Kinetic energy accumulator and an energy transfer system incorporating a kinetic energy accumulator

A kinetic energy transfer system, comprising:

• an energy accumulator comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted accumulator members positioned adjacent one another, an input drive mechanism arranged to impart rotational drive to a first of the accumulator members, and velocity responsive coupling members arranged to magnetically couple successive ones of the accumulator members without contact between the velocity responsive coupling members and the accumulator members, when respective ones of the accumulator members are caused successively to rotate with an angular velocity equal to, or greater than, a predetermined velocity;
• an energy transmitter mechanism arranged to apply drive from a kinetic energy source to the input drive mechanism of the energy accumulator;
• a load device coupled to, and arranged to be driven by, the energy accumulator when each of the accumulator members is rotating with an angular velocity equal to, or greater than, the predetermined velocity, and
• wherein the input drive mechanism has (a) first and second drive means, the second drive means being arranged to drive the rotation of the first said accumulator member of the energy accumulator, (b) a unidirectional clutch, and (c) a drive system for being driven by the energy transmitter mechanism and including a first element for driving rotation of the first drive means and a second element for driving rotation of the second drive means, and wherein the second element is arranged to be rotatably driven by, and is rotatable relative to, the first element, the first element and the first drive means having a higher drive ratio compared to the second element and the second drive means, and the first drive means is arranged to drive rotation of the second drive means via the unidirectional clutch.

A kinetic energy transfer system, comprising:

• an energy accumulator comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted accumulator members positioned adjacent one another, an input drive mechanism arranged to impart rotational drive to a first of the accumulator members, and velocity responsive coupling members arranged to magnetically couple successive ones of the accumulator members without contact between the velocity responsive coupling members and the accumulator members, when respective ones of the accumulator members are caused successively to rotate with an angular velocity equal to, or greater than, a predetermined velocity;
• an energy transmitter mechanism arranged to apply drive from a kinetic energy source to the input drive mechanism of the energy accumulator;
• and
• a load device coupled to, and arranged to be driven by, the energy accumulator when each of the accumulator members is rotating with an angular velocity equal to, or greater than, the predetermined velocity;
• and
• wherein each of the coupling members have a radially outer end and an opposite radially inner end, the outer end being adapted to magnetically couple with a radially outer peripheral region of a respective successive one of the accumulator members, and wherein the radially inner end of each said coupling member is magnetically repulsed from a radially inner central region of the respective successive said accumulator member whereby the coupling member is restrained from assuming a functional position from an initial neutral position, and each coupling member is weighted to move to the functional position under the influence of centrifugal force with the rotation of an associated said accumulator member at said angular velocity equal to, or greater than, the predetermined velocity, the coupling members effecting the magnetic coupling when in their functional positions.