IT202100005846U1 - SMART POWER GENERATOR FOR E-BIKES, WHICH ALLOWS AUTOMATIC AND INTELLIGENT CHARGING OF THE ENGINE BATTERY DURING THE DESCENT, BRAKING PHASE, OR BASED ON THE SLOPE AND SPEED COMMANDS AND PARAMETERS SET BY THE USER VIA DEDICATED APP - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Of the industrial invention entitled "Smart power generator for E-Bike, which allows the automatic and intelligent recharging of the engine battery during the downhill and braking phases, or based on the gradient and speed commands and parameters set by the "user via dedicated App"

FIELD OF APPLICATION

The present invention finds application in the technical sector of electric bicycles.

STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

The mobility market? sustainability, and in particular that of electric bicycles in general, is experiencing rapid expansion thanks to the technological evolution of increasingly electric motors and batteries. performers. Unfortunately, however, in the face of increasingly more fixed charging systems, powerful and rapid (columns, battery chargers to be connected to the home electrical network, etc.), there is no ? There has been just as much evolution in the field of power generators to be mounted on the bicycles themselves. Currently ? In fact, it is possible to install small dynamos or generators on the wheel hub, capable of producing only a few Watts/hour of power, sufficient at most to recharge a smartphone or power bicycle lights. In fact, there are no aftermarket generators or dynamos for bicycles capable of producing enough energy to recharge the large engine battery of E-Bikes (characterized by several hundred Watts/hour), much less are there generators with this functionality on the market. smart that allow for example to recharge the engine battery of the E-Bike only during the downhill and/or braking phases, so as not to burden the generator with a considerable continuous braking torque even on the flat or uphill pedaling phases.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

Purpose of the present invention? that of creating for the first time and in an innovative way, a high-power smart current generator for recharging the engine battery of any E-Bike, applicable on the front wheel with a minimum diameter of 20?, easy to install and completely configurable from the ?user via Bluetooth using a dedicated App. A generator capable of automatically and quickly recharging the E-Bike's engine battery during each descent phase, based on customizable smart logic, or during braking, by pressing a button on the remote control supplied on the handlebars, or by detecting the operation of the brake lever via a magnetic sensor.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INVENTION

To achieve these goals? With the present invention, a smart power generator has been designed consisting of a powerful alternator, composed of a high-efficiency permanent magnet rotor which is fixed to the spokes of the front wheel (using adapters according to the type of wheel) and of a body containing the stator with its three-phase windings, fixed to the fork of the bicycle.

The considerable power generated by the alternator allows the E-Bike battery to be recharged at the same speed. of a traditional mains charger. Thanks to the supplied auxiliary USB socket, the generator is able to recharge any smartphone or mobile device together with the E-Bike engine battery.

In the main body of the power generator (the part attached to the fork), together with the stator ? also contains an intelligent electronic circuit with some MEMS sensors and accelerometers, capable of managing the charging of the E-Bike's engine battery with a customizable smart logic. The main control circuit ? in fact, capable of automatically activating or deactivating the generation of current and consequently automatically activating or deactivating the relative braking torque on the front wheel, taking advantage of each descent, braking or direct command to recharge the battery in the conditions selected and configured by the user such as :

- At each descent phase;

- At certain speed levels? and/or slope levels of the descent;

- During braking and deceleration phases;

- With management rules that take into account various parameters such as the percentage of battery charge, the timing of activations;

- Upon direct command from the user, thanks to the sensor located on the brake lever or via the special remote control button located on the handlebar, which for example also allows you to voluntarily force the recharging of the engine battery even on flat terrain;

The main electronic control and regulation circuit also has a Bluetooth BLE wireless communication port, which, via a dedicated App, allows continuous monitoring and statistical analysis of the energy produced by the power generator and its use. Furthermore, all the operating parameters and all the static and dynamic data of the bicycle (slope, inclination, speed, acceleration, etc.) can be monitored, like real telemetry. Finally, the dedicated App allows complete control and setting of all features. generator smart.

Inside the main electronic control and regulation circuit of the smart generator (Fig. N.1 ref.

