Patent ID: 9702443
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: B60K,B60L,F16H,Y02T,Y10T

Claim:
1. A kinetic energy recovery and drive mechanism for a powered vehicle, the powered vehicle including a driveshaft coupling an internal combustion engine and a transmission to a final drive mechanism which is coupled via one or more axles to one or more wheels, the driveshaft and axles axially arranged in a horizontal orientation; the kinetic energy recovery and drive mechanism comprising: a pancake format, large diameter hydraulic motor having a stator housing and a rotor having a rotor shaft rotatable about a vertical axis; and a right angle gearbox mounted such that the right angle gearbox housing is fixedly coupled to the stator housing; the pancake format, large diameter motor further being mounted so that the axis of rotation of the rotor shaft is oriented substantially vertical and substantially perpendicular relative to the driveshaft of the vehicle so that a diameter of the motor extends in a plane substantially parallel to the driveshaft; and the right angle gearbox being affixed to or integral with the stator housing of the pancake format motor and including a right angle bevel gearset that engages the vertical rotor shaft to the horizontal driveshaft to enable the perpendicular transmission of drive from the vertical rotor shaft to the horizontal driveshaft of the vehicle.