Orbital electrical power and signal generator mountable on a rotatable body

• US 4,657,289 A
• Filed: 08/19/1985
• Issued: 04/14/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert E. Boyer
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Boyer
• Inventors: Boyer, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salce, Patrick R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Application Number:
  US06/767,136
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1 R, 310/67 A, 310/67 R, 310/75 R, 310/75 C, 310/77, 310/89, 310/90, 235/95 R, 235/95 A, 235/95 B, 235/95 C, 340/58, 74/752 F, 200/83 B, 200/83 N, 200/83 W, 200/83 V
• US Class Current: 290/1.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/041 Means for supplying power to the signal- transmitting means on the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/127 the pumps being mounted on the hubs
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/08 from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1846 structurally associated with wheels or associated parts dynamos arranged in the wheel hub of cycles B62J6/12

Abstract

An electrical power and signal generator and sensing device mountable on a rotatable body, such as a vehicle wheel, oribiting around its axis and using the rotation of the wheel to drive the generator through a friction drive.

Claims

1. An electrical energy generator means mounted within a housing, said housing mounted to a rotatable body such as a vehicle wheel, rotatable therewith comprising, in combination:

said housing being ring-shaped and having an outer circular wall, front and rear walls, and an interior wall forming a passageway for surrounding an axial member;

a bearing means having inner and outer races with said inner race fixedly mounted to said interior wall of said housing, and said outer race fixedly attached to;

an armature shaft for said generator;

a friction driven wheel fixedly attached to said armature shaft;

said generator means suspended as a pendulum for maintaining a substantially non-rotating condition while said housing and said vehicle wheel rotate;

a drive ring fixedly attached to a wall of said housing and in operative communication with said friction driven wheel to thereby cause said armature shaft to rotate during rotation of said wheel and housing and develop an electrical potential.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said friction driven wheel is of a smaller diameter than the diameter of the drive ring path in which said friction driven wheel is positioned to rotate thereby producing an overspeed relation relative to the revolutions of the rotating vehicle wheel.

3. A system as in claim 1 including a weighted holding bracket for supporting said generator means.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein the diameter of said friction driven wheel and the diameter of the path in which said driven wheel is positioned to rotate controls the amount of voltage produced by said generating means.

5. An electrical energy generator for mounting to a rotatable body for rotation therewith, and comprising in combination:

a ring-shaped housing of essentially rectangular construction in cross section, including an outer wall, an inner wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, said bottom wall forming an interior passageway for surrounding a rotating shaft member;

a bearing means having an inner and outer race, and said inner race being fixedly attached to said bottom wall;

an electromagnetic potential generating means fixedly attached to said outer race;

an armature shaft for said generating means;

a friction driven wheel affixed to said armature shaft;

a resilient drive ring fixedly attached to said rear housing wall, said friction driven coaxially wheel being in operative engagement with said drive ring, and;

a weighted casing enclosing said generating means and suspended as a pendulum from said outer race to maintain a substantially non-rotating condition thereof,

whereby rotation of said housing with said rotating body causes said drive ring to revolve said friction driven wheel actuating said electromagnetic potential generating means to develop electrical power.

6. A system as in claim 5 wherein said friction driven wheel is of a smaller diameter than the circular path in which the wheel rotates on said drive ring to produce an overspeed condition relative to the revolutions of a rotating body.

7. A system as in claim 5 wherein said ring-shaped housing is attached to grease cap and rotates therewith.

8. An electrical energy generator mountable within an inner annular cavity of the strengthening rib of a vehicle wheel for orbital rotation therewith and comprising, in combination:

a bearing having an inner and outer race, said inner race fixedly mounted within said inner annular cavity;

a drive ring bracket annular in shape, said outer race attached to said bracket;

said generator including a rotatable shaft;

a friction driven wheel fixedly attached to one side of said shaft;

a drive ring mounted on said drive ring bracket in operative communication with said friction driven wheel;

an electromagnetic potential generator slideably mountable on;

a mounting bracket;

an annular-shaped shield enclosing the open side of said inner annular cavity for enviromentally protecting said generator, said mounting bracket being attached to said shield,

a pilot pin,

a compression spring actively engaged between said generator and said shield guided on said pilot pin;

a counting wheel on said armature shaft for electronically counting rotations;

multiple protrusions positioned around said counting wheel, acting as a speed sensor;

an electrical pickup sensor in operative contact with said counting wheel;

a signal transmitter electrically coupled to said generator, said pickup sensor being electrically connected to said transmitter;

an antenna electrically connected to said transmitter;

a receiving antenna, located in a non-rotating part of said vehicle;

a weight means attached to said drive ring bracket attached to said outer race bearing to maintain said bracket in a substantially non-rotating disposition relative to the orbital rotation of said generating assembly and said vehicle wheel, whereby said friction driven wheel revolves in a path on said drive ring thereby causing said generating assembly to develop electrical energy for said transmitter.

