Patent ID: 6578681
Filing Date: 2003-06-17
Classification: B60L,B60T,B60W,F16F

Abstract:
A method for controllably retarding the motion of a vehicle that has an engine, a battery, a main drive shaft, and a housing structure within which the main drive shaft is rotatably supported, without draining energy from the battery, comprising the steps of:selecting an electromagnetic retarder that has two relatively rotatable elements, one of which is a field winding that requires energization by an electric current; placing both retarder elements in surrounding relation to the main drive shaft, with one element being secured to the housing structure and the other to the main drive shaft; selecting a gear train operatively connected on one end to the main drive shaft and on the other end to a cooperating shaft to rotate therewith; selecting a permanent magnet generator having two relatively rotatable elements, one carrying permanent magnets, the other having a winding to provide an alternating output voltage; placing both permanent magnet generator elements in surrounding relation to the cooperating shaft, where one element is secured to the housing structure and the other to the cooperating shaft to rotate therewith; applying the output voltage of the permanent magnet generator to a control unit; and, utilizing the control unit to regulate and provide rectified current to the field winding of the retarder.