DESC:GENERATION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY WITH SHOCK ABSORBER
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to automobiles and more particularly, to generation of electrical energy with shock absorber.
Background of the invention
Shock absorbers are mounted on vehicle to give ride comfort. Physically shock absorbers have two parts one is fixed to vehicle body and second is connected to wheel of vehicle. Whenever the wheel observes the undulation of road and this movement is transferred to shock absorber to damp the deflection at vehicle body. In this there is frequent vertical movement of shock absorber part. This kind of movement will be there for all kind of vehicle.
Automobiles consume a majority of fuel and automobiles are significant contributor in the pollutants of the atmosphere. There is increasing demand for technologies for economic and efficient use of fuel. Besides engine cycle efficiency, one important mechanism of energy loss in automobiles is the dissipation of kinetic energy during vehicle vibration and motion. During last few years, energy recovery from braking has achieved great commercial success in hybrid vehicles. However, regenerative vehicle suspensions, which have the advantage of continuous energy recovery, have generally not come into practice due to various factors, such as insufficient vibration control, unsatisfactory energy harvesting, prohibitive costs, high complexity, practical incompatibility and relative inefficiency.
Accordingly, there exists a need to provide a a regenerative vehicle suspension technology that overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks

Object of the invention
An object of the present invention is to provide an energy generating shock absorber with superior ride comfort.
Summary of the invention
The present invention discloses shock absorber suspended between a vehicle wheel and a vehicle body, that generates the electric energy by utilizing the kinetic energy of suspension vibration between the vehicle wheel and the vehicle body. The electric energy generating shock absorber comprises an outer tube having a bottom end connected to the vehicle wheel and an inner tube having the vehicle body sprung on an upper end thereof. The lower end of the inner tube is closed by a guide bush. The inner tube is mounted within the outer tube wherein the suspension vibration between the vehicle wheel and the vehicle body causes upward and downward movement of the inner tube within the outer tube. A rod is having one end fixed to the bottom end of the outer tube and the other end extending into the inner tube through the guiding bush. A screw shaped shaft is fixed to the other end of the rod inside the inner tube. A power generating unit is fixed inside the inner tube between an upper bearing and a lower bearing. A spring is suspended between the upper end of the inner tube and the upper bearing. In the power generating unit, a stator is fixed on inner wall of the inner tube between the two bearings and a permanent magnet rotor rests on inner races of two bearings with the screw shaped shaft passing there through. The permanent magnet rotor is configured with screw threads there inside such that the rotor rotates with the linear movement of the screw shaped shaft. With the movement of the inner tube, the rod moves linearly thereby rotating the permanent magnet rotor to a speed proportional to linear movement of the rod. This induces electrical energy in the stator that is further given to a battery, a hub motor or other power consuming circuit.
Brief description of the drawings
The objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in accordance with the accompanying drawings wherein,
Figure 1 shows the detailed view of energy generating shock absorber (100), in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 shows the detailed view of energy generating shock absorber (100) in rebound stroke, in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 3 shows the detailed view of energy generating shock absorber (100) in compression stroke, in accordance with the present invention; and
Figure 4 shows the exploded view of power generation unit and detailed view of components of power generation unit of energy generating shock absorber (100), in accordance with the present invention; and
Detail description of the invention
The foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with the prior art, techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention as described below in the preferred embodiment.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a shock absorber that generates electrical energy when vehicle passes through road undulation. The shock absorber contains two main parts: and inner tube and outer tube. Vehicle wheel is connected to outer tube and the vehicle body is sprung on the inner tube. A screw profile rod connected to the bottom end of outer tube extends through the inner tube. A power generation unit is fixed inside the inner tube between two bearings. A stator is fixed on inner wall of inner tube between two bearings and a permanent magnet rotor is rested on inner races of two bearings. When vehicle passes through road undulation, inner tube moves upward and downward in the outer tube and the screw shaped shaft rotates the permanent magnet rotor thereby inducing electric energy into the stator. The harvested electrical energy is further fed to other power circuits in the vehicle. The electrical energy generating shock absorber of the present invention is without piston and oil arrangement and serves dual purpose of providing ride comfort and utilizing energy.
The present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The components of the invention and the reference numbers are also listed in the Table 1 below:
Table 1
Ref. No. Component Ref. No. Component
10 Inner tube 50A Upper bearing
15 Guide bush 50B Lower bearing
20 Outer tube 55 Rod
30 Rotor 60 Screw shaped shaft
35 Screw threads 70 Power generation unit
40 Stator 80 Spring
45 plates
Figures 1 to 3 illustrate a electric energy generating shock absorber (100) (herein after the shock absorber (100)), in accordance with the present invention. the shock absorber (100) is suspended between a vehicle wheel and a vehicle body, with an outer tube (20) having a bottom end connected to the vehicle wheel and the vehicle body sprung on an upper end of an inner tube (10). A lower end of the inner tube (10) is closed by a guide bush (15). The inner tube is mounted within the outer tube (20). A rod (55) is fixed to the bottom end of the outer tube (20) with its other end extending into the inner tube (10) through the guiding bush (15). A screw shaped shaft (60) is fixed on the other end of the rod (55) inside the inner tube (10) using round plates (45).
A power generating unit (70) is fixed inside the inner tube (10) between an upper bearing (50A) and a lower bearing (50B). A spring (80) is suspended between the upper end of the inner tube (10) and the upper bearing (50A).
The power generating unit (70) mainly comprises a stator (40) and a permanent magnet rotor (30). The stator (40) is fixed on inner wall of the inner tube (10) between the two bearings (50A, 50B). The permanent magnet rotor (30) rests on inner races of two bearings (50A, 50B). The permanent magnet rotor (30) is configured with screw threads there inside and the screw shaped shaft (60) is guided there through in such a way that linear movement of the screw shaped shaft (60) rotates the permanent magnet rotor (30) with a speed proportional to the linear movement of the screw shaped shaft (60).
Suspension vibration between the vehicle wheel and the vehicle body due to road undulation causes upward and downward movement of the inner tube (10) within the outer tube (20). In this movement, the screw shaped shaft (60) moves through the permanent magnet rotor (30) thereby causing the permanent magnet rotor (30) to rotate at speed proportional to linear movement of the screw shaped shaft (60) and inducing electrical energy in the stator (40). This electrical energy generated in the power generation unit (70) is given to a battery, a hub motor or other power consuming circuit. The shock absorber (100) directly works as a power source to electric vehicles and also provides ride comfort to the rider. No piston and oil arrangement is required in the assembly of the shock absorber (100)
The electrical energy generating efficiency of the shock absorber (100) was tested for various speeds. Table 2 below shows voltage generated corresponding to speed of the vehicle.
Table 2
Sr. No Test speed Voltag generated Sr. No Test speed Voltag generated
1 0.1 m/s 11 volt 9 0.9 m/s 12 volt
2 0.2 m/s 12 volt 10 1.0 m/s 12 volt
3 0.3 m/s 12 volt 11 1.1 m/s 12 volt
4 0.4 m/s 12 volt 12 1.2 m/s 12 volt
5 0.5 m/s 12 volt 13 1.3 m/s 12 volt
6 0.6 m/s 12 volt 14 1.4 m/s 12 volt
7 0.7 m/s 12 volt 15 1.5 m/s 12 volt
8 0.8 m/s 12 volt 16 2.0 m/s 12 volt
Advantages of the invention
• No need of conventional Shock absorber
• No Piston assembly is required for shock absorber function
• No oil is required
• Road variation will be used to generate energy.
• Battery charging of conventional vehicle.
• Power can feed to other power circuit on vehicle.
The foregoing objects of the invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with prior art techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention described in the present embodiment. Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein; however, it is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure, or matter. The embodiments of the invention as described above and the methods disclosed herein will suggest further modification and alterations to those skilled in the art. Such further modifications and alterations may be made without departing from the and scope of the invention.

