Electric vehicle and electric supply arrangement for the same

Abstract

In an electric vehicle, a power unit is installed in an internal space region of a tire of each of front and rear wheels. The unit has a plurality of power elements arranged on an inner peripheral surface of a ground contact portion of the tire. Each of the elements includes a core made of a permalloy, and a power coil wound around the core. When a periodically-changing magnetic field is generated in a region above a road by an electric supply arrangement installed in the road, each of the elements generates electric power. This electric power is supplied to a motor of the vehicle through a power distribution system. The motor drives front wheels. The electric vehicle can continuously run over long distances without charging a battery at a buttery station.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electric vehicle comprising:
 a motor for rotationally driving a plurality of wheels through a driving-force transmission mechanism;   a tire made of an electrical conductive material and attached to each of the wheels; and   a power distribution system electrically connecting the motor and the tire,   wherein the motor is adapted to be driven by electric power which is supplied from an electric supply plate disposed on a road surface, through the tire.   
     
     
         2 . The electric vehicle as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the motor is adapted to rotationally drive one of a front wheel and a rear wheel in the wheels, and the tire made of the electrical conductive material is attached to a remaining one of the front and rear wheels. 
     
     
         3 . The electric vehicle as defined in  claim 1 , which comprises a storage battery adapted, when electric power is supplied from the electric supply plate to the electric vehicle, to store a part or an entirety of the supplied electric power, and, when no electric power is supplied from the electric supply plate to the electric vehicle, to supply the stored electric power to the motor. 
     
     
         4 . An electric supply arrangement for supplying electric power to the electric vehicle as defined in  claim 1 , comprising:
 a first electric supply plate disposed on one side of the road surface;   a second electric supply plate disposed on the other side of the road surface;   an insulation section disposed between the first electric supply plate and the second electric supply plate to electrically insulate therebetween; and   a power source adapted to apply a voltage between the first electric supply plate and the second electric supply plate.