Motorized trolley

Abstract

A motorised trolley with a traction wheel, an assisting motor, a clutch, a speed sensor and a motor controller. The assisting motor engages when accelerating beyond an activation speed and disengages when decelerating below the activation speed. The assisting motor disengages when the motorised trolley accelerates beyond a maximum speed and re-engages when decelerating below the maximum speed. The assisting motor engageably-disengages when the rotational speed exceeds a maximum motor speed. A power source may include power-tool batteries.

1 . A motorised trolley ( 100 ) comprising:
 a traction wheel ( 110 ) positionable over a guiding structure ( 50 );   an assisting motor ( 120 ) connected to the traction wheel ( 110 ) via a clutch ( 130 );   a speed sensor ( 140 ) measuring a rotational speed of the traction wheel ( 110 ); and   a motor controller ( 150 ) electrically attached to the assisting motor ( 120 ) and the speed sensor ( 140 ).   
     
     
         2 . The motorised trolley of  claim 1 , wherein the traction wheel ( 110 ) is a sheave pulley, and the guiding structure ( 50 ) is a zipline cable. 
     
     
         3 . The motorised trolley ( 100 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the clutch ( 130 ) is a clutch bearing located inside the traction wheel ( 110 ). 
     
     
         4 . The motorised trolley ( 100 ) of  claim 1  wherein the assisting motor ( 120 ) comprises a rotor and the clutch ( 130 ) is a clutch bearing located inside the rotor. 
     
     
         5 . The motorised trolley ( 100 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the clutch ( 130 ) is configured to engageably-disengage the assisting motor ( 120 ) and the traction wheel ( 110 ) when the rotational speed exceeds a maximum motor speed. 
     
     
         6 . The motorised trolley ( 100 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the motor controller ( 150 ) is configured to:
 engage ( 230 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) accelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) beyond an activation speed; and   disengage ( 220 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) decelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) below the activation speed.   
     
     
         7 . The motorised trolley ( 100 ) of  claim 6 , wherein the activation speed is at least 7 km/h. 
     
     
         8 . The motorised trolley ( 100 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the motor controller ( 150 ) is configured to:
 disengage ( 240 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) accelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) beyond a maximum speed; and   re-engage ( 230 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) decelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) below the maximum speed.   
     
     
         9 . The motorised trolley ( 100 ) of  claim 8 , wherein the maximum speed is at least 35 km/h. 
     
     
         10 . The motorised trolley ( 100 ) of  claim 1 , further comprising a power source ( 170 ) electrically connected to the motor controller ( 150 ), wherein the power source ( 170 ) comprises at least one power-tool battery. 
     
     
         11 . The motorised trolley ( 100 ) of  claim 1 , further comprising a manual safety trigger ( 160 ) configured to activate the assisting motor ( 120 ) at a reduced speed in case of a system failure. 
     
     
         12 . A method ( 200 ) for operating a motorised trolley ( 100 ), the method comprising:
 engaging ( 230 ) an assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) accelerates along a guiding structure ( 50 ) beyond an activation speed; and   disengaging ( 220 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) decelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) below the activation speed.   
     
     
         13 . The method ( 200 ) of  claim 12 , wherein the activation speed is at least 7 km/h and/or the guiding structure ( 50 ) is a zipline cable. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 disengaging ( 240 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) accelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) beyond a maximum speed; and   re-engaging ( 230 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) decelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) below the maximum speed.   
     
     
         15 . The method ( 200 ) of  claim 14 , wherein the maximum speed is at least 35 km/h. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 engaging the assisting motor ( 120 ) at a reduced speed upon activating a safety trigger ( 160 ); and   disengaging the assisting motor ( 120 ) upon deactivating the safety trigger ( 160 ).   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for operating a motorised trolley ( 100 ), the set of instructions comprising:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to:
 engage ( 230 ) an assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) accelerates along a guiding structure ( 50 ) beyond an activation speed; and 
 disengage ( 220 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) decelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) below the activation speed. 
   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the activation speed is at least 7 km/h and/or the guiding structure ( 50 ) is a zipline cable. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to:
 disengage ( 240 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) accelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) beyond a maximum speed; and   re-engage ( 230 ) the assisting motor ( 120 ) when the motorised trolley ( 100 ) decelerates along the guiding structure ( 50 ) below the maximum speed.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the device to:
 engage the assisting motor ( 120 ) at a reduced speed upon activating a safety trigger ( 160 ); and   disengage the assisting motor ( 120 ) upon deactivating the safety trigger ( 160 ).