Electricity generation for pedalled vehicles
AssigneePedalite Limited
InventorRichard Banfield Hicks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A generator mounted within the tread portion of a pedal of a bicycle or the like is driven via pulleys of unequal diameter and a gear box so that the speed of rotation of the rotor of the generator is a multiple of the speed of relative rotation between the spindle of the pedal and the tread portion when the latter is held horizontal by a foot resting on it and the crank from which the spindle extends is rotated to propel the bicycle. The gearing up of the generator enables sufficient output voltage to illuminate an array of LEDs and charge a capacitor which will keep them illuminated while the pedal is temporarily stationary.
Claims25
A pedal for a vehicle, comprising:
- a spindle;
- a tread portion rotatable about said spindle;
- a generator mounted within the tread portion;
- and,
- a transmission located within said tread portion and transmitting rotation from said spindle to said generator, said generator undergoing more than one revolution for each revolution of the spindle relative to the tread portion.
Electricity generating apparatus for a vehicle equipped with pedals, comprising:
- a spindle;
- a crank connected to the spindle;
- a tread portion rotatable about the spindle;
- a generator mounted within the tread portion and laterally of the spindle;
- a plurality of LEDs disposed on the tread portion and electrically connected to the generator;
- a transmission located within said tread portion and between the spindle and generator such that for each revolution of the spindle relative to the tread portion the generator undergoes more than one revolution, the generator thereby generating electricity and energizing the plurality of LEDs.
A pedal for a pedal-equipped vehicle, such as a bicycle, the pedal comprising:
- a spindle;
- a tread portion adapted to rotate relative to the spindle;
- electricity generating means mounted within the tread portion on one side and offset from the spindle;
- meshing gears within the tread portion arranged to drive the electricity generating means;
- a flexible transmission between the gears and the spindle;
- and,
- an array of light emitting diodes, the combined effect of the flexible transmission and gears being such that for each revolution of the tread portion about the spindle when the vehicle is being propelled with the aid of said pedal the rotor of the electricity generating means will be rotated so much faster that a voltage will be generated sufficient to continuously illuminate the light emitting diodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.