Hybrid-powered slow-speed vehicle, vehicle travel-range extension method, and method of hybrid-vehicle manufacture

• US 7,779,943 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edmund James Bowen, Richard Bruce Seidel
• Original Assignee: Bosye, LLC
• Inventors: Seidel, Richard Bruce, Bowen, Edmund James
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Hau V
• Application Number:
  US12/287,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20100084211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.28, 180/65.25, 180/65.225, 180/65.245, 180/65.1, 180/65.8, 180/65.29, 903/903, 903/906, 903/913
• US Class Current: 180/65.29
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/08 of mechanical type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/86 Carts; Golf carts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A hybrid-powered slow-speed vehicle (400) fundamentally comprising battery-electric slow-speed (BESS) vehicle (107) plus auxiliary-drive ICE-powertrain (200), hub-coaxial wheel positioner (269) and auxiliary-drive operational controller assembly (300); powertrain (200) having [a] high energy-density fuel supply (203), sufficient auxiliary driveline operational space (283) urged by wheel-positioner (269), [c] auxiliary-power driveline (235), component couplings of the driveline (235) ending with operable attachment of distal powerwheel (256) to auxiliary-driveline rear traction-wheel (262); operational controller assembly (300) within vehicle-driver zone (110); hybridized BESS-vehicle (400) extending travel range (145) of original BESS-vehicle (107), utilizing primary electric powertrain (151) and auxiliary ICE-powertrain (200) in various cooperative sequences and combinations of operations, retaining many advantages of original vehicle (107), while adding others, especially notably the opportunities to extend battery life, to augment vehicle power, and to increase the attainable primary travel-range (145) between plug-in rechargings of primary battery (154).

Claims

1. An improved battery-electric slow-speed vehicle,

whereas the improvement comprising an auxiliary-powertrain, said auxiliary powertrain comprising (i) an engine, (ii) an at least one non-steering rear road-wheel, (iii) a means for controllably coupling rotational force from said engine to said at least one non-steering rear road-wheel, the means comprising a predetermined distal powerwheel operably coupling to a wheel-barrel of the road-wheel, the powerwheel positioning in an auxiliary-driveline operational space, the space urged by a hub-coaxial rear-wheel positioner;

and (iv) an auxiliary-drive operational-controller;

whereby, the auxiliary powertrain performing compatibly, cooperatively, and controllably with the primary powertrain, the auxiliary powertrain providing opportunity to extend battery life through reduced depths of battery-discharges, while extending vehicle travel-range and preserving many solely-electric-vehicle advantages.

2. A hybrid-powered slow-speed vehicle comprising:

(a) an at least one non-steering rear road-wheel;

(b) a battery-electric primary powertrain;

(c) an auxiliary-powertrain, said auxiliary powertrain comprising an internal combustion engine, an auxiliary-drive operational-controller, and an auxiliary-power driveline assembly, the driveline-assembly comprising (i) a predetermined proximal powerwheel at the engine and a predetermined distal powerwheel at the road-wheel, the proximal and distal powerwheels comprising predetermined diameters urging a predetermined power-ratio, (ii) a means for controllably engaging and disengaging rotational forces from one of the powerwheels to the other powerwheel, (iii) an intra-assembly rigid coupling joining the distal powerwheel with a wheel-barrel of the rear road-wheel, and (iv) a hub-coaxial wheel-positioner enabling an auxiliary-drive operational space for the distal powerwheel.

3. A method of vehicle travel-range extension for a battery-electric slow-speed vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing said battery-electric slow-speed vehicle, the vehicle comprising (1) an at-least-three-road-wheel chassis comprising a removable non-steering rear road-wheel adaptable for coaxial re-positioning, and (2) a primary-drive battery-electric powertrain;

(b) providing an auxiliary-powertrain assembly operationally attaching to the vehicle providing a hybridized said battery-electric slow-speed vehicle, the auxiliary powertrain comprising (1) a small internal combustion engine, (2) an onboard compatible high-energy-density fuel-cell, (3) an auxiliary-power driveline assembly, the driveline-assembly comprising (a) a predetermined proximal powerwheel at the engine and a predetermined distal powerwheel at the road-wheel, the proximal and distal powerwheels comprising predetermined diameters urging a predetermined power-ratio, (b) a means for controllably engaging and disengaging rotational forces from one of the powerwheels to the other powerwheel, (c) an intra-assembly rigid coupling joining the distal power-wheel with a wheel-barrel of the rear road-wheel, and (d) a hub-coaxial wheel-positioner urging an auxiliary-drive operational space for the distal powerwheel, and (4) an auxiliary-drive operational-controller;

