Abstract:
A battery charging system that utilizes pedal power from a stationary cyclist, to rotate a hub which is connected by belt or chain to a dynamo. The dynamo has a hub which receives the chain or belt to permit rotation of the movable wheel thereof relative to a fixed wheel, both of which wheels house a series of magnets around their facing peripheries. Preferably a coaster clutch is found in the intermediate hub to permit the cyclist to rest periodically while the rotatable wheel of the dynamo continues to rotate thereby creating a DC current, suitable for the charging of a battery(is) electrically connected thereto. The front wheel is held off the ground by a pair of cradles to permit rotation during pedaling, while the intermediate derailleur is held in a stabilizer for better balance.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This application pertains to a battery charging system that utilizes a pedal powered flywheel for the generation of electricity to power a battery charger. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In this the year of Y2K with the world facing a mystery as to whether the power grid will deliver power as needed, there has arisen great worry concerning the availability of power. Such worries have arisen in all of big city, small town, and in rural America. It is an object therefore of this invention to provide a bicycle powered battery charger. 
     It is another object to provide a flywheel operated battery charger that is pedal powered. 
     It is a further object to provide a battery charging system that it portable. 
     It is a still further object to provide an emergency battery charging system that is easy to setup and operate. 
     It is yet another object to provide an emergency battery charging system for batteries such as marine batteries that can provide the needs to power a small household or parts thereof during the times of natural disasters when normal power is interrupted. 
     Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. 
     The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing the features properties and the relation of components which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims. 
    
    
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view that illustrates the procedure of this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the components forming the apparatus of this invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the interior of the housing of the flywheel wherein the fixed magnets are located. 
     FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the housing of the flywheel showing a first embodiment of the connection to the intermediate derailleur. 
     FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the housing of the flywheel showing a second embodiment of the connection to the intermediate derailleur. 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a portion of the instant invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but of an alternate embodiment of the same portion of the invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a support for the apparatus of this invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the support seen in FIG.  1  and which forms part of this invention. 
     FIG. 10 is perspective view of one of the cradles used to raise the front wheel off the ground to permit rotation thereof. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A bicycle pedal powered flywheel generator that generates electricity for charging batteries to be used in emergency times of natural disaster for the provision of DC power to a household. A bicycle rear wheel derailleur, the intermediate derailleur is connected to both the front derailleur of a bicycle and to a rear derailleur or hub which in turn is connected to a rotatable flywheel having fixed spaced magnets thereon. When the rotatable flywheel rotates in close proximity to a fixed wheel also having similarly spaced magnets, a current is induced in accordance with principles established by Michael Farraday. This induced current is passed to a battery charger of a conventional nature to charge up marine 36 volt batteries. The connection from the rear deraileur to the flywheel is preferably external of the housing for the flywheel. Both the front wheel and the intermediate derailleur are supported off the ground to permit the front wheel to rotate yet stay stationary, and to balance the rear of the apparatus for stability. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention is best depicted in FIG. 1 wherein the various components of the apparatus are seen diagrammatically. Thus a bicycle  11  having a one-way chain is connected to a flywheel generator, often called a dynamo,  51  which when activated generates DC power  61 . Power  61  is fed to the battery charger  71 , having an overcharge protection circuit,  72 , therein and also containing a one-way gate switch  90  such that current can only flow one way into the batteries  92  and  91  such that when fully charged the battery charger shuts off. 
     Reference is now made to FIG. 2, for the details of this invention. Here is seen a bicycle  11  which includes a saddle or seat  12  for the rider to sit on. Bike  11  also includes a set of opposed pedals  13  each connected to a crank arm  15 , interconnected in a conventional manner to a front derailleur  22 . The derailleur  22  carries a chain  19  which engages an intermediate rear derailleur  26  having a centrally disposed first hub  23  concentrically mounted therein. A pair of vertical stabilizers  17 , one on each side supports first hub  23 . A horizontal connector member  18 , joins the two vertical stabilizers  17 . 
     The bike also includes a front axle  24 , which carries the front wheel  12 . Front wheel  12  may be raised off the ground by the placement of cradles  14  under axle  24 , to permit the front wheel to rotate yet stay in a stationary location. Cradles  14  may be attached as by bolting to platform  43 . Other common bicycle components such as front fork  37 , seat  38  and handlebar set  39  are all present as being conventional parts of a bicycle, among others such as rear frame members  48 , with their hub cleat mountings  49  which may be shown, but play no role in the invention of this application other than being used for their normal intended purpose. For this reason they need not be discussed. See FIG.  2  and FIG.  6 . 
     Reference is also made to FIG. 9 wherein the roller bearing yoke  20  at the top of each stabilizer  17  is seen. Hub  23  extends on each side to sit in the roller bearing containing yoke, such that the rear of the apparatus is given stability, yet the hub  23  of the intermediate derailleur can freely rotate. 
     A belt  25  is disposed between first hub  23  and a rearwardly disposed second hub  35 . Circumscribing and mounted on this second hub  35  is a fly wheel  51 . Fly wheel  51  is a solid plastic wheel of approximately 2 to 3 feet in diameter, having a series of spaced fixed magnets  53  therein disposed in a circle around the periphery. As is known this rotates relative to a fixed wheel  55  having similarly spaced magnets  56 , and seen in FIG.  3 . 
     Housing  54 , seen in its entirety in FIGS. 4 and 5, is a structure sized slightly larger than the fixed wheel of the flywheel also known as a dynamo  51 . Housing  54  includes a pair of spaced sidewalls  54 A and B, a top wall  54 T, and a rear wall  54 D. A horizontal connector bar  54 H located at ground level connects the two sidewalls  54 A,  54 B. The front opening  54 J permits access to the moving wheel and the fixed one as well as may be needed. 
     In order to stabilize the front wheel to prevent side to side movement and to permit it to rotate freely during pedaling action,(though rotation is not related to pedaling speed ) it is suggested that the front wheel be raised off the ground or off the platform as will be discussed infra. The cradles  14 , seen in both FIG.  2  and in FIG. 10 serve this function. Each cradle  14  has a pair of upwardly converging legs. The legs are connected at their widest end (the bottom) by a horizontal connector  15 B. A roller bearing containing yoke  16  receives an extended axle  24  on each side of the wheel seat  38 ,—FIG.  2 —to raise the front wheel off the ground and stabilize it against side to side movement. Each cradle may be mounted directly to the platform,  43  as by bolting, or to one of alignment members  47  if such are employed, as by also being bolted thereto. Whether the front wheel is raised or not, has no bearing on the operation of this apparatus. 
     The housing shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is the same housing and is also labeled  54 . Attached to at least one side of the housing  54  is an L-shaped bracket,  44  which has an upstanding portion  44 A and a horizontal portion  44 B. Bolts or screw  46  connect the bracket  44  to the housing side wall  54 A, through suitable apertures  45 , not seen. The apertures  45  that are seen in FIG. 4 are for connection to the platform discussed in detail in FIG.  8 . Such a bracket  44  is also included with the embodiment of the housing shown in FIG. 5, but need not be discussed. Further details about the housing only need not be provided as they are the same. The differences in the two figures are the elements attached thereto on the outside of the structure, such as hub  35  which will be discussed infra, in the section dealing with Power Creation. 
     The housing  54 , as seen in FIG. 4, but shown in cutaway in FIG. 2, holds the dynamo  51  which includes a rotating wheel to be discussed infra, and a fixed plastic or nonferrous wheel  55  having a series of spaced magnets  56  disposed around the interior facing wall of wheel  55 . A cradle  14  disposed within housing  54  rigidly holds wheel  54  in place. Cradle  58  can be of any suitable configuration and is considered to be conventional. See FIG.  3 . 
     The magnets may be surface mounted or disposed within the case of the fixed wheel as is known in the art. A pair of electrical leads  57  are mounted in conventional fashion to carry the induced current from the dynamo  51 . 
     The dynamo or generator  51  depicted in this invention is a direct current or DC generator since the conductors rotate in a stationary magnetic field. 
     In FIG. 2 which shows the housing  54  in a cutaway view, the reader can see the rotating wheel  52  mounted on hub  35 . Wheel  52  is of the same diameter as fixed wheel  55  and contains a similar spaced array of magnets  53 . When wheel  52  rotates, the magnets disposed therein pass in close proximity to the magnets in the fixed wheel to induce an electric current. 
     The design and operation of such dynamos is well understood by those familiar with electrical circuits and indeed dynamos per se form part of the prior art. It is the operation and use of the dynamo that forms the crux of this invention. 
     Flywheels of this type of construction are conventionally known. Thus further details of flywheels need not be set forth. DC power  61  generated by the pedaling of a cyclist who operates the flywheel  51 , is carried by wiring  62  from the flywheel  51  to the battery charger  71 , for charging batteries  92 , as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The reader is now directed to FIG.  8 . Here, an overall support  40 , for the apparatus of this invention is shown. This support is intended to provide stability to the apparatus during periods of use. The support  40  includes front and rear spaced walls  41 , which may be 2×4 or 2×6 boards; and spaced side walls  42 , which also would be similarly sized. A platform  43 , such as a plywood sheet, is screwed, nailed or otherwise attached to the walls spaced up from the ground. 
     At least one L-shaped bracket  44 , similar to the ones depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 is seen at the proximal end of the platform. Here the bracket  44  is shown bolted or screwed to the platform  43  by elements  46 . Apertures  45  are for similar connectors to be used to attach the bracket to the housing  54  for stability. At the distal end of the platform are a pair of optional upstanding spaced alignment members  48  which may be 2×4 or 2×6 inch boards. The positioning of these if employed is in abutment to each side of the front wheel, to keep the front wheel from turning side to side. Prevention of front wheel sway may also be achieved via the use of the cradles  14  discussed supra wherein a different purpose is recited, which cradles are as noted, mounted on the top of the alignment members, if the members are employed or by placing the cradles on a flat surface, or preferably mounting the cradles to a support such as platform  43 . 
     Suitable batteries to be charged in this fashion are lead acid 12 volt cells, such as are used in automobiles. 
     Marine batteries which are 6 or 12 volt lead acid batteries shaped similar to an automobile battery, are able to deliver more power than a car battery, such as for a motor home, houseboat or when used in a plurality to operate all or part of the appliances of a small home. Marine batteries are available from various vendors in the marketplace. 
     An overcharge protection circuit  72 , known to the art, can optionally be included to prevent overcharging of the batteries. Such a circuit is highly recommended. 
     In order to prevent electrical back flow these relatively strong heavy-duty batteries, a one way gate switch to permit current to only flow to the batteries should be incorporated in the circuitry. 
     POWER CREATION 
     The discussion now turns to Power Creation. When the rider, not seen, rotates the pedals  13  of bicycle  11 , chain  19  rotates around the intermediate derailleur  26 , located at the rear of front derailleur  22 . See FIG. 2. A hub  23  is disposed for rotation through the center of intermediate derailleur  26  and extends laterally outward therefrom. See FIG. 6. A second hub  35  is disposed through wall  54 A and retained in a bearing  27  in said housing wall. A belt  25  configured as an endless loop is mounted with tension such that rotation of the intermediate hub will translate motion to the rear hub such that it will rotate. 
     In FIG. 5 an alternate connection between the intermediate hub and the rear hub of the dynamo  51  is seen. Here a toothed rear derailleur  29  mounted on the hub  35 , which hub is retained in a bearing, again  27  is employed. A second chain  30  forms an endless loop between intermediate  23  and the rear derailleur  27 . Reference is also made to FIG.  7 . For such an embodiment hub  23  would be replaced by a toothed hub  31  as shown in FIG.  7 . Teeth  32  would then engage chain  30  in a conventional manner. 
     By use of the battery charging apparatus of this invention, it is believed that a heavy duty battery could be charged by a cyclist in about 30 minutes. Since the rotating wheel is directly linked to the intermediate hub, if the cyclist were to stop pedaling, the rotating wheel of the dynamo would stop rotating. 
     Therefore to permit the cyclist to rest from time to time, it is recommended that a conventional coaster clutch  36  as found in bicycles be incorporated into the intermediate hub such that it will continue to rotate, thus cover the movable wheel to rotate even though the chain  19  is not moving while the cyclist is at rest. Such coaster clutches are made by Shimano among others and are available in the marketplace prebuilt into hubs. 
     It is seen that I have disclosed an emergency battery charging system that can employ mostly during times of natural disaster; i.e., hurricanes, after typhoons and other storms, but on a continual basis in underdeveloped countries where electricity from a central source is not delivered to each household. 
     Since certain changes may be made in the described apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.