The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 09, 1990
Filed:
Aug. 01, 1988
Richard P Heintz, Kalamazoo, MI (US);
Other;
Abstract
A stored energy-type propulsion system for a vehicle employing a free piston engine-pump hydraulically connected to a drive motor, which in turn connects to the vehicle wheels. The hydraulic connection between the engine-pump and the drive motor includes a large-capacity pressure accumulator which is normally isolated from the system, and which is opened for communication with the system to supply pressure fluid to the drive motor only under conditions demanding peak operating pressure for limited time durations. An auxiliary accumulator of significantly smaller capacity is also connected to the hydraulic connection. This auxiliary accumulator is normally in open communication with the hydraulic connection to function as a cushion to minimize pressure fluctuations so that the system can operate in an ON-OFF cycle whereby the engine-pump can run for a large number of pumping cycles during the 'ON' part of the cycle, and then be stopped for an equivalent number of cycles during the 'OFF' part, during which the auxiliary accumulator is capable of driving the drive motor at the steady-state vehicle condition. The auxiliary accumulator can be immediately isolated from the hydraulic connection so that the system can respond to a sudden demand for increased power, such as due to a significant depression in the vehicle accelerator pedal.