator, the surge protector adapted for connection to the electrical system of the battery-operated vehicle;

wherein, when the internal combustion engine operates and drives the generator, the generator produces power that is then passed through the surge protector for the electrical system of the battery-operated vehicle.

2. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 1, in which a battery module is swappable with the power converter module and the power converter module produces power that is substantially equivalent to the power provided by the battery module.

3. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a support frame that supports the fuel tank, the internal combustion engine, the generator, and the surge protector.

4. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 3, wherein the support frame is adapted to be slidably received in a battery compartment in the battery-operated vehicle.

5. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 3, wherein the support frame has a footprint that substantially matches a footprint of the battery module.

6. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 1, wherein the surge protector is a battery.

7. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 6, wherein the battery only provides sufficient power to operate the electrical system of the battery-operated vehicle when the internal combustion engine is running.

8. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 1, wherein the surge protector includes at least two batteries connected in series.

9. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 1, wherein the surge protector continuously prevents a surge in power transferred from the generator to the electrical system of the battery-operated vehicle.

10. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 9, wherein the surge protector continuously prevents a surge in current transferred from the generator to the electrical system of the battery-operated vehicle.

11. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 9, wherein the surge protector continuously prevents a surge in voltage transferred from the generator to the electrical system of the battery-operated vehicle.

12. The battery-operated vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power produced by the power converter module is essentially a DC power supply.

13. The power converter module of the battery operated vehicle as claimed in claim 1.

14. A power converter module for a battery-operated vehicle, the power converter module being received in a battery compartment of the battery-operated vehicle, the power converter module comprising a support frame supporting a fuel tank, an internal combustion engine, a generator, and a surge protector, wherein the support frame is sized to have a footprint that substantially matches a footprint for a battery module swappable with the power converter module.

15. The power converter module of claim 14, wherein the surge protector includes a battery.

16. The power converter module of claim 14, wherein the power converter module provides power to an electrical system of the battery-operated vehicle in a manner substantially equivalent to the battery module.