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:
Dec. 01, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1996
Warren E Dennis, Montecito, CA (US);
Abstract
An electric drive assembly for driving a bicycle includes an electric power pack containing a battery or batteries, an electric motor, a drive wheel, a control circuit, a recharger and an electric switch in a common housing. A rack is installed about the rear wheel of the bicycle to support the power pack either with an operating orientation or backwards in a non-operating orientation for transportation. When the power pack is supported in its operating orientation, the drive wheel is engaged with the rear tire of the bicycle so that the drive wheel may frictionally drive the rear wheel of the bicycle; and the electric switch is aligned with and engagable by a switch actuator mounted on the rack. A control lever, which is mounted on the handlebar of the bicycle, may be operated to cause a control cable to pivot the switch actuator into engagement with the electric switch to close the circuit between the battery or batteries and the electric motor. A lid on the rack may be pivoted to an open position permitting the power pack to be lowered into the rack and may be pivoted to a closed position to engage the top wall of the power pack housing to retain a power pack in the rack. The power pack may be installed or removed quickly without the use of tools.