Pedal generator electric bicycle

Abstract

A chainless electric cycle design that allows a rider/user to pedal a pedal generator to create an electric transmission energy source that either charges the battery or partially powers a hub motor, discharges the battery to the hub motor contained within one of the wheels, allows the user to set a desired level of resistance from the pedal generator using controls oriented about the handlebars, allows the user to activate the hub motor using a speed controlling device oriented about the handlebars, and allows the user to charge the battery by connecting to a standard 110V/220V AC power supply. A chainless cycle is a cycle where the input power from a rider is not converted into output power by the rear wheel through a gear and chain system connecting the pedals to the rear wheel.

1 . An electric drive system for an electric cycle comprising:
 one or more pedal driven generator(s) mounted on a pedal system coupled to a charge controller;   one or more batteries coupled to said charge controller and to one or more motors mounted on one or more wheel hubs;   a user controlled resistance device to adjust a rate of perceived exertion for said user in conjunction with said pedal generator;   a user controlled throttle mounted on a handlebar system, and a charge controller,   wherein a user provides pedal power to said pedal generator combination producing a DC power to said charge controller;   said charge controller allocates power distribution between said batteries and said motor;   a user controlled throttle coupled to said motor determines a speed of said motor and thus the speed of said cycle   wherein said electric drive system is a chainless drive system for said cycle.   
     
     
         2 . The cycle of  claim 1  comprising a single user bicycle. 
     
     
         3 . The bicycle of  claim 2  comprising:
 a main triangular frame system having a top bar, a rear bar and a front bar providing a basic structure for said bicycle; 
 a first end of said front bar is coupled to a first end of a pair of front wheel frame supports, the main triangular frame, and an extension bar coupled to a pair of handlebars; 
 a second end of each front wheel frame supports are coupled to a motor mounted to the axis of said front wheel; 
 a second end of said front bar and first end of said rear bar are coupled to said pedal generator; 
 a first end of a rear top bar is coupled to said top bar and said rear bar and said second end of said rear top bar is coupled to and supports a seat; 
 a first end of a pair of rear triangular frames are coupled to said rear bar and a second of each rear triangular frames are coupled to each axis of a rear wheel; 
 the first end of each support for said pedal assembly is coupled to each side of said pedal assembly and said second end support for said assembly is coupled to each side of said wheel axis; 
 said pedal assembly includes a pair of pedal bars coupled to a pair of pedals and said pedal generator; 
 said one or more batteries is coupled to said front bars; 
 said resistance selection is coupled to a first side of said handlebars; 
 said throttle is coupled to a second side of said handlebars; 
 said charge controller is coupled to said rear bar 
 
     
     
         4 . The bicycle of  claim 3  wherein said pedal generator is a DC generator. 
     
     
         5 . The bicycle of  claim 3  wherein said pedal generator is an AC generator/rectifier combination to produce a DC voltage. 
     
     
         6 . The bicycle of  claim 3  wherein said motor is a hub motor. 
     
     
         7 . The bicycle of  claim 3  wherein said motor is a DC motor. 
     
     
         8 . The bicycle of  claim 3  wherein said motor is an AC motor driven by a DC to AC convertor. 
     
     
         9 . The bicycle of  claim 3  wherein resistance selection comprises multiple selections of resistors in parallel with an output of said pedal generator and provides control of a rate of perceived exertion for said user. 
     
     
         10 . The bicycle of  claim 9  wherein said resistance selection comprises 8-24 settings. 
     
     
         11 . The bicycle of  claim 3  wherein said resistance selection comprises multiple selections of resistance to said pedal generator with an electromagnetic brake coupled to said pedal generator and provides a rate of perceived exertion for said user. 
     
     
         12 . The bicycle of  claim 11  wherein said electromagnetic brake comprises 8-24 settings of resistance. 
     
     
         13 . The bicycle of  claim 3  wherein said charge controller regulates a flow of electricity to said one or more batteries and/or said hub motor. 
     
     
         14 . The bicycle of  claim 13  wherein said charge controller may be a pulse width modulation device (PWM) or a maximum power point tracking device (MPPT). 
     
     
         15 . The bicycle of  claim 13  wherein said charge controller allocates said electricity from said pedal generator between charging said battery(ies) to be charged according to a charging algorithm from a variable input power source, or routing said electricity from said pedal generator directly to said hub motor. 
     
     
         16 . The bicycle of  claim 15  wherein said variable power source is the user bending and stretching his legs in such a way as to move said pedals and said one or more batteries output electrical energy to said hub motor. 
     
     
         17 . The bicycle of  claim 3  wherein an electrical demand of said hub motor is controlled by said user by twisting said throttle and thus providing a speed control of said electric bicycle. 
     
     
         18 . The cycle of  claim 1  comprising a dual user bicycle. 
     
     
         19 . The dual user bicycle of  claim 18  comprising:
 one or two hub motors mounted on one or both wheel hubs; 
 one or two pedal driven generators mounted on one or two pedal systems; 
 one or more batteries are mounted on a frame; 
 one or two charge controllers mounted on said frame; 
 one or two resistance selectors mounted on one or two handlebars; and one or two throttles mounted on one or both the handlebars. 
 
     
     
         20 . The dual user bicycle of  claim 19  comprising an electric drive system further comprising:
 receipt of pedal power from one or both users to said pedal driven generator; 
 a resistance selection coupled to one or both generator outputs to provide control of resistance that controls rate of perceived exertion; 
 one or both charge controllers coupled to said one or both generator outputs to determine an amount energy supplied to said one or more batteries and to each hub motor; and 
 said throttle(s) coupled to each hub motor to control a speed of the hub motors. The resistance selection includes an exemplary value of 8-24 values of resistance. The one or more generators are a DC generator or an AC generator/rectifier combination to produce a DC voltage and the one or more hub motors are a DC motor or AC/DC convertor AC motor combinations. The hub motors for this embodiment may have one of the hub motors mounted on a front wheel hub or on a rear wheel hub or have two hub motors each mounted on each wheel hub. 
 
     
     
         22 . The cycle of  claim 1  comprising a tricycle. 
     
     
         23 . The tricycle of  claim 22  comprising:
 one or more hub motor(s) mounted on one or more wheel hubs; 
 one or more pedal driven generator(s) is mounted on one or more of the pedal systems; 
 one or more batteries are mounted on a frame; 
 one or more charge controllers mounted on said frame; 
 a resistance selector mounted on a handlebar; 
 a throttle mounted on said handle bar. 
 
     
     
         24 . The tricycle of  claim 23  comprising an electric drive system further comprising:
 receipt of pedal power from one or more users to one or more pedal driven generators; 
 a resistance selection is coupled to each of said generator output to provide control of resistance that controls a rate of perceived exertion; 
 each charge controller is also coupled to each pedal generator output to determine the amount of energy supplied to the one or more batteries and to the one or more hub motors; 
 and a throttle is coupled to each hub motor to control the speed of the hub motors.