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US 2024/0199167 A1Published application
Electric assist vehicle with integrated speed control
AssigneeCivilized Cycles Incorporated
InventorZachary SCHIEFFELIN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric assist vehicle is described, which may have a cargo area, a drivetrain including an external crankset and an electric motor, and a speed control system. The speed control system automatically limits the maximum operating speed of the vehicle based, at least in part, on a load mass (e.g., a gross weight) of the vehicle and/or the cargo area of the vehicle. Limiting the speed includes, for example, reducing the power of the electric motor and/or increasing a braking force on the vehicle.
Claims16
An electric assist vehicle, comprising:
- a plurality of ground-contacting wheels rotatably coupled to a frame, wherein the frame includes a cargo area;
- a drivetrain operatively coupled to at least one of the ground-contacting wheels and configured to propel the vehicle, wherein the drivetrain is configured to be convertible between a human-powered mode and an electric assist mode;
- a sensor configured to determine a characteristic corresponding to a weight of the vehicle wherein the weight comprises a gross weight of the electric assist vehicle or a gross weight of the cargo area;
- and
- an electronic controller configured to maintain the vehicle below a maximum speed, wherein the maximum speed is based on the characteristic.
2 more elements
A method of operating an electric assist vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a controller of an electric assist vehicle, a mass-related characteristic of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes:
- a plurality of ground-contacting wheels rotatably coupled to a frame, wherein the frame includes a cargo area, and a drivetrain operatively coupled to at least one of the ground-contacting wheels and configured to propel the vehicle, wherein the drivetrain is configured to be convertible between a human-powered mode and an electric assist mode;
- automatically determining a maximum speed based on the mass-related characteristic of the electric vehicle;
- and
- using the controller, automatically limiting a current speed of the vehicle to no more than the maximum speed;
- wherein the mass-related characteristic corresponds to a gross weight of the electric assist vehicle or a gross weight of the cargo area.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.