,CLAIMS:CLAIMS
We claim:
1. A electric energy generating shock absorber (100) suspended between a vehicle wheel and a vehicle body, the electric energy generating shock absorber (100) comprising:
an outer tube (20) having a bottom end connected to the vehicle wheel;
an inner tube (10) having the vehicle body sprung on an upper end thereof and having a lower end closed by a guide bush (15) and mounted within the outer tube (20), suspension vibration between the vehicle wheel and the vehicle body causing upward and downward movement of the inner tube (10) within the outer tube (20);
a rod (55) having one end fixed to the bottom end of the outer tube (20) and the other end extending into the inner tube (10) through the guiding bush (15) with a screw shaped shaft (60) fixed thereto, the rod (55)
a power generation unit (70) fixed inside the inner tube (10) between an upper bearing (50A) and a lower bearing (50B), with a spring (80) suspended between the upper end of the inner tube (10) and the upper bearing (50A), the power generating unit (70) having a stator (40) fixed on inner wall of the inner tube (10) between the two bearings (50A, 50B), a permanent magnet rotor (30) configured with screw threads (35) there inside and resting on inner races of two bearings (50A, 50B) with the screw shaped shaft (60) guided there through, wherein the upward and downward movement of the inner tube (10) linearly moves the screw shaped shaft (60) through the permanent magnet rotor (30) causing the permanent magnet rotor (30) to rotate at speed proportional to movement of the inner tube (10) thereby inducing electrical energy in the stator (40).
Dated this 30th day of June, 2019

Prafulla Wange
(Agent for the applicant)
(IN/PA-2058)