EP1516411A1 - A generator for a bicycle - Google Patents
A generator for a bicycleInfo
- Publication number
- EP1516411A1 EP1516411A1 EP03756975A EP03756975A EP1516411A1 EP 1516411 A1 EP1516411 A1 EP 1516411A1 EP 03756975 A EP03756975 A EP 03756975A EP 03756975 A EP03756975 A EP 03756975A EP 1516411 A1 EP1516411 A1 EP 1516411A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- rotor
- generator according
- generator
- drive wheel
- rotating member
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02K—DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
- H02K7/00—Arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with dynamo-electric machines, e.g. structural association with mechanical driving motors or auxiliary dynamo-electric machines
- H02K7/18—Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g. with turbines
- H02K7/1807—Rotary generators
- H02K7/1846—Rotary generators structurally associated with wheels or associated parts
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02K—DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
- H02K21/00—Synchronous motors having permanent magnets; Synchronous generators having permanent magnets
- H02K21/12—Synchronous motors having permanent magnets; Synchronous generators having permanent magnets with stationary armatures and rotating magnets
- H02K21/24—Synchronous motors having permanent magnets; Synchronous generators having permanent magnets with stationary armatures and rotating magnets with magnets axially facing the armatures, e.g. hub-type cycle dynamos
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02K—DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
- H02K7/00—Arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with dynamo-electric machines, e.g. structural association with mechanical driving motors or auxiliary dynamo-electric machines
- H02K7/10—Structural association with clutches, brakes, gears, pulleys or mechanical starters
- H02K7/116—Structural association with clutches, brakes, gears, pulleys or mechanical starters with gears
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a generator to be driven by a moving member of a bicycle.
- the invention relates to a simple and reliable bicycle generator which is capable of delivering sufficient electrical output for a head and a tail light even at relatively low rotational speed of the driving member of the bicycle.
- a generator attached between the frame and a wheel of a bicycle to generate electrical energy for consuming devices such as a head or tail light.
- synchronous generators comprising one single-phase wire coil of a stator and a corresponding permanent magnet of a rotor have been assembled into dynamo units for attachment to a front fork or on similar locations where the dynamo can be driven by the rotation of a bicycle wheel.
- the rotor part is driven via a drive roll connected to or pressed against a wheel or tire of the bicycle.
- US 5,895,991 suggests using a generator with a rotor coupled to a wheel via a gear allowing the rotor to rotate faster than the wheel.
- the present invention relates to a generator for a bicycle having a frame and a rotating member, the rotating member having a hub axis, the generator comprising a rotor, rotatable in relation to a stator, and a transmission
- SUBSTITUTE SHEET fixedly securable to the rotating member for transmitting rotational power from the rotating member to the rotor, the transmission being adapted to transmit the rotational power so that the rotor is rotatable at a speed faster than that of the rotating member, wherein a first part is one of the stator and the rotor and comprises a plurality of magnetic pole sets.
- a generator which can be connected to and driven by a wheel or crank of the bicycle and which can provide an output in the size of 3-6 Watt which is sufficient for a head and tail light without extensive gearing. It has been found that an amount of 8-20 pole sets (north and south poles), i.e. 16-40 poles and a gearing rate between 1:3 and 1: 10 such as 1:7 between the rotational speed of a normal bicycle wheel and the rotational speed of the rotor is sufficient for powering head and tail lights in accordance with typical national rules, e.g. 3 W.
- the other part of the rotor or stator may be provided with a plurality, e.g. 8-12, of individually wound windings.
- a larger number of pole sets e.g. 20-40 pole sets, i.e. 40-80 poles may be used.
- the gearing rate may be raised to the range between 1:7 and 1:20 such as 1: 14.
- the rotor comprises the pole sets and the stator comprises one or more windings.
- the rotor and/or the stator may be formed by laminating a plurality of individually isolated layers of a magnetically conductive material, e.g. iron or it could be sintered ferrite or polymer bounded iron dust. In some variants this material may be soft magnetic alloys specially designed to have high magnetic conductivity or a low specific resistance. Since the rotor or the stator comprises a plurality of pole sets, the transmission can be made in a relatively simple manner, e.g.
- the second drive wheel can be driven either via a belt or via meshing teeth of the drive wheels (gear wheels) or even via frictional resistance between peripheral surfaces of the two drive wheels.
- the rotor may be integrated with the second drive wheel.
- the integrated rotor and drive wheel may comprise a gear wheel fastened to a plate which carries a ring-shaped magnet or a plurality of magnets arranged along an outer peripheral edge of the plate.
