Patent Application
20090277699
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicles, and more specifically to a power generating plug-and-play vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to promote healthy exercises as well as the power saving concept, bicycle, electric bicycle, electric car, and motorized scooter have been gradually becoming the focus of the relevant industries due to their characteristics such as power saving low noise and pollution. However, since electrical power is still required to run electric bicycle and electric car, therefore the drawbacks of the above-mentioned items are heavy weight, short operating hour, and inconvenience for outdoor use. In addition, the aforementioned vehicles must still be charged up using the electrical service provided by the city government (the electrical power eventually comes from power plants), and thus they do not comply with the “Green” principle. Moreover, prices of the above-mentioned items are still too high and thus, these vehicles are incompetent compared to traditional vehicles. As a result, most consumers are unwilling to purchase the above-mentioned products, which are therefore poorly visible on the market.
The aforementioned vehicles currently on the market are mostly powered by battery or motor generator. However, solar cell panel is sometimes used to generate electrical power, hoping to solve problems like air pollution and over-consumption of energy by using renewable energy for transportation.
However, vehicles powered by motors in direct contact with the wheel rotation have a poor efficiency, thus riding such vehicles is a strenuous effort to the riders. In addition, such vehicles consume electrical energy without regenerating them, and at the same time, there is only a limited amount of electrical power provided by the battery, therefore after the battery is depleted or exhausted, a new battery is either required to replace the old one or the depleted battery must be recharged. Besides, it is ineffective if the solar cell panel is used for power generation alone, as the panel converts solar energy into electricity on sunny days only, whereas on rainy days, the vehicles must be powered by other means as the solar cell fails to capture enough solar energy from sunlight.
Hence, it has become an urgent issue to find a new and environment-friendly technique that solves the above-described problems and at the same time uses multiple renewable energies to overcome the above drawbacks.
In view of disadvantages of the above-mentioned technique, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a power generating “plug-and-play” vehicle. Power is generated by utilizing renewable energy while the user is riding the vehicle and the generated electrical power is stored for future use. On rainy days, the vehicle of the present invention converts mechanical energy (kinetic energy) from the user to electrical energy, and the generated electrical energy is also stored for future use. Ultimately, the present invention allows the user to achieve the goal of exercising.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a power-generating plug-and-play vehicle without emitting air pollutants (SOX, NOX) and greenhouse gas (GHG, i.e. CO2) in order to protect the environment.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides a power-generating plug-and-play vehicle including a main vehicle body having a gear-driven power unit, a power storage unit complied to the gear-driven power unit, and a plurality of power supply parts electrically connected to the power storage unit. A plurality of solar cell units are capable of capturing and converting solar energy from sunlight into electrical energy stored in the power storage unit, wherein each of the solar cell unit is removable and the angle at which each of the solar cell unit is installed on the main vehicle body is adjustable. In addition, the solar cell units operate in coordination with the gear-driven power unit, so as to facilitate the main vehicle body, while moving in tailwind condition, to convert wind energy to electrical energy, which is in turn stored in the power storage unit. The electrical energy stored in the power storage unit is then supplied to the installed power supply parts.
In comparison to the conventional technique, the present invention makes use of renewable energy (solar energy, manpower, wind, power, etc.) to generate electrical energy, which is in turn stored, for the electrical energy to power various electrical equipments installed on the vehicle. For example, by using an angle-adjustable solar cell unit, when the wind blows in the same direction as that of the course of a vehicle, the solar cell unit are adjusted such that they become a wind-powered generator for driving the vehicle. Extra energy is converted to electrical energy by the gear-driven power unit and the generated electrical energy is further stored. In addition, while pedaling the main vehicle body, the gear-driven power unit connected to the main vehicle body is activated to generate electric current. In another scenario when the vehicle moves downhill (without pedaling), the wheels of the main vehicle body are rotated automatically to activate the gear-driven power unit for electrical power generation. The above-mentioned electrical energy generated by both methods is consequently stored in the power storage unit.
The following embodiments further illustrate the points of the present invention in detail, however the scope of the invention is not limited to any points.
As shown in
As illustrated in
The gear-driven power unit 111 includes a power generator 1111, a gear train 1113 connected to the power generator 1111, a transmission part 1115 engaging the gear train 1113 as well as connecting the main vehicle body 11, and a supporting rod 1117 allowed to be freely mounted to or removed from the main vehicle body 11. An example of the power storage unit 113 is a battery. The plurality of power supply parts 115 may be selected from the group consisting of electrical charger, battery or other power supply components. In the present embodiment, an example of the power supply parts 115 is a USB port installed in the basket. A different number of power supply parts 115 are also installed at different locations. The supporting rod 1117 supports one of the solar cell units 13 above the main vehicle body 11. The mounting part 119 is used for mounting at least one solar cell unit 13 on one side of the main vehicle body 11.
