Club Car, Inc.

Other

Ingersoll-rand Company

James R Kerlin

Donald G Samuelson

Gerald C Skelton

Michael A Vassily

Daniel T Aron

David N Schult

Randal L Crook

Charles A Fain

Paul E Hayes

John David Smith

David R Hardy

William B Brecht

James J Dean

Ronald E Long

J Douglas Smith

Terry L Reese

Charles R Langston

James L Carrier

Mark T Bauer

Randall L Crook

James M Fulford

A system for supplying fluid to a battery, a vehicle and a method for supplying fluid to a battery. The fluid supply system supplies fluid to a battery in a vehicle selectively powered by the battery, the vehicle including a frame supporting the battery, the battery including a battery cell, fluid being transmittable to the cell, gas generated during charging of the battery being transmittable out of the cell. The system is defined as including a tank for holding fluid, and a hydraulic circuit connecting the battery to the tank. The hydraulic circuit is defined as including an inlet conduit connectable between the tank and the cell, and an outlet conduit connectable between the cell and the tank, gas produced during charging causing fluid flow through the outlet conduit and to the tank. In the fluid supply system of the present invention, the gas produced during charging causes fluid flow through the system.

Battery fluid supply system

A combination for supplying fluid to a battery, a vehicle and a method of assembling the combination. The combination includes the battery and a filling pod. The filling pod includes a filling pod housing having a filling pod port fluidly connectable to a fluid source for receiving fluid from the fluid source, a first fluid supply member fluidly connectable to a first cell and for supplying fluid from the filling pod port to the first cell, a second fluid supply member fluidly connectable to a second cell and for supplying fluid from the filling pod port and to the second cell, and an integral channel in fluid communication between the filling pod port, the first fluid supply member and the second fluid supply member. The channel includes a first channel portion in fluid communication between the filling pod port and the first fluid supply member and a second channel portion in fluid communication between the filling pod port and the second fluid supply member. When fluid is supplied to the filling pod through the filling pod port, a first amount of fluid flows through the first channel portion to the first fluid supply member and to the first cell, and a second amount of fluid flows through the second channel portion to the second fluid supply member and to the second cell.

Filling pod for a battery, vehicle and method of supplying fluid to a battery

A filling pod, a vehicle and a method for supplying fluid to a battery. The filling pod includes a filling pod housing having a filling pod port fluidly connectable to a fluid source for receiving fluid from the fluid source, a first fluid supply member fluidly connectable to a first cell and for supplying fluid from the filling pod port to the first cell, a second fluid supply member fluidly connectable to a second cell and for supplying fluid from the filling pod port and to the second cell, and an integral channel in fluid communication between the filling pod port, the first fluid supply member and the second fluid supply member. The channel includes a first channel portion in fluid communication between the filling pod port and the first fluid supply member and a second channel portion in fluid communication between the filling pod port and the second fluid supply member. When fluid is supplied to the filling pod through the filling pod port, a first amount of fluid flows through the first channel portion to the first fluid supply member and to the first cell, and a second amount of fluid flows through the second channel portion to the second fluid supply member and to the second cell.

In operating a battery powered vehicle, a battery charger is located at a stationary location but the battery charger control circuit is mounted on the vehicle and powered from the DC battery of the vehicle. During a charging operation, a microprocessor within the battery charger control circuit detects that a charging operation is taking place and locks the vehicle in position and when the battery charger is disconnected, the battery charger is de-energized prior to disconnecting the electrical contact between it and the vehicle to avoid arcing. The microprocessor and its memory within the battery charger control circuit records information about the energy state of the battery and controls the battery both by measuring input and output power to the battery and by measuring the rate of change of charging current. It also controls operations such as trouble lights within the vehicle and may control a speed control circuit within the vehicle as well.

Monitoring and controlling system for battery and battery charger

A carrier member for carrying the drive train components of a small, off-road, gasoline-powered vehicle. The carrier is a sheet metal structure having a base panel for carrying a small engine, a rear panel for carrying a transaxle that includes axle shafts extending to the rear drive wheels, and a front panel for receiving a front mount adapted to engage the vehicle frame at a transverse frame cross member. The carrier and associated drive train components constitute a unitized drive train assembly that is suspended from the frame by a pair of leaf springs or a pair of coil springs. Optionally, a torsion bar can be provided to minimize roll of the vehicle during turns. One embodiment of the suspension system includes a Watts link arrangement for minimizing side-to-side movement of the drive train assembly, and a ball-type front mount for connection of the drive train assembly with the vehicle frame in a manner to minimize transfer to the frame of vibrations and torque from the drive train assembly.

Engine and transaxle mounting and suspension system for a vehicle

Air duct for a golf car

A towing arrangement for towing vehicles, such as golf cars. A pivotable, elongated towing bar is carried at the rear of a vehicle for pivotable movement about a horizontal pivot axis between an outwardly extending, towing position, and a retracted, upwardly extending, storage position. A towing bar gripper is attached to the car adjacent the rear end for releasably gripping the towing bar in the storage position. The gripper is formed by a resilient, generally U-shaped frame having a pair of opposed, spaced apart arms that form a slot into which a gripper bar is frictionally inserted and retained.

Towing apparatus for golf cars

A towing arrangement for towing vehicles, such as golf cars. A pivotable, elongated towing bar having a notch adjacent its outer end is carried at the rear of a vehicle for pivotable movement about a horizontal pivot axis between an outwardly extending, towing position, and a retracted, upwardly extending, storage position. The forward end of the car includes a towing bar receiver in the form of a channel member that is pivotable about a vertical axis and that includes a longitudinal slot for receiving a towing bar. The towing bar receiver includes a pivotable hook retainer member adapted to engage with the hook portion of the towing bar to securely retain the towing bar in position within the towing bar receiver for towing a vehicle.

A vent valve for use with a liquid-containing tank, particularly a gasoline tank carried by a vehicle that customarily travels over hilly terrain. The valve includes a cylindrical housing, within which a check ball and a float ball are each positioned for limited movement within the housing. The check ball and float ball are adapted to be in contact with each other, and the check ball is movable toward and away from a vent aperture provided at the top of the housing. A plurality of guide ribs are provided interiorly of the housing to confine the movement of the check ball to axial movement toward and away from the vent aperture. The check ball is preferably made from a material that has a specific gravity that is substantially greater than that of the liquid contained in the tank, and the float ball is preferably made from a material and is constructed such that is has a specific gravity substantially less than that of the liquid in the tank. The valve serves to prevent the passage through the valve structure of liquid, but to permit the passage therethough of gases and vapors when the vent is in its normal operating position.

Fuel tank vent

A continuously variable power transmission including a driving pulley and a driven pulley that each include a fixed face and a movable face, the movable face being movable in a direction toward and away from the fixed face to vary the effective driving radius of the respective pulleys and thereby vary the drive ratio. The movable face of the driving pulley is actuated by a centrifugal weight assembly including a primary weight and a secondary weight each mounted on a common pivot axis. The primary and secondary weights are adapted to rotate together during a low speed range of operation of the driving pulley and the primary weight operates alone have a predetermined driving pulley speed, in order to permit rapid response to increased torque requirements at high driving pulley speeds. The driving pulley includes a rolling contact bearing between the fixed and movable faces to prevent relative sliding movement between the drive belt and the drive shaft, to eliminate belt squealing when the driven pulley is rotating and the drive pulley is at rest, as for example during downhill coasting of a vehicle having a belt drive power transmission.

Growing community of inventors

Evans, GA, United States of America

James R Kerlin