- the gear wheel could be made from a light weight and magnetically non- conductive material, e.g. nylon, Teflon, Acetal etc.
- the plate could preferably be made from a magnetically conductive material to improve the magnetic field from the magnet(s).
- the ring shaped magnet could be arranged in contact with an additional element of a magnetically conductive material. The additional element could be arranged coaxially inside the ring-shaped magnet and thus improve the magnetic field.
- the rotor could be rotated by the rotating member of the bicycle e.g. via a cam fastened directly to the rotor or to the first drive wheel.
- the cam could engage the rotating member, e.g. a wheel or a crank shaft of the bicycle.
- the rotor could also be rotated by the rotating member of the bicycle via a magnetic field between the rotating member of the bicycle and the generator, e.g. via a magnet fastened to the first drive wheel for creation of a force between the first drive wheel and a magnetic conductive material of the rotating member of the bicycle, or a magnet could be fastened to the rotating member of the bicycle for creation of a force between the rotating member and a magnetic conductive material fastened to the rotor or to the first drive wheel.
- the first drive wheel is attached coaxially to the hub of the rotating member and the rotating power is transferred, e.g. via a cam arranged on either the rotating member or on the first drive wheel.
- the first drive wheel is thereby driven at the rotational speed of this member.
- the second drive wheel can be coupled directly to the rotor for driving the rotor at a rotational speed equal to the rotational speed of the second drive wheel.
- the users of dynamos for a bicycle experience that there is a disproportion between the generated output and the necessity for light.
- it is a well known drawback of the known generators that cycling with very low speed generates too little energy to power the lights of the bicycle sufficiently.
- cycling with very high speed causes the generator to produce more energy than needed and thus to consume more energy than necessary.
- the magnetic pole sets of the generator according to the present invention may be electrically magnetised. Whenever there is a need for more electrical energy with unchanged rotational speed, the poles can be magnetised stronger, vice versa.
- the generator may comprise a control circuit allowing the user to control the magnetism of the pole sets and the control circuit may be adapted to automatically control the magnetism based on a desired fixed output, e.g. 3 W for driving a head lamp.
- a desired fixed output e.g. 3 W for driving a head lamp.
- the use of a drive belt in relation to meshing teeth of the drive wheels has the advantage that the noise developed by the transmission can be reduced.
- some drive belts require tension means to be used, e.g. a spring loaded roll which presses radially against the belt and thus ensures a minimum pressure between the drive belt and the drive wheels.
- tension means e.g. a spring loaded roll which presses radially against the belt and thus ensures a minimum pressure between the drive belt and the drive wheels.
- the first and the second drive wheel can be attached radially movably in relation to each other.
- the drive belt is a toothed belt for a tooth belt drive or a belt which is wedge shaped in a cross-sectional view.
- the drive wheels could be made from a steel material or from nylon, Acetal, Teflon or any similar plastic material.
- the transmission could also comprise a train of gears.
- first and second drive wheels are toothed drive wheels, they may, in order to reduce noise, be made with helical teeth.
- first and second drive wheels are toothed drive wheels, they may have tooth profiles which differ from traditionally tooth-profiles in order to reduce noise.
- 8-20 sets of poles combined with a gear rate of 3-7 between a bicycle wheel and the rotor may be sufficient for generating the electrical power necessary for powering a head and/or a tail light.
- a gear exchange rate between 2 and 15, i.e. a gear which causes the rotor to rotate 2-15 times faster than the rotating member is sufficient for a bicycle, even when the crank, which typically has a lower rotational speed than that of the wheels, is chosen as the rotating member.
- a gear exchange rate of this size can easily be made in a single gear step by means of two drive wheels.
- the generator may have coupling means for coupling and decoupling the transmission between the rotating member and the rotor.
- the decoupling can be performed by moving one of the wheels in a radial direction away from the other one of the wheels so that the teeth thereof disengage.
- the power is transmitted from one wheel to the other via a belt
- the decoupling can be performed by moving one of the wheels in a redial direction towards the other one of the wheels.
- the belt can be slackened sufficiently to ensure that it can no longer transfer the power.
- one of the wheels can be moved radially away from the other one of the wheels until the belt tightens against the peripheral surfaces of the wheels and starts to transfer power there between.
- the generator may comprise a control, e.g. comprising a wire leading from the generator to a handgrip in the vicinity of or attached to the handle bar or to the bicycle frame.
