Hybrid automotive vehicle with closed-circuit, inductance battery charging

• US 8,072,182 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael M. Vasilantone
• Original Assignee: Michael M. Vasilantone
• Inventors: Vasilantone, Michael M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US12/011,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• 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 underground source of electrical energy is inductively coupled to a receiver on a hybrid automotive vehicle to provide charging power for the vehicle'"'"'s battery.

Claims

1. A closed-circuit battery charging system comprising:

a hybrid automotive vehicle having a gasoline engine, an energy storage device fuel tank for the engine, an electric motor, energy storage batteries for the motor, and a generator, all interacting for the electric motor to draw energy from the batteries when accelerating the vehicle, and to return energy to the batteries when slowing the vehicle;

a below-ground supply of electrical energy;

an insulated vertical post extending above-ground and coupled with said below-ground electrical energy supply to provide a source of transmitted electrical power for charging said energy storage batteries;

a receiver of transmitted electrical power within an insulated coating on the front bumper of the vehicle positioned to inductively couple with said source;

and means within the vehicle coupled between the receiver on the vehicle and the batteries thereof to automatically begin charging the batteries when the vehicle is parked with the front bumper in physical contact with the insulated vertical post for electrical inductance coupling to occur between the source of electrical power and the receiver;

wherein the source of electrical power is embedded within the vertical post along an external surface thereof, and wherein the receiver is embedded within the insulated coating extending sideways, from side-to-side thereof, horizontally and substantially along the entire length of the front bumper of the automotive vehicle.

2. The closed-circuit battery charging system of claim 1 wherein the insulated coating extends just below the outer skin of the front bumper substantially along the entire length of the bumper.

3. A closed-circuit battery charging system comprising:

a hybrid automotive vehicle having a gasoline engine, an energy storage device fuel tank for the engine, an electric motor, energy storage batteries for the motor, and a generator, all interacting for the electric motor to draw energy from the batteries when accelerating the vehicle, and to return energy to the batteries when slowing the vehicle;

a below-ground supply of electrical energy;

an insulated vertical post extending above-ground and coupled with said below-ground electrical energy supply to provide a source of transmitted electrical power at an output pod embedded adjacent an external surface of said post for charging said energy storage batteries;

a receiver of transmitted electrical power within an insulated plastic coating on the front bumper of the vehicle positioned to inductively couple with said output pod;

and means within the vehicle coupled between the receiver and energy storage batteries to automatically begin charging the batteries when the vehicle is parked with the front bumper in physical contact with the insulated vertical post for electrical inductance coupling to occur between said output pod and said receiver;

and wherein the receiver is embedded within the insulated coating extending sideways, from side-to-side thereof, horizontally and substantially along the entire length of the front bumper of the automotive vehicle.

4. The closed-circuit battery charging system of claim 3 wherein the insulated plastic coating extends just below the outer skin of the front bumper substantially along the entire length of the bumper.