CA2670036A1

CA2670036A1 - Wind driven vehicle with electric motor assist

Info

Publication number: CA2670036A1
Application number: CA2670036A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Richard Letkeman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-06-03
Filing date: 2009-06-03
Publication date: 2010-12-03

Abstract

There are several encumbrances to speed and forward mobility in land sailing vehicles, including their variously numerous friction sources, their lack of versatility as personal conveyances, and their relative lack of efficient directional manoeuvrability. This invention addresses them using: (a) a maximum of two, very large wheels that are not articulated for steering, carry electric motors as their hubs, have no machine bearings other than those of the hub motors, and due to their large diameters are more directionally stable and significantly less affected by roadway roughness; (b) an under-axle centre of gravity that facilities braking without rotating the vehicle's load or ballast, and facilitates extra load capacity which can be speed-enhancing;
(c) a four-way-adjustable aerofoil which can effect minor turns in lieu of conventional or differential braking;
and (d) regenerative motors that charge batteries under sail power and therefore deliver a broader opportunity for fuel-free mobility.

Description

G~ ~b K
Richard Letkeman 203 - 106 Lakeshore Rd. E.
Mississauga, Ontario L5G 1E3 a5c~ 230 The Commissioner of Patents Industry Industrie aM,J......_._ Y/M/D
Place du Portage I Canada Canada 50 Victoria St., Room C-114 Gatineau, Quebec K1A OC9 ~IIN II~I~~IIYIY~II~II~~IYI~dI~INdNI 159- 09 Dear Sir: CIPO OPIC B001339522 I hereby request an Early Filing date for a Canada Patent application covering the following invention originated by me.

This design is a two-wheel vehicle powered by wind and sail as well as by two electric motors, such that:
(1) the vehicle will be propelled by one or more adjustable aerofoils or sails attached by their peak(s) to a spar while allowing two wheel-hub motors to electrically charge a bank of two or more standard automotive batteries; (2) the motors will propel the vehicle forward during periods of light winds; (3) steering will be achieved by a combination of differential braking and sail adjustment; (4) a low centre of gravity is achieved by means of (A) a bench seat hanging from the centre beam and axles and carrying one or more persons, and (B) positioning of the batteries as near to the ground as practicable; (5) the side-by-side wheels are a sufficient distance apart from each other to achieve stability and of sufficient diameter to allow space for passenger(s) in the seat, (6) the vehicle is practical for medium-to-high-speed travel on unrestricted paved or soft-base roads and on ground surfaces including beaches, and (7) an optional tarpaulin may cover the vehicle's forepart to provide a measure of aerodynamic streamlining.
Please be informed, also, that during preliminary design stages for this vehicle I have shown sketches of it to Stephen Connor, Matthew Geraghty, D. Ken Letkeman, Michael Spaziani, Barry Pierce, Peter Hanna, Joe Kwan and Joe Sant. Be informed, also that I am unaware of the need for sketches or drawings to be submitted at the same time as this Early Filing and therefore have not submitted them although they are currently available.

By this submission I believe that in accordance with Subsection 3.01(2) of the Patent Rules, I am entitled to pay the fees at the small entity level in respect of this early filing patent application. I have therefore enclosed a cheque for $200.

Yours, Richard Letkeman Encl.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A land sailing vehicle whose main axle is the vehicle's crossbeam and whose centre of gravity while the vehicle is at rest is located beneath the crossbeam-axle.

2. A land vehicle capable of employing wind as its free source of power for both propulsion and battery recharging.

3. A vehicle as defined in Claim 1, in which each end of the crossbeam is fitted with a spoked wheel.

4. A vehicle as defined in Claim 1, which may be occupied by one or more seated persons and driven by any combination of one or more fabric sail(s) and two battery-regenerative electric motors.

5. A vehicle as defined in Claim 3, in which the motor rotors serve as hubs for the two wheels, as anchors for the spokes and as brake disks, and in which the motor shafts are affixed into the ends of the crossbeam-axle.

6. A vehicle as defined in Claim 1, in which the crossbeam carries a fixed crib or "cage" structure whose main components are one or more occupant seats and two batteries.

7. A vehicle as defined in Claim 1, in which the foot of a mast is affixed to the rear of the cage structure, a sail is hung from the masthead, and the sail position or trim is adjustable by the operator of the vehicle in a manner that causes the vehicle to be propelled forward.

8. A vehicle as defined in Claim 2, in which the operator may deploy regenerative motor braking as needed while the vehicle glides downhill, and motor power as needed for uphill travel.

9. A vehicle as defined in Claim 1, in which the inertia of the vehicle's ballast weight located a sufficient distance beneath the crossbeam-axle directly facilitates friction-disk braking without need for additional braking appendages.