- the generator may be housed in a ring- shaped chassis comprising an opening of a size allowing the chassis to be attached to the frame around the hub axis.
- the housing may be attached to the free end of the fork holding the front or rear wheel of the bicycle.
- the opening can be arranged to encircle the centre axis of the wheel hub and the rotation of the wheel can be transferred to the first of the rotating drive wheels via a direct fixation of the drive wheel to the bicycle wheel or the bicycle wheel may be formed with an axially outwardly extending cam arranged to push a corresponding notch or edge of the drive wheel.
- Rotation of the rotating member of the bicycle may also be transferred to the generator via a magnetic coupling between the member of the bicycle and the generator.
- the electrical output from the generator may preferably comprise an electrical connector arranged in the housing shielded from moist and dirt.
- Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of the generator according to the invention
- Fig. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the generator according to the invention
- FIGs. 3 and 4 show schematic views of the generator attached to a bicycle
- Fig. 5 shows a rotor with a plurality of magnets
- Fig. 6 shows a rotor with a ring-shaped magnet
- Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the invention, wherein a centre part of the rotor is made from a magnetic conductive material, and
- Fig. 8 shows a generator coupled to a rotating member of the bicycle via a gear connection comprising toothed wheels.
- the generator comprises a housing 1 inclosing a stator 2 and a rotor 3, the rotor is connected to a drive wheel via a drive axle 4 and comprises a plurality of sets of magnetic poles 5, 6 arranged alternately north and south poles along the entire outer periphery of the rotor.
- the core 7 of the rotor is preferably made from a magnetically conductive material such as iron or any other metallic composition.
- the stator is made with a winding 8 from which winding electrical cables 9 transfer the generated electrical power to an outlet terminal 10, when the rotor is rotated around the centre axis 11.
- Fig. 2 shows a housing 21 inclosing a stator 22 and a rotor 23.
- the stator can be made with a plurality of individually wound windings 24 arranged in fixtures 25.
- the windings are connected to one and the same cable 26 transferring the generated electrical power to the terminal 27.
- the generator 31 has been attached to the frame, e.g. to the front fork 32 of a bicycle.
- the first drive wheel 33 of the generator is attached coaxially in relation to the hub axle 34 of the crank or to the hub axle of one of the wheels of the bicycle.
- the first drive wheel is driven by the wheel via a cam 35 fastened to the drive wheel and extending in the axial direction of the hub between the spokes 36 of the wheel. In that way, the first drive wheel is driven directly with the same rotational speed as the bicycle wheel. From the first drive wheel, the rotational power is transferred to a second drive wheel 37 via a drive belt 38.
- the first and second drive wheels have toothed outer peripheral surfaces 39, 40 enhancing the
- the drive belt may be a toothed belt made to engage the toothed surface of the drive wheels.
- the first drive wheel 43 of the generator may be driven directly by the hub 42 of one of the wheels of the bicycle. From the first wheel, the power is transferred to the second drive wheel 44 via frictional resistance between the two wheels along their outer peripheral surfaces 45, 46.
- the drive wheels may be formed with meshing teeth as gear-wheels.
- Fig. 5 shows a rotor comprising a gear wheel 50 attached to a plate 51 which plate carries a plurality of magnets 52-58.
- the magnets are fastened to the plate along the outer peripheral part thereof.
- the rotor is carried by a bearing for rotation around the centre axis 59.
- the gear wheel 50 is made from nylon, Teflon, Acetal etc.
- the plate 51 is made from a magnetically conductive material.
- the magnets may be adhered to the plate e.g. during a moulding process wherein the magnets are arranged in a mould of an injection moulding machine or the magnets may be glued to the surface of the plate.
- Fig. 6 shows a rotor similar to the rotor of Fig. 5 wherein the magnet 63 is a ring-shaped magnet polarised to form a plurality of pole-pairs 64, 65 along the periphery.
- the ring- shaped magnet is fastened to a plate and a gear wheel of a kind and in a way as described under Fig. 5, i.e. the plate 62 is made from a magnetically conductive material to improve the magnetic field.
- Fig. 7 shows a rotor comprising a ring-shaped magnet or a plurality of magnets with north and south poles 72, 73 arranged peripherally in contact with a magnetically conductive part 74.
- the rotor is rotated around the centre axis 75 via the gear wheel 76.
- Fig. 8 shows a hub 81 connected to a first drive wheel 82 being toothed wheel.
- the first drive wheel meshes with the second toothed drive wheel 83 which is connected to the rotor of the generator 84 via the drive shaft 85.
