Patent ID: 6537175
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,F16H,Y02T,Y10T

Abstract:
A power system for a vehicle comprising:an engine including an output drive shaft; a first expansion pulley system comprising: a first spring tensioned pulley attached to said output drive shaft of said engine; a first expansion pulley having an adjustable radius attached to a first end of a downstream flywheel shaft; a drive belt extending between said first spring tensioned pulley and said first expansion pulley; means for adjusting said radius of said first expansion pulley whereby to vary the r.p.m.s of said downstream flywheel shaft relative to the r.p.m.s of said engine output drive shaft, said adjusting means comprising: control unit means for producing control signals corresponding to a desired vehicle speed; sensor means for providing information effecting said desired vehicle speed, said information processed by said control unit means for producing said control signals; servo means responsive to control unit means for adjusting said radius of said first expansion pulley and said r.p.m.s delivered to said downstream flywheel shaft from said engine output drive shaft; a flywheel coupled to said flywheel shaft; a second expansion pulley system comprising: a second spring tensioned pulley attached to a driven shaft downstream of said flywheel; a second expansion pulley having an adjustable radius attached to a second end of said flywheel shaft coupled to said flywheel; a drive belt extending between said second spring tensioned and said second expansion pulleys; said servo means of said adjusting means further responsive to said control signals from said control unit means for adjusting said radius of said second expansion pulley and the r.p.m.s delivered to said downstream driven shaft relative to said r.p.m.s of said flywheel shaft; and transmission means coupled to said downstream driven shaft.