Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to an electric vehicle having a kinetic energy recovery system and more particularly to a user-controlled kinetic energy recovery system.
BACKGROUND
[0002] With the increase in air pollution generated due to the large numbers of internal combustion engine vehicles, continuous attempts are made globally to provide efficient electric vehicles which provide very low or zero emissions of the pollutant. Electric vehicles typically comprise of battery packs including battery cells that supply power to an electric engine. The battery packs must be charged from time to time. A general process for charging the battery packs is by connecting the battery pack to an AC power outlet and charging the battery. Another way of charging the battery pack and restoring the drained-out charge is by utilizing a kinetic energy recovery system.

[0003] A kinetic energy recovery system is an energy conversion mechanism that gradually decreases the speed of a moving vehicle and while doing so, utilises the vehicle’s momentum in the form of the kinetic energy of the vehicle which is further converted into electrical energy and this electrical energy is stored in the battery cells of the battery pack of the vehicle. Thus, in comparison to conventional braking systems, in which the surplus kinetic energy was converted to undesired and wasted heat energy due to friction generated by brakes, in a kinetic energy recovery system, the surplus kinetic energy is converted to useful electric charge. As a result, the kinetic energy recovery system acts as an additional electric charging source compared to other sources such as the plugged-in charging technique. Further, it also reduces the wear and tear of the braking system which the rider used to face while utilizing the traditional frictional brakes.

[0004] In the conventional mode of transport such as cars, buses, and like so, a rider while driving the vehicle disengages the accelerator lever of the vehicle and provides a push onto the decelerating device, the decelerating device sends a trigger signal to a regulating unit of the vehicle. Subsequently, the regulating unit verifies different parameters of the vehicle like the rotational speed of the wheel, the current state of charge of the battery pack, and so. Once all the parameters are satisfied, the regulating unit commands an electric engine regulating unit to cut off the supply of power from the battery pack to the electric engine and start feeding electric chargeback from the electric engine to the battery pack. Hereupon, as the kinetic energy recovery system starts, the vehicle begins to slow down, and the rider experiences as being slowed down in high gear and using engine braking to slow down. This provides an uncomfortable feel to the rider as the rider is unable to control the rate or disable the kinetic energy recovery system at will because traditionally, the activation of the kinetic energy recovery system was decided by the regulating unit depending on the fulfillment of various parameters. The activation and deactivation of the kinetic energy recovery system were not in the control of the rider.

[0005] Recently, a trend has been observed to provide the activation and deactivation control of kinetic energy recovery systems to the rider of the vehicle. The vehicles, such as but not limited to cars, motorcycles, and buses, are provided to select a state or mode of vehicle operation. The vehicles are equipped with a kinetic energy recovery system actuator provided on the dashboard of the car or a switch on the handlebar of the motorcycle. Accordingly, on one hand, when the rider desires to operate the vehicle under a kinetic energy recovery system the rider switches on the actuator and harvests the electric charge from the kinetic energy recovery system. On the other hand, if the rider desires to enjoy a comfortable ride without experiencing the feel of engine braking then the rider can switch off the actuator.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY INVENTION
[0006] However, the problem that exists with this trend is that whether the vehicle is moving on a downward slope or the vehicle is in a heavy traffic situation, the user has no control over deciding the level of the kinetic energy recovery system. The level of the kinetic energy recovery system was controlled by the regulating unit depending on various parameters of the vehicle. As a result, if the rider prefers to enjoy free coasting on a downward slope or a free highway and still desires to harvest electric charge on a small scale, the vehicle lacks to provide such opportunities to the rider.

[0007] Moreover, in the case of electric two-wheelers, the dynamic stability of the vehicle is difficult to achieve if the rider has to take his/her hands off the handlebar to control the kinetic energy recovery system. In doing so, there are chances that the rider feels inconvenienced and meets with an accident. This is a safety hazard.

[0008] Hence, it is a primary objective of the current invention to solve the technical problem of the lack of opportunity for the user to control the kinetic energy recovery.