- the generator 84 could be displaceable mounted to the hub axle 86 or to the front or rear fork of the bicycle so that the toothed wheels can be connected and disconnected, respectively.
- the position of the generator in relation to the first drive wheel 82 could be controlled via a handle fixed to the handlebar of the bicycle.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (9)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DKPA200200857 | 2002-06-06 | ||
DK200200857 | 2002-06-06 | ||
DKPA200200885 | 2002-06-11 | ||
DK200200885 | 2002-06-11 | ||
DKPA200300165 | 2003-02-06 | ||
DK200300165 | 2003-02-06 | ||
DK200300645 | 2003-04-29 | ||
DKPA200300645 | 2003-04-29 | ||
PCT/DK2003/000376 WO2003105314A1 (en) | 2002-06-01 | 2003-06-06 | A generator for a bicycle |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1516411A1 true EP1516411A1 (en) | 2005-03-23 |
Family
ID=29740898
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP03756975A Withdrawn EP1516411A1 (en) | 2002-06-06 | 2003-06-06 | A generator for a bicycle |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1516411A1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2003232163A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2003105314A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8075168B1 (en) | 2008-01-02 | 2011-12-13 | Carl Lee Shoolman | Bicycle safety lights for day and night |
WO2013160100A2 (en) * | 2012-04-24 | 2013-10-31 | Aktiebolaget Skf | Bearing power generating configuration |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE19707243A1 (en) * | 1997-02-25 | 1998-08-27 | Stephan Walter | Dynamo light machine especially for bicycle |
DE19720301A1 (en) * | 1997-05-15 | 1998-11-19 | Sram De Gmbh | Electricity generator for bicycles |
US5874792A (en) * | 1997-06-10 | 1999-02-23 | Industrial Technology Research Institute | Bicycle generator |
-
2003
- 2003-06-06 AU AU2003232163A patent/AU2003232163A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2003-06-06 EP EP03756975A patent/EP1516411A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2003-06-06 WO PCT/DK2003/000376 patent/WO2003105314A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO03105314A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2003232163A1 (en) | 2003-12-22 |
WO2003105314A1 (en) | 2003-12-18 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US5920139A (en) | Magnet motor stator | |
US20100314187A1 (en) | Electric bicycle | |
US10967934B2 (en) | Electric drive wheel hub system for a vehicle and a vehicle incorporating the same | |
US6278216B1 (en) | Vehicle motor | |
US6153957A (en) | DC brushless machine | |
JPH05199719A (en) | Electric machine, especially wheel-hub dynamo | |
US5079461A (en) | Power supply device for bicycles | |
US3665227A (en) | Electric motor | |
US8395291B2 (en) | Transverse and/or commutated flux systems for electric bicycles | |
SU1271361A3 (en) | Bicycle ergometer loading device | |
WO2010041448A1 (en) | Electric motor and reduction motor | |
US20070252452A1 (en) | Direct Current Power Generator Accommodating a Bicycle Hub or Motor for Auxiliary Power, a Wheel Equipped With a Direct Current Power Generator Accommodating a Bicycle Hub or a Motor for Auxiliary Power, a Bicycle Equipped With a Direct Current Power Generator Accommodating a Bicycle Hub or a Motor for Auxiliary Power and a Direct Current Power Generator Accommodating a Bicycle Hub | |
JP2004201430A (en) | Structure of power supplement synchronous motor | |
CA2653875A1 (en) | Coreless motor having rotors arranged concentrically and driving apparatus having the motor | |
WO2009129708A1 (en) | Direct driving combined type permanent magnet motor | |
CN102437670A (en) | Brushless motor used for roller drive of drum type washing machine and drum type washing machine | |
US20120306327A1 (en) | Electricity generating bicycle wheel assemblies | |
WO2003105314A1 (en) | A generator for a bicycle | |
CN202435168U (en) | Brushless motor for driving roller of roller washing machine and roller washing machine | |
CN1562655A (en) | Driving wheel hub of electric motor car | |
CN213125762U (en) | Power generation hub structure | |
WO2007013742A3 (en) | Motor with power transmission of one body type | |
GB2421989A (en) | A differential gear with a casing that is a rotor of an electric motor | |
US20080007145A1 (en) | Bicycle with at least one generator | |
JP2003095179A (en) | Electrically assisted bicycle |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20050107 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: AL LT LV MK |
|
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: REELIGHT APS |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20071213 |
|
RIN1 | Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected) |
Inventor name: PEDERSEN, TROELS |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20080624 |