Dynamically balanced flywheel
AssigneeLit Motors Corporation
InventorDaniel Kee Young Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In embodiments of the invention, a vehicle stabilization control unit may determine a control moment value for one or more gyroscopes coupled to a vehicle frame to exert for stabilization of the vehicle frame. A number of input axes for the flywheels of the one or more gyroscopes to precess may be increased in order to generate the determined control moment value. In some embodiments, the one or more gyroscopes are further coupled to a turntable, and increasing the number of input axes for the flywheels comprises rotating the turntable. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the one or more gyroscopes comprise at least two gyroscopes coupled inline to the vehicle frame (e.g., aligned lengthwise with respect to the front and rear wheel to spin and precess in opposite directions with respect to each other).
Claims16
A gyroscope apparatus comprising:
- a flywheel housing including one or more gimbals, and a spin axis;
- and
- a flywheel comprising a first medium and included in the housing to rotate about the spin axis and to be precessed via the one or more gimbals, the first medium to comprise a solid and formed medium, the flywheel to include:
- a stabilizing structure including a second distributable medium to be distributed throughout the stabilizing structure when the flywheel rotates about its spin axis, the second medium to comprise one of a fluid medium and a loose particulate medium.
A vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a front wheel and a rear wheel coupled to the frame;
- a gyroscope coupled to the frame, the gyroscope comprising:
- a flywheel housing including one or more gimbals, and a spin axis;
- and
- a flywheel comprising a first medium and included in the housing to rotate about the spin axis and to be precessed via the one or more gimbals, the first medium to comprise a solid and formed medium, the flywheel to include:
- a stabilizing structure including a second distributable medium to be distributed throughout the stabilizing structure when the flywheel rotates about its spin axis, the second distributable medium to comprise one of a fluid medium or loose particulate medium;
- a plurality of sensors to detect orientation of the frame, orientation of the front wheel with respect to the frame, orientation and rotational speed of the flywheel, and speed of the vehicle;
- and
- an electronic control system to adjust at least one of the orientation and rotational speed of the flywheel based, at least in part, on data from the plurality of sensors and an input to change at least one of speed and direction of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.