9. A system as in claim 8 wherein said friction driven wheel being of a smaller diameter than the diameter of the circular path for which said friction driven wheel is positioned to rotate on said drive ring to thereby produce an overspeed condition relative to the revolutions of said vehicle wheel.

10. A system as in claim 8 wherein said compression spring maintains pressure on said generating means forcing said friction driven wheel to maintain operational contact with said drive ring.

11. A system as in claim 8 wherein said protrusions on said counting wheel comprise an exciter passing through a magnetic field for counting rotations and said pickup brush is a sensor.

12. An electrical energy generator mountable to a rotatable body, such as a vehicle wheel and comprising in combination:

a cylindrical-shaped housing comprising, a disc forming a wall, a cup-shaped cover enviromentally sealed to said disc;

a mounting screw fixedly attached and centrally located on the outer side of said disc wall for coaxially mounting on said vehicle wheel;

a shaft centrally attached to said disc wall within said housing;

a shaft support mounted on the inner side of said cup-shaped cover and receiving said shaft;

a bearing means;

a generator support platform rotatably journaled to said shaft by said bearing means;

an electromagnetic potential generating means held and supported by said platform;

an armature shaft for said generating means,

a driven means comprising a sprocket disc, a driving means comprising a sprocket gear attached to said armature shaft and operatively coupled to said driven sprocket disc;

said sprocket disc having a plurality of spaced apertures engaging the teeth of said sprocket gear for driving said armature shaft and actuating said generating means to produce electrical power when said vehicle wheel rotates;

said generating means including;

a spring loaded brush holder, brushes and slip rings;

said brushes being in electrical communication with said slip rings, for conducting electrical energy to power a selected device;

a damping device to reduce oscillation of said generating means when the vehicle is in motion, said damping device including;

guide rods, a platform having rod receiving apertures therein, a bar that supports and slideably positions said guide rods in said platform holes, an arc-shaped weight affixed to said platform;

a resilient bumper on the top ends of said rods and attached immediately below said flat bar;

a resilient bumper on the bottom end of said rods contiguous said weight;

a compression spring on each rod position between said bumpers and the top of said platform, the center of gravity of said weight and said generating means being below the axis of said shaft and suspended as a pendulum to maintain said stationary generating means in a non-rotating condition while said wheel rotates with said housing.

13. A system as in claim 12 wherein said driven sprocket gear has a pitch diameter smaller than the diameter of the circular path in which it is positioned to rotate thereby creating an overspeed relation between the revolution of said sprocket gear and the revolution of said sprocket drive disc.

14. A system as in claim 12 wherein when said vehicle wheel bounces on irregular surfaces said damping device converts part of the forward movement of said wheel into an upward or downward motion due to the slideable mounting of said weight, thereby reducing oscillation and preventing the device from rotating.

15. A system as in claim 12 where said driven means is a friction driven wheel and said drive means is a drive ring.

16. A device for transforming mechanical energy into electrical energy, said device being mountable on a vehicle wheel for rotation therewith, and comprising in combination:

a circular-shaped rear wall;

a cylindrical-shaped housing consisting of a cup-shaped cover sealed to said rear wall;

a mounting screw fixedly attached to the exterior of said housing for mounting said housing coaxially on the vehicle wheel for rotating with said wheel;

a support shaft fixedly mounted on said rear wall and centrally located in said housing; and

coaxial to said mounting screw;

a bearing means slideably mounted on said shaft;

a drive disc fixedly attached to said bearing means;

a resilient drive ring fixedly attached to said drive disc;

a weight means depending from said drive disc for maintaining a substantially non-rotating condition relative to the rotation of said wheel;

a electromagnetic potential generating means, fixedly mounted on the inner surface of said cup-shaped cover;

an armature shaft for said generating means;

a friction driven wheel attached to said armature shaft and operatively coupled with said drive ring;

a transmitter means mounted within said housing and electrically coupled to be powered by said generating means, transmitter antenna means mounted on said housing to transmit signals therefrom;

whereby said generating means rotates with said housing and said vehicle wheel while said drive disc and drive disc ring remains relatively stationary, and said friction driven wheel rotates on said drive disc ring causing an electrical potential to be generated by said generating means such as to power said transmitter means.

