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:
Apr. 16, 1996
Filed:
Apr. 27, 1995
Charles L Gray, Jr, Pinckney, MI (US);
Michael J Safoutin, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Abstract
A hydraulic accumulator system alternately stores energy in the form of gas pressure and converts the stored energy into work by gas expansion. The hydraulic accumulator system, by connection to drive wheels of a vehicle, can serve as a hydropneumatic powertrain for the vehicle. High-pressure and low-pressure fluid drive units are operable either in a motor mode or in a pump mode. A plurality of high-pressure liquid vessels and a plurality of low-pressure liquid vessels are connected in parallel between the fluid drive units and a gas reservoir, with the high-pressure fluid drive unit connecting with the high-pressure liquid vessels and the low-pressure fluid drive unit connecting with the low-pressure liquid vessels. A liquid reservoir supplies liquid to the fluid drive units when operating in the pump mode and receives liquid from the fluid drive units operating in a motor mode. A method of operating the system is also disclosed herein.