Apparatus and method for hydraulically converting movement of a vehicle wheel to electricity for charging a vehicle battery

9) An apparatus for converting movements of a wheel of a vehicle relative to a body of the vehicle to electricity for charging a battery of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• a generator mounted on the vehicle, the generator having an input shaft that is rotated to produce electricity from the generator;
• a battery mounted on the vehicle, the battery being connected in electrical communication with the generator for receiving electricity produced by the generator;
• a hydraulic motor mounted on the vehicle, the hydraulic motor having an output shaft that is operatively connected to the generator input shaft to rotate the generator input shaft on operation of the hydraulic motor;
• a cylinder mounted on the vehicle body, the cylinder having an interior volume;
• a piston operatively connected to the wheel of the vehicle for movement of the piston in response to movement of the wheel relative to the vehicle body;
• the piston having a piston head mounted in the cylinder interior volume dividing the cylinder interior volume into first and second parts;
• and,
• a hydraulic circuit communicating the cylinder with the hydraulic motor, the hydraulic circuit including a pressure line that directs liquid from the cylinder to the hydraulic motor, and a liquid vacuum line that directs liquid from the motor to the cylinder.

18) A method of converting movements of a wheel of a vehicle relative to a body of the vehicle to electricity and charging a battery of the vehicle, the method comprising:

• providing a generator on the vehicle with the generator having an input shaft that is rotated to produce electricity from the generator;
• connecting the generator in electrical communication with the battery to supply the electricity produced by the generator to the battery;
• providing a hydraulic motor with an output shaft on the vehicle and operatively connecting the hydraulic motor output shaft to the generator input shaft to rotate the input shaft in response to operation of the hydraulic motor;
• providing a piston and operatively connecting the piston to the wheel of the vehicle for movement of the piston in response to movements of the wheel;
• providing a cylinder on the vehicle and mounting the piston in the cylinder from reciprocating movement of the piston in the cylinder in response to movement of the wheel;
• and,
• communicating the cylinder with the hydraulic motor by a hydraulic circuit that causes operation of the hydraulic motor in response to movement of the piston in the cylinder.