8), the electrical energy produced is transferred from the three-phase windings of the stator to the THREE PHASE-DC rectifier module, which will provide to transform the three-phase alternating voltage into direct voltage and provide? measurements of all electrical parameters to the processor. At the same time, the RPM sensor inserted into the stator will provide? to the processor the speed? of rotation of the rotor.

The level of direct voltage produced by the rectifier varies based on the number of revolutions of the alternator (i.e. the speed of the E-Bike), for this reason the output voltage will be automatically regulated by the subsequent DC-DC STEP-UP/DOWN stage, which will keep it? constant on the value needed by the next module to recharge the battery (for example on 42V DC in the presence of nominal 36V DC engine batteries).

The next module (CHARGER) will take care of? in fact, it manages all the phases of recharging the engine battery, under the constant control and monitoring of the main processor, which is also capable of giving actual commands to the CHARGER module based on the selected smart logics, such as activation or deactivation of charging, thus determining? the activation or deactivation of the braking torque of the generator on the front wheel of the E-Bike. From this module starts the electrical output connection to the E-Bike battery and the USB electrical connection which allows additional charging of smartphones or any mobile device at 5V DC via a free USB socket.

In addition to the rotor RPM, electrical measurements and charging parameters, the processor will be able to also process the input data coming from the wired remote control, i.e. the request for manual charging on/off by the user (remote control button on the handlebar), or the signals coming from the magnetic sensor placed on the brake lever, to automatically detect each braking phase. Other input data will instead come from the accelerometers of the MEMS sensor integrated into the unit? main, capable of providing information on the dynamic and static state of the E-Bike on the three axes (e.g. acceleration, inclination, slope, etc.).

The intelligent heart of the unit? principal ? finally represented by the main processor with the relevant firmware, capable of managing all energy flows, all sensors, inputs and outputs of the unit? main with proprietary smart logic. The processor can communicate with the outside via a Bluetooth BLE interface with integrated antenna. Can BLE communication? be used for the direct connection of the generator with the dedicated App, on which it will be? It is possible to consult all the monitored parameters (RPM, speed, slope, inclination, accelerations, energy produced, active functions, etc.) by recording and displaying them as in a sort of telemetry, also allowing the user to select or set the settings and mode? smart generator operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To make more clear explanation of the innovative principles of the present invention and its advantages compared to the known art, the parts that make up the smart power generator for E-Bike will be described below, with the help of the attached figures.

Figure N.1 shows the components of the smart power generator:

- the generator rotor (ref. 1) containing the permanent magnets (ref. 2), to be fixed to the spokes of the front wheel;

- the generator stator (ref. 3) combined with the unit? central (ref. 4), to be fixed to the front fork;

- the cable for all electrical connections (ref. 5);

- the connector for connecting to the E-Bike battery (ref. 6);

- the auxiliary USB power socket (ref. 7);

- the wired remote control of the generator (ref. 8), to be mounted on the handlebar;

Figure 2 represents the complete smart generator installed on the E-Bike. In particular, can you? note the generator rotor (ref. 1) applied to the front wheel spokes (ref. 10); the unit? central (ref. 4) containing the stator and fixed to the front fork stem (ref. 9); furthermore, the figure shows the wired remote control of the generator (ref. 8), positioned on the handlebar (ref. 11), near the knob and the front brake lever which you can use? detect activation.

Figure N.3 shows a sectional view of the smart power generator for E-Bike, which highlights the rotor applied to the spokes of the front wheel (ref.

1) with the relevant permanent magnets (ref. 2); the stator with its three-phase copper windings (ref. 3) fixed to the fork and finally the external cup of the smart generator which contains the unit? central (ref. 4).

Figure N.4 shows the exploded view of the components of the smart power generator together with the detail on the wired remote control. The exploded view of the generator highlights the front wheel rim (ref.

10); the fork legs (ref. 9); the rotor (ref. 1) with the relative permanent magnets fixed on the internal edge (ref. 2); the stator with its copper windings (ref. 3); the external sump of the generator in which? contained the unit? central (ref. 4) and from which the cable for all electrical connections comes out (ref. 5).

