Vehicle integrated storage power management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10919443-B2
Application number	US-201816488522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2018
Priority date	Feb 25, 2017
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle includes a front modular assembly having at least one front wheel, a steering assembly, a throttle, and a power source. The vehicle may include a rear modular assembly removably couplable to the front modular assembly and having at least one rear wheel, a brake selectively coupled to the at least one rear wheel, and at least one rear light configured to emit light while receiving a power signal, the at least one rear light and the brake being in electrical communication with the power source via a shared electrical connection while the rear modular assembly is coupled to the front modular assembly. The vehicle may include a controller in electrical communication with the power source, the controller being configured to selectively provide the power signal to the brake and the rear light via the shared electrical connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a front modular assembly including:
at least one front wheel,
a steering assembly to steer the at least one front wheel,
a throttle to drive the vehicle, and
a power source configured to generate a power signal;

a rear modular assembly removably couplable to the front modular assembly, the rear modular assembly including:
at least one rear wheel,
a brake selectively coupled to the at least one rear wheel, and
at least one rear light configured to emit light while receiving the power signal, the at least one rear light and the brake being in electrical communication with the power source via a shared electrical connection while the rear modular assembly is coupled to the front modular assembly; and

a controller in electrical communication with the power source, the controller being configured to selectively provide the power signal to the brake and the rear light via the shared electrical connection,
wherein the controller includes a storage device that stores residual energy from the power signal while the throttle is activated and wherein the controller causes the at least one rear light to receive the residual energy from the power signal for a residual energy light emission time period after the throttle is released.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
cause the brake and the at least one rear light to receive the power signal while the throttle is activated, which causes the brake to disengage from the at least one rear wheel and causes the at least one rear light to emit light, and
prevent the brake and the at least one rear light from receiving the power signal while the throttle is released, which causes the brake to engage the at least one rear wheel and causes the at least one rear light to refrain from emitting light using the power signal after the residual energy light emission time period.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the brake includes a solenoid that causes the brake to restrict motion of the at least one rear wheel in the engage state while not receiving the power signal and causes the brake to disengage from the at least one rear wheel while receiving the power signal.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the storage device includes one or more capacitors.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the residual energy light emission time period is from 5 to 30 seconds.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rear light draws a current from the power signal and wherein the current from the power signal is less than an electrical current power threshold.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rear light includes a plurality of light elements and wherein each of the plurality of light elements emit light in a predetermined sequential order.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the at least one light includes a first area and a second area, wherein a first portion of the plurality of light elements are arranged in the first area and a second portion of the plurality of light elements are arranged in the second area and wherein the controller is configured to cause the first portion of the plurality of light elements in the first area to emit light before causing the second of the plurality of light elements in the second area to emit light in the predetermined sequential order.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first area is a top area of the at least one rear light and the second area is the bottom area of the at least one rear light.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first area is a first side area of the at least one rear light and the second area is a second side area of the at least one light.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first side area is a left side of the at least one rear light and wherein the second side area is a right side of the at least one light.

12. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the at least one light includes a first area, a second area and a third area,
wherein a first portion of the plurality of light elements are arranged in the first area, a second portion of the plurality of light elements are arranged in the second area, and a third portion of the plurality of light elements are arranged in the third area, and
wherein the controller is configured to cause the first portion of the plurality of light elements in the first area to emit light before causing the of the plurality of light elements in the second area to emit light and configured to cause the second portion of the plurality of light elements in the second area to emit light before causing the third portion of the plurality of light elements in the third area to emit light, in the predetermined sequential order.

13. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rear light is electrically disconnected from the power source when the rear modular assembly is decoupled from the front modular assembly.

Assignees

• Pride Mobility Products Corp

Inventors

• Davies Robert
• Kuzma Nicholas E
• Mccollough Robert

Classifications

• B60T17/22 Primary

  Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices · CPC title

• B60Q1/30

  for indicating rear of vehicle, e.g. by means of reflecting surfaces · CPC title

• B60Q1/44 Primary

  for indicating braking action {or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal} · CPC title

• B60Q1/0094

  Arrangement of electronic circuits separated from the light source, e.g. mounting of housings for starter circuits for discharge lamps (arrangements being part of the light source holder F21V17/06, F21S43/195) · CPC title

• A61G5/045

  Rear wheel drive · CPC title