[0009] It is yet another objective of the current invention to provide a safe and convenient control mechanism for the kinetic energy recovery system while the vehicle is in motion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] As per the current invention, the disclosure provides a kinetic energy recovery system for recovering kinetic energy in an electric vehicle. The system comprises a rechargeable battery configured for exchanging electrical energy with an electric engine and a plurality of wheels operatively coupled to the electric engine for the propulsion of the electric vehicle. Moreover, the system comprises a handlebar for steering the electric vehicle and a user-controlled kinetic energy recovery operator that is configured to move between a plurality of positions. The system also includes a first detecting unit configured to detect a position of the kinetic energy recovery operator operated by the user and transmit a detected position signal to a regulating unit. Further, the regulating unit is configured to receive the detected position signal from the first detecting unit, mapping the detected position to a predetermined level of the kinetic energy recovery system and regulating the level of the kinetic energy recovery system in the electric engine.

[0011] As per the first embodiment of the current invention, the kinetic energy recovery operator is a lever wherein the lever is located on the left-hand side of the handlebar.

[0012] As per the second embodiment of the current invention, the first detecting unit may be a position sensor assembly or a pressure sensor assembly wherein the first detecting unit is located on the handlebar of the electric vehicle.

[0013] As per the third embodiment of the current invention, the handlebar comprises a handgrip twist paddle configured to regulate the propulsion of the wheel wherein the handgrip twist paddle is located on the right-hand side of the handlebar.

[0014] As per the fourth embodiment of the current invention, the regulating unit comprises a vehicle regulating unit and an electric engine regulating unit. The vehicle regulating unit is configured to detect different parameters such as but not limited to, the rotational speed of the wheel, the temperature of the rechargeable battery, the state of charge of the rechargeable battery, and loss of tractive force of the wheel. Moreover, the electrical engine regulating unit is also configured to regulate the electric engine.

[0015] As per the fifth embodiment of the current invention, the plurality of wheels comprises a frictional decelerating device (107) to decelerate the electric vehicle.

[0016] As per the sixth embodiment of the current invention, the system further comprises a display unit (106) for displaying an activation, deactivation of the kinetic energy recovery system, and an amount of the electrical energy received by the rechargeable battery based on the kinetic energy recovered from the wheel.
LIST OF FIGURES
[0017] The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying figures in which:

[0018] FIGURE 1 is a side view of an electric vehicle as per the current invention.

[0019] FIGURE 2 is a top view of the electric vehicle as per the current invention.

[0020] FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the handlebar as per the current invention.

[0021] FIGURE 4 is a schematic illustration of the system as per the current invention.

[0022] Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present invention.

[0024] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the invention and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.

[0025] The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components preceded by "comprises... a'' does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices, sub-systems, elements, structures, components, members, additional devices, additional sub-systems, additional elements, additional structures or additional components. Appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment", "in another embodiment", and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0028] FIGURE 1 illustrates an electric vehicle (10) according to an embodiment of the current invention. The electric vehicle (10) comprises a plurality of wheels (105) including a front wheel and a rear-wheel wherein the front wheel is aligned with the rear wheel to move on a single track. The front wheel is operatively coupled to a handlebar (101) for moving the electric vehicle (10) in a direction as required by the user. The electric vehicle (10) also includes a vehicle regulating unit (1021) for regulating and controlling the electric vehicle (10) and an electric engine regulating unit (1022) for controlling an electric engine (104). Moreover, the electric vehicle (10) comprises a rechargeable battery (103) for supplying electrical energy to the electric vehicle (10) and the electric engine (104) for propelling at least one wheel among the plurality of wheels (105).

