Variable ratio regenerative braking device

A regenerative braking device for braking and driving a vehicle said device comprising:

• an energy storage assembly including resilient means mounted for rotation and having input and output portions, said resilient means torsionally stressed to accumulate energy from said vehicle, and said resilient means torsionally relaxed to deliver energy to said vehicle in response to rotation of said output portion;
• drive means mounted for rotation;
• input and output clutch means respectively operative when applied to drivingly connect said drive means with said input and output portions;
• input and output brake means respectively operative when applied to prevent rotation of said input and output portions;
• means adapted to be rotationally driven by the vehicle;
• and
• a continuously variable transmission drivingly interposed between said drive means and said adapted means.

A regenerative braking device for braking and driving a mass, said device comprising:

• an energy storage assembly:
• a common power path mounted for rotation;
• means adapted to rotatably connect one end of said common path with said mass;
• and
• input and output power paths mounted for rotation and including means selectively operative to drivingly connect the other end of said common path with said storage assembly via said input and output paths at the same time to effect a non-braking and a non-driving connection between said mass and storage assembly, via only said input path to effect braking of said mass, and via only said output path to effect driving of said mass.