17. A device as in claim 16 wherein said friction driven wheel is of a smaller diameter than the diameter of the circular path in which said wheel rotates, and said drive disc thereby creating an overspeed relationship between the revolutions of said friction driven wheel and said drive disc.

18. A device as in claim 16 wherein a tire pressure sensor is operatively powered by said generating means.

19. A device as in claim 16 wherein said transmitting antenna comprises a shrouded metal cable.

20. A device as in claim 16 wherein said generating means rotates with said transmitter and said antenna and with said vehicle wheel.

21. A device as in claim 16 wherein said generating means, said transmitting means and said pressure sensor means rotate in unison allowing a direct, brushless electrical connection.

23. A device as in claim 21 wherein said friction driven wheel is in small diameter and the diameter of the circular path in which it rotates on said resilient drive ring causing an overspeed relationship between the revolutions of said friction drive and said vehicle wheel.

24. A system as in claim 21 wherein said housing cover and said generating means is mounted eccentric to and orbits around the axis of rotation of said vehicle wheel.

25. A system as in claim 21 wherein said friction driven wheel is a sprocket gear and said splash shield hub has a series of holes equally spaced around said splash shield and is operatively coupled with the gear teeth in said sprocket gear.

27. A system as in claim 25 wherein said rotating friction driven wheel is a smaller diameter than the diameter of the circular path in which it travels on said drive ring causing an overspeed relationship with the revolutions of said friction driven wheel and said vehicle wheel.

28. A system as in claim 25 wherein the positioning of said generating means and said drive ring are interchanged, said generating means being fixedly attached to said spindle nut and non-rotating, and said drive ring being affixed to the wall of said grease cap.

29. A system as in claim 25, wherein said friction driven wheel is of a smaller diameter than the diameter of the circular path in which it rotates on said drive ring causing an overspeed relationship to the revolutions of said friction driven wheel and the revolutions of said vehicle wheel.

30. A system as in claim 25 wherein said generating means and said signal transmitter rotate in conjunction with each other thereby eliminating the necessity of electrical brushes and slip rings.

22. A device for transforming mechanical energy into electrical energy, said device being mountable in an annular cavity of a brake rotor hub of a disc brake system for rotation with a wheel of a vehicle and comprising in combination:

a housing for said generating means comprising side walls and a front wall cover, a portion of said brake rotor forming the rear wall of said housing;

an armature drive shaft for said generator passing through said housing wall cover;

a friction driven wheel attached to said drive shaft;

a stationary splash shield mounted on said vehicle;

said splash shield having an extended circular portion, a resilient drive ring fixedly attached to said circular portion of said splash shield, said friction driven wheel orbiting around and engaging said drive ring to revolve when said generating means rotates with wheel thereby causing the generating means to create an electrical potential;

a transmitter, mounted within said housing cover, electrical circuitry for connecting the generating means to power said transmitter,

a transmitter antenna on said housing cover;

a receiving antenna located on non-rotating body of said vehicle such as the splash shield and being in R/F communication with said transmitter antenna.

26. A device for transforming mechanical energy into electrical energy and mountable on a rotatable body, such as a vehicle wheel, for rotation therewith, and comprising in combination:

a rotor hub for said wheel;

a cup-shaped grease cap having a side wall, a bottom wall and an open end, said cap being mountable on said rotor hub with its opening contiguous to said wheel and rotatable with said hub;

an electromagnetic potential generating means affixed on the inside surface of said side wall of said grease cap and rotatable with said cap;

an armature drive shaft for said generating means;

a friction driven wheel mounted on said drive shaft;

a nonrotating spindle for said wheel,

a nonrotating spindle nut for said spindle, an outer portion of said spindle nut being circular,

a drive ring on said circular outer portion of said spindle nut;

said friction driven wheel engaging said drive ring to cause said armature shaft to rotate when said wheel and cap rotate to activate said generating means to develop electrical energy;

a signal transmitter electrically coupled to said generating means;

a transmitter antenna extending from said grease cap to enable R/F communication with a receiver antenna on the body of the vehicle.