Self-renewing electrically driven automobile

• US 6,082,476 A
• Filed: 05/19/1999
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nathan Stulbach
• Original Assignee: Nathan Stulbach
• Inventors: Stulbach, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, J. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McClellan, James S.
• Application Number:
  US09/315,203
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.3, 180/65.1, 180/65.6, 180/65.4, 180/65.8, 180/165, 477/2, 477/3
• US Class Current: 180/65.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/08 from a ground wheel, e.g. engaging the wheel tread or rim
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1415 with a generator driven by a prime mover other than the motor of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A self-renewing electrically driven vehicle has electro-generating units 1 and 2. Unit one has an electrically charged starter battery, a first electric motor and a dynamo-electric generator connected to a first road-wheel axle. Unit two has a second electric motor, two initially uncharged batteries and two similar generators. Unit one starts the automobile and maintains it for a short time until unit two can operate the vehicle. As a result of a rotary motion transferring device, while the vehicle is in motion, the generator of unit one receives mechanical energy generated by the first road-wheel axle and converts that mechanical energy into electrical energy which automatically flows into the starter battery to recharge it. From the inception of the vehicle'"'"'s movement and onward, each generator of unit two receive mechanical energy from the second road-wheel axle that they are connected to and convert this energy into electrical energy which they send to the two storage batteries of unit two. Switching means detects when these two storage batteries of unit two reach a predetermined level of electric power and then (i) engages the electric motor of unit two to the second road wheel axle to operate the vehicle for the remainder of the trip and (ii) disengages the first electric motor of unit one from the first road wheel axle. The starter battery is thus perfectly recharged for the next trip of the vehicle and the vehicle can travel long distances at enhanced accelerations without recharging the batteries.

Claims

1. A vehicle operated by two electro-generating units, including:

(A) electro-generating unit one which starts and maintains the vehicle for a short time, comprising;

a starter storage battery,

a dynamoelectric generator that converts mechanical energy from a revolution of a road wheel axle of the vehicle into electrical energy and feeds the electrical energy to the starter storage battery,

a rotary motion transferring device for coupling said dynamoelectric generator to a road wheel axle of the vehicle,

a first electric motor and means for coupling said first electric motor to a first road wheel axle of the vehicle,

(B) electro-generating unit two which assumes control over operation of the vehicle a short time after the vehicle starts moving, comprising;

a second electric motor and means for coupling said electric motor to a second road wheel axle of the vehicle,

two dynamoelectric generators that each convert mechanical energy from a revolution of a road wheel axle of the vehicle into electrical energy,

two storage batteries each of which are charged by and connected to one of said dynamoelectric generators and which are connected to and feed electric energy to the second electric motor, and

(C) means for detecting the electric power level of said storage batteries and, if said electric power has attained a predetermined level, for disengaging the first electric motor from the first road wheel axle and engaging the second electric motor to the second road wheel axle of the vehicle in order to allow electro-generating unit two to operate the vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the starter storage battery comes charged with electric power at a beginning of a trip of the vehicle and wherein the storage batteries are not charged with electric power at the beginning of the trip of the vehicle.