Electric vehicles
AssigneeCrompton Electricars Limited
InventorMalcolm Arthur Hind
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A battery vehicle having a normal speed range for house to house deliveries and an extended speed range for lengthy journeys such as to and from delivery rounds. The extended speed range is engageable by operation of a manual range control. The manual range control is rendered inoperative on startup so that the extended speed range is not immediately available. After a delay, of predetermined period, or after a delay of predetermined period during which the speed has been held at, or above, a determined limit, or after the vehicle has covered a predetermined distance, the manual range change is enabled.
Claims23
An electric battery powered vehicle comprising:
- a start/variable speed controller;
- manual speed range means for changing the speed range capability of the vehicle by at least one step;
- an electric drive motor responsive to the setting of said start/variable speed controller and said manual speed range means to provide the desired speed of operation;
- said manual speed range means including a settable manual operation and control means responsive to the setting of said manual operator for expanding the range of drive voltages applied to said drive motor by said at least one step;
- wherein said control means includes delay means operative to temporarily render said control means non-responsive to the actuation of said operator upon startup of the vehicle so as to prevent the upper fraction of the speed range being available to the driver during short journeys such as occur with house to house deliveries.
In an electric vehicle, traction means comprising:
- a. a battery-operated drive motor;
- b. first and second batteries;
- c. switching means for connecting the first and second batteries each in parallel with the motor in a first state of the switch means and for connecting the first and second batteries each in series with the motor in a second state thereof;
- d. a start/variable speed controller in series with said batteries and said motor;
- e. control means having a manual operator and including means for operating the said switching means;
- and
- f. delay means connected to the said control means for temporarily disabling the said control means upon startup of the vehicle so as to delay the operation of the switching means and thus prevent the upper fraction of the speed range being available to the driver during short journeys such as occur with house to house deliveries.
In an electric battery powered vehicle having a start/variable speed controller and a manual speed range facility for changing the speed range capability of the vehicle by at least one step, a solid state controller comprising:
- a. a pulse rate generator, having a first input connected to the variable speed controller;
- b. a thyristor chopper which receives pulses from the pulse rate generator and delivers pulses of direct current to the vehicle drive at a rate dependent upon the pulse rate of the said pulse rate generator;
- c. a manual operator for selecting a wider speed range;
- d. velocity feedback means connected via a feedback loop to a second input of the said pulse rate generator for limiting the rate at which current pulses are supplied thereby so that the speed of the vehicle corresponds with the setting of the variable speed controller;
- and
- e. delay means which, after a short period of operation of the vehicle from startup, and upon operation of the said manual operator, disconnects the velocity feedback from the solid state controller.
A solid state controller according to calim 14 wherein the memory means comprises a flip-flop which in its reset state provides a high level signal to the control input of the said controlled switch to cause the latter to be conductive and in its set state provides a low level signal to the said controlled switch causing the controlled switch to be non-conductive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.