[0029] Figure 2 shows the top view of the electric vehicle (10). The figure illustrates the handlebar (101) comprising a kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) located on the left-hand side of the handlebar (101). A person skilled in the art would acknowledge that only a change in the position of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) would provide the same technical advancement as provided by the present invention. Moreover, the handlebar (101) includes a handgrip twist paddle (1012) located on the right-hand side of the handlebar (101). It is obvious for a skilled person that similar to the location of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011), the location or position of the handgrip twist paddle (1012) may be different. The handlebar (101) also includes a first detecting unit (1011a) located near the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) for detecting a position of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) as operated by the user. Additionally, the handlebar (101) comprises a second detecting unit (1012a) located near the handgrip twist paddle (1012) for detecting the position of the handgrip twist paddle (1012). Further, the figure also includes the vehicle regulating unit (1021) of a regulating unit (102) for controlling the electric vehicle (10).
[0030] FIGURE 3 shows a perspective view of the handlebar (101) as per the current invention. The figure illustrates the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) coupled to the left-side of the handlebar (101) and the handgrip twist paddle (1012) on the right-side of the handlebar. The figure further illustrates the first detecting unit (1011a) positioned near the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) for detecting the position of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) dynamically and the second detecting unit (1012a) positioned near the handgrip twist paddle (1012) to detect the position of the handgrip twist paddle (1012) dynamically.

[0031] Figure 4 illustrates the system as per the present invention. The figure illustrates the first detecting unit (1011a) operatively coupled to the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) and a second detecting unit (1012a) operatively coupled to the handgrip twist paddle (1012). The first detecting unit (1011a) and the second detecting unit (1012a) continuously detect the position of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) and the handgrip twist paddle (1012) respectively. Once the user changes the position of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) the first detecting unit (1011a) detects the change in position of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) and sends the detected position signal as an interrupt to the regulating unit (102). After receiving the interrupt, the regulating unit (102) maps the detected position of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) to a predetermined level of the kinetic energy recovery system. Moreover, the regulating unit (102) regulates the level of the kinetic energy recovery system in the electric engine (104) depending on the mapped level. Further, depending on the interrupt provided by the second detecting unit (1012a) the regulating unit (102) regulates the electric engine (104) for accelerating the electric vehicle (10).

[0032] As per the first embodiment of the current invention, the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) may be a lever located on the left-hand side of the handlebar (101). The lever moves in the horizontal direction and moves towards and away from the user.

[0033] As per the second embodiment of the current invention, the first detecting unit (1011a) may be a position sensor assembly or a pressure sensor assembly. Moreover, the first detecting unit (1011a) is located on the right-hand side of the handlebar (101) of the electric vehicle (10).

[0034] As per the third embodiment of the current invention, the handlebar (101) comprises the handgrip twist paddle (1012) configured to regulate the propulsion of a wheel among the plurality of the wheels (105) and the handgrip twist paddle (1012) is located on the right-hand side of the handlebar (101). In some of the embodiments, the handgrip twist paddle (1012) is configured to regulate the propulsion of the rear wheel among the plurality of wheels (105).

[0035] As per the fourth embodiment of the current invention, the regulating unit (102) further includes the vehicle regulating unit (1021) and the electric engine regulating unit (1022). The vehicle regulating unit (1021) is configured for detecting different parameters. The vehicle regulating unit (1021) may receive the detected position signal from the first detecting unit (1011a) and map the detected position to a predetermined level of the kinetic energy recovery system. Then the vehicle regulating unit (1021) may transmit the mapped detected position to the electric engine regulating unit (1022). Moreover, the electric engine regulating unit (1022) may regulate the electric engine (104) based on the received mapped position from the vehicle regulating unit (1021). In some of the embodiments, after receiving the detected position signal of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) from the first detecting unit (1011a) the vehicle regulating unit (1021) may check for different parameters of the electric vehicle (10) such as but not limited to, a rotational speed of the wheel, a temperature of the rechargeable battery (103), state of charge of the rechargeable battery, loss of tractive force of the wheel. Once all the parameters are checked and a predetermined condition is satisfied then the vehicle regulating unit (1021) may transmit the mapped detected position of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) to the electric engine regulating unit (1022).