The generator remote control (ref. 8) with the relative connection cable (ref. 5), in the drawing? represented on the handlebar near the grip (ref. 11), has the control button (ref. 12) and has the magnetic sensor to detect use of the front brake lever (ref. 13).

Figure N.5 instead represents the block diagram of the flows within the unit? main electronics, contained in the external sump of the generator together with the stator.

At this point ? clear how the set goals were achieved. The use of braking sensors, MEMS accelerometers to establish the slope and the use of an integrated smart logic according to the invention allows the creation of a smart power generator for E-Bikes capable of recharging the engine battery in a automatic and fast, without burdening the cyclist with a continuous braking torque, exploiting all the potentially regenerative phases such as descents, braking, etc.

The embodiments and applications described above with the innovative principles of the present invention are reported by way of example of such innovative principles and must therefore not be used. be taken as a limitation of the scope of the patent claimed here. The object of the invention? susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the inventive concept expressed in the attached claims. All the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. For example the mechanical assembly of the parts, the electrical characteristics of the generator, the electronic circuit of the unit? main or the sensors used and their relative positioning can be different, as all these characteristics contribute to achieving the declared objectives.

Claims (3)

1. Smart electric current generator for E-Bike designed to recharge the engine battery automatically and intelligently but above all in a more efficient way. more efficient than any other E-Bike generator; called a smart generator, equipped with electrical connection cables and a remote control that can be installed on any handlebar, is? configured to be installed on the front wheel of an E-Bike using the manually operated quick fixing hooks supplied, it has the shape of a flat disk on one side and convex on the other and includes a three-phase coreless alternator inside. brushless with permanent magnets, capable of overcoming the typical limits of other generators or dynamos for bicycles, as unlike these? capable of producing power of an order of magnitude greater, it has no permanent friction and is activated automatically based on the slope of the ground; said smart generator includes the following parts in detail: - rotor of the three-phase alternator (ref. 1), configured to be fixed to the spokes of the front wheel of an E-Bike and made up of a bell made of metallic material, on the internal edge of which the high-efficiency permanent magnets are fixed; - main body of the generator (ref. 4), coupled axially with the rotor, configured to be fixed to the front fork of the E-Bike, including the stator of the alternator, the relevant three-phase windings, the unit main electronics and all control circuits with related MEMS sensors and accelerometers and inclinometers; - electrical cables, designed to connect the smart generator to the engine battery, to an auxiliary USB socket for charging mobile phones and to the electronic remote control device located on the handlebars; - electronic remote control device configured to be fixed on the handlebar (ref. 8), containing control buttons and the proximity sensor? for detecting brake lever operation. 2. The smart power generator according to claim 1 differs from any other generator thanks to the electronic control of its operation based on the inclination of the ground covered by the unit. main electronics, which includes the following circuits in detail with the relative wiring (Fig. N.5): - RPM sensor inserted in the stator, designed to detect the speed? rotor rotation; - THREE PHASE-DC voltage rectifier module, capable of transforming three-phase alternating voltage into direct voltage and providing all electrical measurements to the processor; - DC-DC STEP-UP/DOWN module, designed to regulate and stabilize the direct voltage at the values necessary to recharge the engine battery and power all the electronic circuits; - CHARGER module designed to manage all phases of charging the E-Bike engine battery and the auxiliary USB socket; capable of providing all the electrical measurements on the battery to the processor and capable of executing the charging activation or deactivation commands; - main processing module which contains the processor capable of intelligently managing the recharging of the engine battery based on the information received from the sensors, from the other electronic modules or based on the commands given by the cyclist via the remote control device on the handlebars; - module including all MEMS sensors and accelerometers, designed to provide the processor with the static position and real-time dynamic status of the E-Bike on all axes (slope, braking, inclination, etc.); - low consumption BLE Bluetooth communication module with integrated antenna, suitable for direct connection of the smart generator with the dedicated App. 3. Can the smart power generator according to claim 1? be installed on any E-Bike or bicycle as its electronic remote control device is configured to be positioned on the handlebar between the grip and the brake lever (ref. 8) and ? able to detect even slight operation of the brake lever itself thanks to a magnetic proximity sensor.