Electric powered vehicle
First Claim
1. A power-generating system for an electric-powered vehicle having at least a pair of wheels, comprising:
- at least first and second discrete battery packs for storing electrical energy;
an electrical generating device coupled to at least one of the wheels of the vehicle for generating electricity in response to rotation of said one wheel;
an electric motor connected to another of the wheels for driving said another wheel;
discrete battery-charging electrical circuits coupling said generating device and said battery packs including a first switch for selectively charging said first and second battery packs through the discrete battery charging electrical circuits, respectively;
discrete electrical driving circuits coupled to said electric motor and said battery packs including a second switch for electrically driving said motor using stored electrical energy (i) from said first battery pack when said first switch connects said generating device and said second battery pack and said second switch connects said motor and said first battery pack and (ii) from said second battery pack when said first switch connects said generating device and said first battery pack and said second switch connects said motor and said second battery pack, respectively.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an electrically driven automobile, a dynamo-electric generating device(s) is attached to one or more free-running wheels of the vehicle, which are not connected to the power drive of the vehicle. The free-running wheels are rotated by contact with the road surface as the vehicle is powered forward. The free-running wheels rotate one or more electric generating devices to produce electrical energy which is stored alternately in one or more electrical storage systems. The other non-charging electrical storage system(s) concurrently provides power to the electric motor which drives the vehicle through one or more of the wheels connected to the power train.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A power-generating system for an electric-powered vehicle having at least a pair of wheels, comprising:
-
at least first and second discrete battery packs for storing electrical energy;
an electrical generating device coupled to at least one of the wheels of the vehicle for generating electricity in response to rotation of said one wheel;
an electric motor connected to another of the wheels for driving said another wheel;
discrete battery-charging electrical circuits coupling said generating device and said battery packs including a first switch for selectively charging said first and second battery packs through the discrete battery charging electrical circuits, respectively;
discrete electrical driving circuits coupled to said electric motor and said battery packs including a second switch for electrically driving said motor using stored electrical energy (i) from said first battery pack when said first switch connects said generating device and said second battery pack and said second switch connects said motor and said first battery pack and (ii) from said second battery pack when said first switch connects said generating device and said first battery pack and said second switch connects said motor and said second battery pack, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A power-generating system for an electric-powered vehicle having at least a pair of wheels, comprising:
-
at least first and second discrete battery packs for storing electrical energy;
an electrical generating device coupled to at least one of the wheels of the vehicle for generating electricity in response to rotation of said one wheel;
an electric motor connected to another of the wheels for driving the another wheel;
discrete battery-charging electrical circuits coupling said generating device and said battery packs, including a first switch for selectively charging said first and second battery packs through the discrete battery charging electrical circuits, respectively;
discrete electrical driving circuits coupled to said electric motor and said battery packs, including a second switch for electrically driving said motor using stored electrical energy from a selected one of said battery packs; and
means for alternating between (i) charging one of said first and second battery packs and powering said electric motor using stored electrical energy from another of said first and second battery packs and (ii) charging said another of said first and second battery packs and powering said electrical motor using stored electrical energy from said one of said first and second battery packs. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. A power generating system for an electric-powered vehicle having at least a pair of wheels, comprising:
-
at least first and second discrete battery packs for storing electrical energy;
an electrical generating device coupled to at least one of the wheels of the vehicle for generating electricity in response to rotation of said one wheel;
an electric motor connected to another of the wheels for driving the another wheel;
discrete battery-charging electrical circuits coupling said generating device and said battery packs for selectively charging said first and second battery packs through the discrete battery charging electrical circuits, respectively;
discrete electrical driving circuits coupled to said electric motor and said battery packs for electrically driving said motor using stored electrical energy selectively from said first and second battery packs;
each said selected battery-charging circuit being electrically independent of each said selected electrical driving circuit affording electrical disconnection between said electrical generating device and said electric motor when powering said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of powering a vehicle comprising the steps of:
-
(a) electrically connecting at least one of a plurality of discrete battery packs having stored electrical energy to an electric motor to drive a wheel of a vehicle and thereby drive the vehicle;
(b) generating electrical energy in an electrical generating device in response to rotation of another wheel of the vehicle;
(c) electrically connecting the electrical generating device to a battery pack different than the battery pack in electrical connection with the electric motor to charge said different battery pack;
(d) electrically disconnecting said one battery pack and said electric motor;
(e) electrically connecting another of said battery packs to said electric motor to drive the wheel of the vehicle and thereby drive the vehicle;
(f) electrically disconnecting the electrical generating device from said different battery pack;
(g) electrically connecting the electrical generating device with said one battery pack to charge said one battery pack; and
(h) electrically connecting and disconnecting the battery packs and the electric motor and electrically connecting and disconnecting the electrical generating device and the battery packs such that the same battery pack is disabled from simultaneously being charged and driving the electric motor.
-
Specification