[0036] As per the fifth embodiment of the current invention, the plurality of wheels (105) comprises a frictional decelerating device (107) for decelerating the electric vehicle (10).

[0037] As per the sixth embodiment of the current invention, the kinetic energy recovery system further comprises a display unit (106) for displaying an activation or deactivation of the kinetic energy recovery system. The display unit (106) is further configured to exhibit an amount of electrical energy received by the rechargeable battery (103) based on the kinetic energy recovered from the wheel among the plurality of wheels (105).

[0038] While specific language has been used to describe the invention, any limitations arising on account of the same are not intended. As would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein.

[0039] The figures and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. Also, those acts that are not dependent on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. The scope of embodiments is by no means limited by these specific examples.
FURTHER ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[0040] So, the current invention solves the problem related to the absence of an option for the user to harvest the kinetic energy as per the amount desired by the user depending upon the user’s comfort. As a result, the rider can enjoy free coasting more and harvest electric charge on a small scale as per the need and comfort.

[0041] The current invention further solves the problem related to the absence of an option for the user to decide the level of kinetic energy recovery system as desired by the user. By positioning the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011), the rider can provide the input regarding the desired level of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) and can enjoy the ride with the implementation of the same input.

[0042] The kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) acts as an input tool for the user for controlling and operating the kinetic energy recovery system. The rider can use the kinetic energy recovery operator without taking his/her hands off the handlebar unit. This ensures the safety and convenience of the rider.
 
REFERENCES
Electric Vehicle- 10
Handlebar- 101
Kinetic Energy Recovery operator-1011
Handgrip twist paddle- 1012
First detecting unit- 1011a
Second detecting unit- 1012a
Regulating unit- 102
Vehicle regulating unit-1021
Electric engine regulating unit -1022
Rechargeable battery-103
Electric engine-104
Plurality of Wheels -105
Display unit-106
Frictional decelerating device- 107
, Claims:CLAIMS
We claim:

1. A kinetic energy recovery system for recovering kinetic energy in an electric vehicle (10), the system comprising of:

a rechargeable battery (103) configured for exchanging electrical energy with an electric engine (104);

a plurality of wheels (105) operatively coupled to the electric engine (104) for propulsion of the electric vehicle (10);

a handlebar (101) for steering the electric vehicle (10);

a kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) configured to move between a plurality of positions, wherein the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) is user-controlled;

a first detecting unit (1011a) configured to detect a position of the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) operated by the user, and transmit a detected position signal to a regulating unit (102), wherein

the regulating unit (102) is configured to receive the detected position signal from the first detecting unit (1011a), map the detected position to a predetermined level of the kinetic energy recovery system and regulate the level of the kinetic energy recovery system in the electric engine (103).

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the kinetic energy recovery operator (1011) is a lever, the lever is located on the left-hand side of the handlebar (101).

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first detecting unit (1011a) may be a position sensor assembly or a pressure sensor assembly, the first detecting unit (1011a) is located on the handlebar (101) of the electric vehicle (10).

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the handlebar (101) comprises a handgrip twist paddle configured to regulate the propulsion of a wheel among the plurality of wheels (105), the handgrip twist paddle (1012) may be located on the right-hand side of the handlebar (101).

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the regulating unit (102) comprises a vehicle regulating unit (1021) and an electric engine regulating unit (1022) wherein the vehicle regulating unit (1021) is configured for detecting different parameters such as but not limited to, a rotational speed of the wheel, a temperature of the rechargeable battery, state of charge of the rechargeable battery, loss of tractive force of the wheel, and the electric engine regulating unit (1021) is configured to regulate the electric engine (104).

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of wheels (105) comprises a frictional decelerating device (107) to decelerate the electric vehicle (10).

7. The system according to claim 1 further comprises a display unit (106) for displaying an activation, deactivation of the kinetic energy recovery system, and an amount of electrical energy received by the rechargeable battery (103) based on kinetic energy recovered from the wheel among the plurality of wheels (105).