Patent ID: 6983948

Claim:
A pedal powered flywheel power unit comprising: a) a power unit frame; b) a flywheel assembly including: i) a flywheel axle, ii) at least two mounting bearings that secure the flywheel axle to the power unit frame and allow the flywheel axle to rotate freely along its axis, iii) at least one flywheel attached to the flywheel axle, and iv) a flywheel gear set with at least one gear attached to the flywheel axle; c) a transfer axle assembly including: i) a transfer axle, ii) at least two mounting bearings that secure the transfer axle to the power unit frame and allow the transfer axle to rotate freely along its axis, iii) a first transfer gear set with at least one gear attached to one end of the transfer axle, and iv) a second transfer gear set with at least one gear attached to the other end of the transfer axle; d) a pedal assembly including: i) a pedal axle, ii) at least one pair of mounting bearings that secures the pedal axle to the power unit frame and allow the pedal axle to rotate freely along its axis, iii) two pedals attached to either end of the pedal axle such that a human using the pedals will create rotational force along the pedal axle, and iv) a pedal gear set with at least one gear attached to the pedal axle; e) a first chain operatively connecting the pedal gear set to the first transfer gear set; f) a second chain operatively connecting the second transfer gear set to the flywheel gear set; and g) a first transmission assembly including: i) a transmission transfer gear attached to the flywheel axle, ii) a transmission with multiple gears in a gearing ratio of 10:1 to 0.8:1, iii) a transmission input gear attached to the transmission and operatively associated with the transmission transfer gear in approximately a 1:1 gearing ratio, iv) a transmission output gear attached to the transmission that provides power output from the flywheel only when a clutch within the transmission in engaged.