ELECTRIC WHEELED APPARATUS

• US 20110056177A1
• Filed: 08/25/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: GOTO, Masahiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,851,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/14.7
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/00 Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing A01D37/00 - A01D41/00, A01D43/00; convertible to apparatus for purposes other than mowing or capable of performing operations other than mowing A01D42/00; Mowing apparatus of harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/30 Trolleys
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/34 Wheel chairs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/46 Vehicles with auxiliary ad-on propulsions, e.g. add-on electric motor kits for bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/20 using propulsion power generated by humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 1/10 in which the load is intended to be transferred totally to the wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 1/18 in which the load is disposed between the wheel axis and the handles, e.g. wheelbarrows
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0053 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/55 power-driven at crank shafts parts
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/60 power-driven at axle parts
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/90 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric wheeled apparatus comprises a main body, at least one wheel supported by the main body in a rotatable manner; an electric motor configured to apply torque to the at least one wheel, a battery interface configured to removably receive at least one battery pack which is originally designed as a power source of an electric power tool, and an electric circuit unit configured to electrically connect the at least one battery pack attached to the battery interface with the electric motor.

Claims

1. An electric wheeled apparatus comprising:

a main body;

at least one wheel supported by the main body in a rotatable manner;

an electric motor configured to apply torque to the at least one wheel;

a battery interface configured to removably receive at least one battery pack which is originally designed as a power source of an electric power tool; and

an electric circuit unit configured to electrically connect the at least one battery pack attached to the battery interface with the electric motor.

2. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the battery interface is configured to removably receive a plurality of battery packs including a first battery pack and a second battery pack, each of which is originally designed as the power source of the electric power tool.

3. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured capable of electrically connecting the first and second battery packs in parallel with the electric motor when the first and second battery packs are attached to the battery interface.

4. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the electric circuit unit is provided with at least two switching elements and is configured capable of electrically disconnecting each of the first and second battery packs from the electric motor by turning off a corresponding one of the at least two switching elements.

5. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured capable of electrically connecting the first and second battery packs attached to the battery interface with the electric motor one by one.

6. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured capable of electrically connecting the first and second battery packs in series with the electric motor when the first and second battery packs are attached to the battery interface in series with the electric motor.

7. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured capable of:

electrically connecting the first battery pack and the second battery pack attached to the battery interface in parallel with the electric motor, and

electrically connecting the first battery pack and the second battery pack attached to the battery interface in series with the electric motor.

8. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the electric wheeled apparatus is an electric bicycle, which further comprises:

pedals configured to be pedaled by a user on the electric bicycle; and

a user force transmission configured to mechanically connect the pedals with at least one wheel so as to transmit force applied to the pedals by the user to the at least one wheel.

9. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured to control electric power supply from the at least one battery pack to the electric motor in accordance with the force applied to the pedals by the user.

10. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the electric wheeled apparatus is a carrier cart,

the main body has a platform configured to support a baggage,

the at least one wheel includes a pair of wheels coaxially disposed;

and

the battery interface is arranged such that the at least one battery pack partly is located between the pair of wheels when the at least one battery pack is attached to the battery interface.

11. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured to control electric power supply to the electric motor in accordance with a force applied to the carrier cart by a user.

12. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the electric wheeled apparatus is a wheelbarrow having a single wheel, and

the electric motor is an in-wheel motor incorporated in the single wheel.

13. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured to control electric power supply to the electric motor in accordance with a force applied to the wheelbarrow by a user.

14. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the electric wheeled apparatus is a suitcase,

the main body is an openable case that supports the at least one wheel driven by the electric motor, and

the battery interface is arranged within the openable case such that the at least one battery pack is able to be attached to and detached from the battery interface from inside the openable case.

15. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured to control electric power supply to the electric motor in accordance with a force applied to the suitcase by a user.

16. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the electric wheeled apparatus is an electric power mower having a cutter, and

the electric motor is configured to apply torque to both of the at least one wheel and the cutter.

17. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured to control electric power supply to the electric motor in accordance with a force applied to the electric power mower by a user.

18. The electric wheeled apparatus as in any claim 1, wherein

the electric wheeled apparatus is an electric power cultivator having a cultivating rotor, and

the electric motor is configured to apply torque to both of the at least one wheel and the cultivating rotor.

19. The electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 18, wherein the electric circuit unit is configured to control electric power supply to the electric motor in accordance with a force applied to the electric power cultivator by a user.

20. A combination comprising:

an electric power tool;

a battery pack configured to be detachably attached to the electric power tool;

a charger configured to electrically connect to and recharge the battery pack; and

the electric wheeled apparatus as in claim 1, the battery interface of which is configured to removably receive the battery pack.