Flywheel assemblies and vehicles including same
First Claim
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1. A vehicle comprising:
- a frame defining a roll axis;
an engine supported by the frame;
a steering assembly pivotally coupled with the frame and pivotable about a steering axis;
a front wheel rotatably coupled with the steering assembly;
a rear wheel rotatably coupled with the frame;
a brake system associated with at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel and configured to facilitate selective braking of at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel;
a flywheel assembly comprising at least one inertial mass and being coupled with the frame, said at least one inertial mass being rotatable about a spin axis, wherein rotation of each of said at least one inertial mass produces an overall spin vector that extends coaxially with the spin axis; and
a controller coupled with the flywheel assembly and configured to facilitate selective rotation of said at least one inertial mass in order to produce the overall spin vector in anticipation of one of vehicular acceleration and vehicular deceleration, in a direction that facilitates exertion of a counter-pitching moment on the vehicle in opposition of a pitching moment imparted on the vehicle as a result of said one of vehicular acceleration and vehicular deceleration;
wherein the flywheel assembly is attached to a front of the frame at a position between the frame and the front wheel, said at least one inertial mass arranged such that the spin axis lies in a plane, and the plane intersects the roll axis and is declined toward a front of the vehicle.
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Abstract
A vehicle includes a frame, an engine, a steering assembly, a steerable wheel, a brake system, a flywheel assembly, and a controller. The frame defines a roll axis. The engine is supported by the frame. The steering assembly is pivotally coupled with the frame and is pivotable about a steering axis. The steerable wheel is rotatably coupled with the steering assembly. The flywheel assembly comprises at least one inertial mass and is coupled with the frame. A controller is coupled with the flywheel assembly and is configured to facilitate rotation of said at least one inertial mass.
61 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A vehicle comprising:
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a frame defining a roll axis; an engine supported by the frame; a steering assembly pivotally coupled with the frame and pivotable about a steering axis; a front wheel rotatably coupled with the steering assembly; a rear wheel rotatably coupled with the frame; a brake system associated with at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel and configured to facilitate selective braking of at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel; a flywheel assembly comprising at least one inertial mass and being coupled with the frame, said at least one inertial mass being rotatable about a spin axis, wherein rotation of each of said at least one inertial mass produces an overall spin vector that extends coaxially with the spin axis; and a controller coupled with the flywheel assembly and configured to facilitate selective rotation of said at least one inertial mass in order to produce the overall spin vector in anticipation of one of vehicular acceleration and vehicular deceleration, in a direction that facilitates exertion of a counter-pitching moment on the vehicle in opposition of a pitching moment imparted on the vehicle as a result of said one of vehicular acceleration and vehicular deceleration; wherein the flywheel assembly is attached to a front of the frame at a position between the frame and the front wheel, said at least one inertial mass arranged such that the spin axis lies in a plane, and the plane intersects the roll axis and is declined toward a front of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for operating a motorcycle, the motorcycle comprising a frame, a front wheel, a braking system and a flywheel assembly, the flywheel assembly having at least one inertial mass that is rotatable about a spin axis, the method comprising:
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providing a flywheel assembly along a front of the frame at a position between the frame and the front wheel, said at least one inertial mass being arranged such that the spin axis lies in a plane, and the plane intersects a roll axis of the motorcycle and is declined toward a front of the motorcycle; rotating each of said at least one inertial mass to produce an overall spin vector; controlling each of said at least one inertial mass to produce the overall spin vector in anticipation of one of vehicular deceleration and vehicular acceleration, respectively; and controlling a direction of the spin vector to facilitate exertion of a counter-pitching moment on the vehicle in opposition of a pitching moment imparted on the vehicle as a result of said one of vehicular acceleration and vehicular deceleration. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification