Patent Abstract:
A wheeled vehicle has mechanical and preferably hydraulic pumps inside its tires. The weight of the vehicle pumps up a reservoir as the tires roll. The pressure in the reservoir is used to directly or indirectly propel the vehicle.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates generally to improvements in vehicular energy generating systems and more particularly to mechanical means and preferably hydraulic pumps inside its tires for recovering wasted tire flexure energy and putting that recovered energy to useful work.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
         [0002]    The prior art has numerous methods for recovering lost tire flexure energy. Most are highly complex, requiring many parts and thus expensive to produce.  
           [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 1,574,095 to Jokisch for an electric generator powered by the vibrations of a vehicle&#39;s body and wheels. Ratchet movements resulting from the vibrations actuating linkages drive the generator.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,200 to Thompson uses spring-loaded bellows in the tire to operate a pump to drive a fluid motor.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,367 to Thomas uses tire flexure to operate plungers which rotate a cog that turns a generator drive shaft.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,351 to Thomas uses a different type of plunger/actuator to turn a generator as a result of tire flexure.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,663 to Lu uses a means for more or less straightforwardly inducing current flow in a wire as a result of wheel movement.  
           [0008]    The prior art is not confined to the rim of the vehicle wheels. Thus, changing tires and otherwise working upon the wheel is made priorly difficult.  
           [0009]    Contrary to the prior art, the instant invention can provide both fluid and electrical power generation in one vehicle both during acceleration and regenerative braking. It is a run-flat type tire that adds safety to the vehicle  
           [0010]    operation. Both features protect the power generation components of the instant wheel assembly, especially if the tire should fail. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a plan view of the invention using ratchets and levers.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of the invention showing the power generating means.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a cutaway of the invention of FIG. 2 without a fluid motor.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a cutaway of the invention showing fluid flow paths and a lever and bellows system.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a cutaway of the invention showing the fluid flow paths of FIG. 4 with internal hydraulic motors and a plunger system.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a cutaway of the invention showing a close-up of a plunger system.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6A is an elevation showing the invention used on steel wheels that travel on steel rails.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a cutaway of the wheel hydraulic bellows system.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a plan view of the wheel internal fluid motor external ratchet gears, ring gear and invention driveshaft gear.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 is partial cutaway of a direct electromagnetic linear generator with the driveshaft dynamo.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the driveshaft dynamo of FIG. 9.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 11 is a detail of the drive gearing for a fluid motor version of the instant invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 12 is a cross section view of the gearing of FIG. 11. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]    Turning to FIG. 1, we see a weight-powered wheel  10 . The force of gravity pulling on the mass of a vehicle such as an automobile causes tire with its interior donut  32  to deflect  12  when the wheel  10  turns the rubber of the tire  11  against the ground. This deflection  12  is well known and is normally used to absorb some shock forces so to produce a smoother ride for the passengers of the vehicle using the wheel  10 .  
         [0025]    A plurality of levers  14  are supported by the rim  16  of power-producing wheel  20  located within the pneumatic interior  18  of wheel  10 .  
         [0026]    Rim  16  has a plurality of ratchet gears  22  that articulate with a common ring gear  24 . Gear  24  is shown located at the periphery of the internal diameter of the rim  16  and tire bead. Gear  24  drives axle  26 , which is connected to weight-powered gearbox  30  (FIG. 2). Gearbox  30  may then be used to help turn the vehicle driveshaft either via electric motor  50  (FIG. 9) and driveshaft dynamo or hydraulic motor  50  (FIG. 11).  
         [0027]    Axle  26  (FIG. 2) is a hydraulic motor located at each wheel as against the one or more hydraulic motors located at the driveshaft and differential. Element  26  in FIG. 2 is a pair of hydraulic conduits. These allow the invention gearbox to be replaced by a hydraulic motor (Master Hydraulic Motor)  50  at the differential that receives fluid from all four wheel motors  46 . An hydraulic bypass line  32  in or at motor  50  would redistribute fluid to an hydraulic air compressor or electric generator when excess power is to be stored (not shown). While cruising, most of the fluid from the wheel motors would bypass the Master Hydraulic Motor  50  to the power storage motor. When the brake is applied, the Master Hydraulic Motor  50  is switched to a hydraulic pump driven by the kinetic energy in the vehicle driveshaft to recover regenerative braking energy to the energy storage system (either compressed air or electricity).  
         [0028]    The air compressor charges an air receiver that is then used to drive a well known air motor (not shown).  
         [0029]    Air motors are known art and have successfully self-powered at least one prior art vehicle called the e.Volution car, put out by Zero Pollution Motors of France.  
         [0030]    Alternatively, the air receiver may simply boost the hydraulic drive line pressure.  
         [0031]    Lever  14  when activated by the tire deflection  12  turns ratchet gears  22  which then turns ring gear  24  separately from the spin of tire  11 . It is the spin of gear  24 , separate from that of wheel  10 , that turns axle  26 .  
         [0032]    Turning to FIG. 2, tire  11  interior space  18  contains an interior non-deflatable donut  32  that pushes on interior ratchet gear lever roller  34  when it itself is pushed inwardly by tire deflection  12 . Thus the energy of deflection  12  is transferred to roller  34 , which then turns ratchet gears  36  located on the inner wheel rim  38 . Gears  36  then turn ring gear  40 , which powers the axle gear  42 , which turns axle  26 .  
         [0033]    Exterior hydraulic wheel motor  46  is shown attached to vehicle axle housing  48  to provide hydraulic fluid pumping power from its wheel to the hydraulic generator  50  or the Master Hydraulic Motor  50  to provide power assist and/or power assisted braking; or to the hydraulic air compressor or electric generator to provide power storage. The assist is then used to increase vehicle gas mileage, decrease electric motor power needs and otherwise help in moving and/or braking the vehicle.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 3 shows motor  46  gone while line  32  feeds strut  52 . The hydraulic fluid pressure in strut  52  is used to automatically modulate or adjust the gear ratio so that the power harvested from axle  26  can be matched to a specific percentage of vehicle weight. The heavier the vehicle, the more power it produces when it closes the donuts:  
         [0035]    In FIG. 4, a plurality of hydraulic donuts, bellows or pistons  60  are placed upon rim  16 . A different configuration of pistons  60  is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.  
         [0036]    The configurations of FIGS.  4 - 6  are activated by interior donut  32  as the tire  11  itself and donut  32  deflect at  12 . Donut  32  is attached all around the tire interior. It does not matter whether these configurations are applicable to road wheels or train wheels. The instant invention has the ability to add power to all moving vehicles.  
         [0037]    Internal hydraulic motors  70  are driven by common hydraulic output duct  72  which is fed by one-way valve  74 . Ball valves  74  are shown, but any suitable valve  74  may be used. Springs  76  (shown in FIG. 6), in conjunction with the return fluid pressure, push pistons  60  back into waiting position after they pass through deflection  12 .  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 7 shows a solid tire donut  32 . The donut  32  may otherwise be made inflatable (FIGS. 2, 3) if so desired. Doing so would endanger the invention&#39;s run-flat abilities. Donut  32  may also have a hard or spongy texture depending upon power production vs. passenger comfort requirements. The donut  32  may otherwise be made hollow (FIGS. 2, 3).  
         [0039]    Here donut  32  pushes on bladder compression bar  90  at the deflection  12 . Bar  90  compresses interior bladder  92 . Interior donut  92  then squeezes fluid through one-way valve  94 . Once fluid passes through valve  94 , it activates interior hydraulic motor  96  having vanes  98 . The fluid then passes out one-way valve  100  into fluid return duct  102 .  
         [0040]    The center axle in FIG. 7 is the vehicle&#39;s axle  48 .  
         [0041]    All fluid power can be transmitted to gearbox  30  either by axle  26  or via typical direct hydraulic tubing (not shown) instead. The same option occurs for powering the hydraulic motor  50 .  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 8 shows interior hydraulic system cover plate  110  having ring gear  40  operated by interior hydraulic motor gears  114  and the gear  118  for the exterior hydraulic motor axle  119  or the invention&#39;s gearbox axle  26 .  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 9 shows linear induction driveshaft dynamo  120 . Axle  121  serves as the rotor having windings or permanent magnets  122  while stator windings  123  surround them. Through suitable and well-known means, electric energy is produced and can then be fed into the stator winding  123  of driveshaft dynamo  120  surrounding the vehicle driveshaft  121 . The windings on the vehicle driveshaft  121  serve to directly propel the vehicle as the rotor energizing stator  123  induces a magnetic torque on driveshaft  121  rotor windings or permanent magnets. Thus the induced torque provides vehicle propulsive power.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 10 shows the system of FIG. 9 (in cross section) cutaway. Driveshaft  121  is in the center with its own windings or permanent magnets  122 . Thus, the induced torque provides propulsive power.  
         [0045]    Driveshaft  121  has rubber mounts  130  for the driveshaft mount  131 . Shaft  121  is in the center with its own windings  122 . Stator windings  123  surround them. Protective casing  136  is enclosing the works.  
         [0046]    Hydraulic motor  50  may here be alternator  50  having alternator drive shaft  51  (which is the same as driveshaft  26  and  119 ). Differential casing  155  shows the location relative to the vehicle.  
         [0047]    Universal joint  157  may remain exactly the same as the usual vehicle design in the dynamo driven electrical  120  power systems or may be modified to accept gear  180  that is driven by the hydraulic motor  50  in the hydraulic drive system. Gear  180  may instead be incorporated into a modified differential drive shaft as shown in FIG. 11. The hydraulic air compressor could be located on the driveshaft  121  in an arrangement similar to the dynamo  120  (FIG. 12) where it could function as a second hydraulic power assist motor in addition to its functions as a power storage pump driven by either the wheel hydraulic fluid that bypasses the Master Hydraulic Motor  50 , by compressed air from storage or by the driveshaft itself in a regenerative braking energy recovery role. Direct fluid intake and output via ports(s) and tube(s)  161  to and from Master Hydraulic Motor  50  as shown. Tube  161  is in phantom as it can be either an alternative to the electric feed or it can also be an adjunct for delivering even more power overall.  
         [0048]    Finally, FIG. 11 shows Master Hydraulic Motor  50  output shaft  51  running bevel gears  180  which drive the vehicle via the differential  155  or the universal joint  157 . This depends upon the exact placement of Master Hydraulic Motor  50  upon driveshaft  121 . FIG. 12 is a view of the bevel gears  180  or the driveshaft installed hydraulic air compressor.  
         [0049]    It should be noted that the wheel levers and pumps  46 ,  50  and  60  when loaded with more weight produce more hydraulic power. Also the faster the vehicle travels, the more power it produces. The hydraulic modulation of strut  52  is based on loaded vehicle weight. As such, depending upon vehicle weight and speed, the instant invention may in fact generate more power then the vehicle needs. This is not available in the prior art. The extra power may be used to charge batteries, spin a superflywheel or even be traded by magnetic induction with the ground or rails, catenary or whatever is useful and put back into the electric power infrastructure. Induction coils on the vehicle will interact via magnetic lines of force in a well-known manner with other coils or super magnets in the ground, etc so to transfer the extra electrical power. Here is a time when the vehicle can operate without fueling stops. Using magnetic induction and actively transferring electrical power to the vehicle from the ground or rails placed upon the ground, the vehicle can be powered directly without refueling stops.  
         [0050]    IN OPERATION, mechanical linkages or fluid pressure (pneumatic, hydraulic or any suitable system made after the manner of the instant invention) via pumps  60  in various configurations, is made to run either an alternator, a fluid motor  50  or an excess fluid pressure receiver for boosting either drive line pressure or directly driving the vehicle driveshaft itself.  
         [0051]    Onboard electric generation is directly accomplished via the instant driveshaft dynamo. Fluid pressure operated generator can also produce electricity onboard the vehicle.  
         [0052]    Both fluid pressure and dynamo output can be directed to top off energy storage devices such as batteries and/or superflywheel, or the like.  
         [0053]    Pneumatic power storage is the safest of all storage options and has the capability of propelling vehicles all by itself.  
         [0054]    Thus, an environmentally friendly and useful vehicle powering system for both long and short runs is capable of being produced and could be designed to retrofit existing railroad ICE-type vehicles with minimal disturbance of prevailing vehicle designs and components.  
         [0055]    It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to preferred embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5