Back to results
US 11,560,194 B2Granted
Solar powered electric vehicle system and method
AssigneeOther Lab, LLC
InventorsSaul Thomas Griffith, Hans von Clemm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar-powered vehicle that includes a body having opposing sides and defining a cavity; two or more wheels; a first and second solar panel assembly respectively disposed on the opposing sides of the body; one or more electric motor disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric motors configured to rotate at least one of the two or more wheels; and one or more electric battery disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric batteries configured to power the one or more electric motors and to be charged by electric current generated by the first and second solar panel assemblies.
Claims17
A solar-powered bike comprising:
- a body defining a length extending along a central axis X and having a front end, rear end, top, bottom and opposing sides, the body further defining a cavity;
- a pair of wheels including a front wheel at the front end of the body and a rear wheel at the rear end of the body, the wheels disposed in parallel and coincident with the central axis X;
- a first and second solar panel assembly disposed respectively on the opposing sides of the body and having symmetry about the central axis X and covering at least 90% of the respective sides of the body;
- a handlebar assembly that extends from the top of the body proximate to the front end with the handlebar assembly including a stem extending from the top of the body with a pair of handlebars extending from the stem, the handlebar assembly configured to turn the front wheel for steering of the bike;
- a seat on the top of the body proximate to the rear end;
- a first and second electric motor disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies and respectively associated with and configured to respectively rotate the front and rear wheels;
- one or more electric batteries disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric batteries configured to power the first and second electric motors and to be charged by electric current generated by the first and second solar panel assemblies, wherein non-electric power sources, including liquid fuel power sources, are absent from the bike;
- and
- folding panels on opposing sides of the body of the bike that are rotatably coupled at the body a rotatable coupling, the folding panels configured to be folded up toward the body and adjacent to the solar panel assemblies on opposing sides of the body for riding the bike and configured to be folded downward away from the body and the solar panel assemblies, the folding panels comprising a reflective material that reflects sunlight onto the first and second solar panel assemblies on opposing sides of the body with a reflection factor of greater than 80%, the folding panels defining respective reflective surfaces that have a surface area greater than 50% of a surface area of the respective first and second solar panel assemblies.
6 more elements
A solar-powered vehicle comprising:
- a body defining a length extending along a central axis X and having a front end, rear end, top and opposing sides, the body further defining a cavity;
- a pair of wheels including a front wheel at the front end of the body and a rear wheel at the rear end of the body, the wheels disposed in parallel and coincident with the central axis X;
- a first and second solar panel assembly respectively disposed on the opposing sides of the body;
- a third and fourth solar panel assembly disposed respectively on the front end and rear end of the body of the vehicle;
- one or more electric motor disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric motors configured to rotate at least one of the front and rear wheels;
- and
- one or more electric batteries disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric batteries configured to power the one or more electric motors and to be charged by electric current generated by the first and second solar panel assemblies, wherein non-electric power sources, including liquid fuel power sources, are absent from the vehicle.
4 more elements
A solar-powered vehicle comprising:
- a body defining a length extending along a central axis X and having a front end, rear end, top and opposing sides, the body further defining a cavity;
- a pair of wheels including a front wheel at the front end of the body and a rear wheel at the rear end of the body, the wheels disposed in parallel and coincident with the central axis X:
- a first and second solar panel assembly respectively disposed on the opposing sides of the body;
- one or more electric motor disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric motors configured to rotate at least one of the front and rear wheels;
- one or more electric batteries disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric batteries configured to power the one or more electric motors and to be charged by electric current generated by the first and second solar panel assemblies, wherein non-electric power sources, including liquid fuel power sources, are absent from the vehicle;
- and
- respective reflective elements on the opposing sides of vehicle having a reflective material that reflects sunlight onto the first and second solar panel assemblies on opposing sides of the body with a reflection factor of greater than 80%, the reflective elements defining respective reflective surfaces that have a surface area greater than 20% of a surface area of the respective first and second solar panel assemblies.
4 more elements
A solar-powered vehicle comprising:
- a body having a front end, rear end, top and opposing sides, the body further defining a cavity;
- two or more wheels;
- a first and second solar panel assembly respectively disposed on the opposing sides of the body;
- a third and fourth solar panel assembly disposed respectively on the front end and rear end of the body of the vehicle;
- one or more electric motor disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric motors configured to rotate at least one of the two or more wheels;
- and
- one or more electric batteries disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric batteries configured to power the one or more electric motors and to be charged by electric current generated by the first and second solar panel assemblies.
4 more elements
A solar-powered vehicle comprising:
- a body having a front end, rear end, top and opposing sides, the body further defining a cavity;
- two or more wheels;
- a first and second solar panel assembly respectively disposed on the opposing sides of the body;
- one or more electric motor disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric motors configured to rotate at least one of the two or more wheels;
- and
- one or more electric batteries disposed within the cavity of the body between the first and second solar panel assemblies, the one or more electric batteries configured to power the one or more electric motors and to be charged by electric current generated by the first and second solar panel assemblies;
- and
- reflective elements on the opposing sides of vehicle having a reflective material that reflects sunlight onto the first and second solar panel assemblies on opposing sides of the body with a reflection factor of greater than 80%, the reflective elements defining respective reflective surfaces that have a surface area greater than 20% of a surface area of the respective first and second solar panel assemblies.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.