US 11,833,906 B2
Auxiliary electrical traction motor for vehicles
Bryon Gomberg, Ness Ziona (IL); Yakir Loewenstern, Ariel (IL); Ilan Yoscovich, Ramat Gan (IL); Guy Sella, Bitan Aharon (IL); Rachel Prishkolnik, Tel Mond (IL); Julie Horn, Tel Aviv (IL); and Dragan Mikulec, Erlangen (DE)
Assigned to Solaredge Technologies Ltd., Herzeliya (IL)
Filed by Solaredge Technologies Ltd., Herzeliya (IL)
Filed on Jul. 22, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/935,350.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/876,837, filed on Jul. 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0023951 A1, Jan. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. B60L 15/00 (2006.01); B60L 15/20 (2006.01); B60L 50/00 (2019.01); B60K 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60L 15/20 (2013.01) [B60K 1/00 (2013.01); B60L 50/00 (2019.02)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a vehicle wheel comprising:
at least one energy storage component within the wheel; and
at least one traction component within the wheel,
at least one sensor, and
at least one controller, wherein the controller is configured to monitor values of at least one sensor, and responsive to the values, direct the conversion of energy between the at least one energy storage component and the at least one traction component, and wherein the controller is configured to convert kinetic energy from the at least one traction component to electrical energy stored in the at least one energy storage component when the vehicle is accelerating,
wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one acceleration sensor selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensor, a motion sensor, an accelerometer, and a piezoelectric sensor, and
wherein the at least one acceleration sensor is responsive to a first operator input, wherein when said first operator input is applied to the at least one acceleration sensor below a threshold speed of the vehicle, the at least one traction component is signaled to transfer energy from the at least one energy storage component to a forward propulsion of a vehicle, and wherein when said first operator input is applied to the at least one acceleration sensor above a threshold speed of the vehicle, the at least one traction component is signaled to transfer energy to the at least one energy storage component.