(c) operating the hybridized vehicle utilizing said primary-drive battery-electric powertrain and the auxiliary powertrain in various cooperative combinations and sequences of operation, the combinations and sequences comprising;

(1) actuating the primary powertrain generally operating alone for initiating forward travel of the vehicle from standstill, (2) continuing vehicle travel under the primary powertrain alone for very low vehicle-speed travels, (3) operating the vehicle under sole power of the primary powertrain for any of the range of possible vehicle speeds when requiring lowest vehicle-emissions during operation, (4) operably engaging the auxiliary powertrain after vehicle attaining a vehicle predetermined minimum travel-speed threshold compatible with engine and driveline operational specifications, assuming vehicle concurrently in suitable circumstances for the various emissions of auxiliary-powertrain use, (5) generally reciprocally discontinuing primary battery-electric powering during sustained uses of the auxiliary powertrain, preserving battery energy until required and strategically limiting depths of battery discharges between recharging, extending battery-life, (6) augmenting auxiliary powertrain service with concurrent primary powertrain operation during conditions requiring additional torque, the two powertrains then providing complementary contributions to vehicle-drive;

whereby the method achieving the extended travel-range while providing a means for battery-life extension and for augmented vehicle-power when needed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the engaging and disengaging means comprising at least one of the following members from a group comprising:

(i) an auxiliary-driveline power-arm assembly, (ii) an auxiliary-driveline centrifugal clutch, (iii) an engine-mount pivot-assembly, and (iv) an engine-mount slide-assembly.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein fundamental components of the auxiliary powertrain being separate and distinct from fundamental components of the primary powertrain.

6. The method of claim 3, the auxiliary powertrain and the primary powertrain sharing said non-steering rear road-wheel, the road-wheel comprising a traction-wheel for each powertrain.

7. A method of vehicle-manufacture of a hybrid-powered slow-speed vehicle, steps in the method comprising:

(a) providing a predetermined battery-electric slow-speed vehicle, said predetermined battery-electric slow-speed vehicle adaptable for addition of an auxiliary powertrain in a generally-aft vehicle space, prerequisite adaptations comprising (1) providing an auxiliary-driveline operational space at a non-steering rear road-wheel, sufficient dimensions of the space urged by a hub-coaxial wheel-positioner, (2) attaching a predetermined distal powerwheel to a wheel-barrel of the rear road-wheel,

     3) modifying the aft vehicle space for installing required components of said auxiliary powertrain,

     4) modifying a driver-reachable operational space of the vehicle for installing an auxiliary-drive operational-controller means;

(b) providing and installing a predetermined said auxiliary powertrain, the powertrain comprising a small engine and an auxiliary-power driveline, the driveline comprising said non-steering rear road-wheel operationally coupled with the engine through said predetermined distal powerwheel attached to the rear road-wheel and situated in said auxiliary-driveline operational space urged by said hub-coaxial wheel-positioner;

(c) providing and installing said auxiliary-drive operational-controller means, the operational-controller means comprising on-off, startup, and throttle remote-controllers, the controller-means adapted for being operationally installed in said driver-reachable operational zone, the controller-means operationally linked into said auxiliary powertrain;

whereby the method yielding said hybrid-powered slow-speed vehicle providing practical means for extending vehicle travel-range between required battery recharging, for extending vehicle-battery life, and for augmenting vehicle power for certain circumstances.

8. The method of vehicle-manufacture of claim 7, wherein said auxiliary-power driveline further comprising a proximal powerwheel operably coupled with said engine, the powerwheels paired by a predetermined power-ratio of the respective powerwheel-diameters, the powerwheels operably linked by a rotational-force connecting element;

whereby the power-ratio matching the quotient of rear-wheel speed at a predetermined maximum speed of the vehicle divided by a predetermined maximum engine operational speed, a speed-ratio, limiting maximum vehicle-speed under solely auxiliary powertrain propulsion.