Regenerative braking system for an electric vehicle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vehicle, comprising:
- at least two wheels;
a rechargeable battery; and
a regenerative braking system comprising;
a brake control configured for movement by a user, a regenerative device associated with the batteries and at least one of the wheels for generating an electrical current by decelerating the wheel, and a processor connected to the brake control and to the battery such that in response to first movement of the brake control, the processor causes the regenerative device to decelerate the vehicle and charge the battery with said current, wherein the processor is configured for activating another operation of the vehicle in response to a second movement of the brake control second movement.
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Abstract
A regenerative braking system for an electric vehicle having front and rear wheels, and includes a drive wheel, an actuating device, a regenerative braking control circuit, and a power electronics circuit. The regenerative braking control circuit includes a potentiometer ir transducer, a process sensor, and a microprocessor. The system applies a regenerative braking torque to the drive wheel when the rider commands regenerative braking, and the process sensors signal a drive wheel velocity greater than zero. The present invention also relates to a throttle for actuating regenerative braking and reversing feature.
116 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A vehicle, comprising:
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at least two wheels;
a rechargeable battery; and
a regenerative braking system comprising;
a brake control configured for movement by a user, a regenerative device associated with the batteries and at least one of the wheels for generating an electrical current by decelerating the wheel, and a processor connected to the brake control and to the battery such that in response to first movement of the brake control, the processor causes the regenerative device to decelerate the vehicle and charge the battery with said current, wherein the processor is configured for activating another operation of the vehicle in response to a second movement of the brake control second movement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
an electric motor operatively connected to at least one of the wheels to drive the at least one wheel; and
a motor controller configured to connect the battery to the electric motor to power the motor.
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4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein:
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the brake control comprises a twist grip throttle; and
the processor has a least one electrical connection to the motor controller and is configured for causing the motor to accelerate the wheel when the brake control is positioned in the second subrange.
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5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for activating another braking system for decelerating the vehicle when the brake control is positioned in the second subrange.
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6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first subrange comprises less than about 25 percent of the range.
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7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the brake control is resiliently biased towards a resting position between the first and second subranges.
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8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:
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the brake control is configured for movement by a user over a movement range that comprises first and second subranges; and
the processor is connected to the brake control and the battery such that when the brake control is positioned in the first subrange, the processor causes the regenerative device to decelerate the vehicle and charge the battery with said current, and when the brake control is positioned in the second subrange the processor activates said other operation.
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9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first movement is in a first direction, and the second movement is at least of a predetermined minimum rate and in a second direction opposite from the first direction.
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10. A electric vehicle, comprising:
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a vehicle frame supporting a plurality of rechargeable batteries;
at least two wheels supportively connected to the frame;
an electric motor operatively connected to drive at least one of the wheels;
a motor controller configured to connect said plurality of batteries to the electric motor; and
a regenerative braking system including;
a processor having a least one electrical connection to the motor controller, and an actuating device mounted on the vehicle and connected to the processor, the actuating device being configured to;
accelerate the vehicle in response to a first movement of actuating device, and apply a regenerative braking force which causes the vehicle to decelerate and the motor controller to recharge at least one of said plurality of batteries, in response to a second movement of the actuating device, while the vehicle is traveling in a forward direction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
in a first direction to thereby accelerate the vehicle, and in a second direction to thereby apply the regenerative braking force.
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14. The electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein the throttle comprises:
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a rotatable handle provided with a first gear fixedly mounted thereto;
a bidirectional spring operatively engaged to the rotatable handle and configured to bias the rotatable handle towards a neutral position; and
a transducer operatively coupled to the first gear and configured to output a signal in response to a rotational movement of the first gear;
whereinrotation of the handle causes the first gear to activate the transducer such that the transducer outputs a signal reflective of either a position, or a change in position, of the handle.
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15. The electric vehicle of claim 14, further comprising a star gear fixedly mounted relative to the bidirectional spring assembly and coupled to the first gear, the star gear being operatively engaged to the first gear such that rotation of the first gear causes a corresponding rotation of the star gear, resulting in activation of the transducer.
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16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the transducer comprises a first transducer activated for activating the regenerative braking, and a second transducer activated for accelerating the vehicle.
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17. A electric vehicle having a regenerative braking system, the vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle frame supporting a plurality of rechargeable batteries;
at least two wheels supportively connected to the frame;
a handlebar rotatably connected to the frame and operatively connected for steering at least one of the wheels;
an electric motor operatively connected to drive at least one of the wheels;
a motor controller configured to connect said plurality of batteries to the electric motor; and
a regenerative braking system including;
a processor having at least one electrical connection to the motor controller, and a twist-grip throttle mounted on a handlebar of the vehicle and connected to the processor, the twist-grip throttle being configured to;
accelerate the vehicle in response to a first movement of the twist-grip throttle, and apply a regenerative braking force which causes the vehicle to decelerate and the motor controller to recharge at least one of said plurality of batteries, in response to a second movement of the twist-grip throttle while the vehicle is traveling in a forward direction. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
the twist grip throttle is biased toward a neutral resting position and is bi-directional, the twist grip throttle being configured to rotate from said neutral resting position;
in a first direction to thereby accelerate the vehicle, and in a second direction to thereby apply the regenerative braking force.
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25. The electric vehicle of claim 24, wherein:
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the twist-grip throttle is rotatable in the second direction from the neutral position over a range of motion comprising a plurality of subranges, and movement over a first subrange demands regenerative braking and movement over a second subrange demands another mode of braking.
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26. The electric vehicle of claim 25, wherein the first subrange comprises a displacement within about the first 25 percent of the range of motion, and the second subrange comprises a displacement within a remaining range of motion.
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27. The electric vehicle of claim 25, wherein the throttle and controller are configured such that rotation of the twist-grip throttle in the second direction while the vehicle is stationary, causes the vehicle to move in a reverse direction.
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28. The electric vehicle of claim 17, wherein the twist grip throttle is biased toward a neutral resting position and is configured to rotate from the neutral resting position in a first direction, wherein rotation of the throttle from the neutral resting position over a first subrange in the first direction demands regenerative braking, and further rotation of the handle over a second subrange in said first direction demands vehicle acceleration.
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29. The electric vehicle of claim 28, wherein the first subrange comprises a rotational displacement within about the first 25 percent of the range, and the second subrange comprises a displacement within the remaining range of motion.
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30. The electric vehicle of claim 29, further comprising an anti-lock braking system including:
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a rear wheel velocity sensor and a front wheel velocity sensor; and
a processor having anti-lock braking software code configured to process velocity sensor inputs and control an applied braking force in response thereto, wherein the anti-lock braking system is activated when front and rear wheel velocities differ by a predetermined amount, wherein activation of the anti-lock braking system adjusts a torque applied by the regenerative braking system by an amount which depends on the difference between front and rear wheel velocities.
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Specification