In the present embodiment, the main vehicle body 11 is mounted the supporting rod 1117 behind the seat set. The supporting rod 1117 shall be ergonomic. For example, an arc-shaped supporting rod not only supports the solar cell unit 13, but also provides a mechanism for the user to lean against while riding the vehicle. As shown in
In addition, a battery power level indicator 114 installed at the front of the vehicle, an LED front light 116, an LED direction light 118, and an LED brake light 110 installed at the rear of the vehicle are electrically connected to the power storage unit 113.
The plurality of the respective solar cell units 13 may be electrically connected to a power storage unit 113 for capturing and converting energy from solar energy into electrical energy which is stored in the power storage unit, wherein the power storage unit 113 is electrically connected to the commutator unit 117. In the present embodiment, the solar cell unit 13 is removable and the angle at which the solar cell unit 13 is installed on the main vehicle body 11 is adjustable. In addition, the solar cell unit 13 operates in coordination with the gear-driven power unit 111, so as to allow the main vehicle body 11 to convert wind energy to electrical energy, which is in turn stored in the power storage unit 113. The electrical energy stored in the power storage unit 113 is then supplied to the installed power supply parts 115. In the present invention, the plurality of solar cell units 13 may include a plurality of solar panels and each solar panel is assembled with one another to form a surface body. In addition, the angle at which as well as the direction in which the solar cell units 13 on two sides of the main vehicle body 11 are placed are allowed to be adjusted freely. For instance, the solar cell units 13 are normally installed on the two sides of the vehicle 1 with the light-receiving surface facing upward. When the solar cell units 13 are allowed to be folded downward, so that the clothing or personal belongings of the rider are prevented from being drawn into the wheels. When moving in a tailwind condition, the solar cell units 13 are folded upward such that the vehicle 1 is driven more effectively by using strong wind power. At the same time, the transmission part 1115 engages the primary gear 1119 and the gear train 1113, thereby causing the power generator 1111 to generate an alternating current, which, after flowing through a commutator unit 117, a controller IC, and a voltage regulator, is converted to a DC current. The DC current in turn charges up the power storage unit 113. As shown in
Hence, renewable energy is used for generating power and the generated electrical energy is stored and used by the vehicle 1. Also, the present invention not only generates electricity, but also avoids emitting pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG, i.e. CO2), thereby achieving the effect of protecting the environment.
Certainly, the shape of each of the solar cell units 13 as well as their mounting locations are not limited by description of the preferred embodiment. For example, a wind-powered generator unit sometimes is also installed on the main vehicle body 11 of the vehicle 1 (not shown in the diagram). The wind-powered generator unit has a plurality of fan blades and a small motor for driving such fan blades. The plurality of solar cell units 13 may include a plurality of solar photovoltaic panels, which are correspondingly installed on the fan blades, thereby integrating different kinds of renewable energy for use. As the above will be easily understood by those skilled in the art, therefore diagrams and description are not further included.
When riding the vehicle 1, the solar cell units 13 on top and two sides of the main vehicle body 11 capture and convert energy from sunlight into electrical energy, which is stored in the power storage unit 113. At the same time, by pedaling the pedal 112, the primary gear 1119 located at the cassette of the rear wheel induces the movement of the gear train 1113 via the transmission part 1115, thereby causing the power generator 1111 to generate an alternating current which, after flowing through the commutator unit 117, the controller IC, and the voltage regulator, is converted to a direct current. The direct current is in turn stored in the power storage unit 113. The vehicle 1, when moving down the slope or pulled across a flat surface without pedaling, is also able to cause the gear-driven power unit 111 to generate electrical energy via the gearing of the gear train 1113, the primary gear 1119, and the transmission part 1115. The generated electrical energy is stored in the power storage unit 113. The accelerator unit 14 is sometimes used for converting electrical energy to mechanical energy to increase the motive force of the main vehicle body 11 at the user's convenience.
When the power storage unit 113 accumulates enough electrical energy, the electrical energy is then supplied to various electrical equipments installed on the vehicle 1, such as the battery power level indicator 114, the LED front light 116, the LED direction light 118, the power supply part 115 in the basket, and the LED brake light 110 at the rear of the bicycle. The power supply part 115 also serves to charge up electrical devices such as PDA, cellular phone, MP3 player, notebook and etc. To protect the above electrical devices from breaking, they are also allowed to be placed in the basket for charging.
Besides, as shown in
At the same time, the LED direction light 118 serves as a warning indication to the nearby cars and pedestrians. The LED front light 116 is used at night. In addition, the LED brake light 110 serves as a warning indication to the rear vehicles and pedestrians while braking. Finally, the battery power level indicator 114 constantly monitors the battery power level of the power supply part 115 and checks for power depletion or battery damage. In addition, during summer, the rider is allowed to switch on the fan 1131 to enhance the comfort of riding.
Subsequently, the solar cell unit 13 installed above the main vehicle body 11 serve to block off sunlight on sunny days and prevent the rider from being soaked in rain on rainy days. The solar cell unit 13 installed above the main vehicle body 11 and the supporting rod 1117 are allowed to be removed if not required, thereby lightening the load of the rider.
The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. The description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 097208187 | May 2008 | TW | national |
