7 253 534

7,253,534 Title:

Method and apparatus for converting human power to electrical power

The exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a device for converting human power to electrical power. The exemplary device comprises: a plurality of gear wheels (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) interconnected with a plurality of interconnection means (e.g., 12, 13, and 14); a first axle (9), said first axle (9) disposed through an opening in a center of a first gear wheel (1) of the plurality of gear wheels; a first pedal (18) mounted on a first pedal arm (17) and a second pedal (18) mounted on a second pedal arm (17), each pedal arm (17) mounted on opposing ends of the first axle (9); a second gear wheel (2) of the plurality of gear wheels interconnected to the first gear wheel (1) with a first interconnection means (12) of the plurality of interconnection means; an alternator (8) interconnected to one of the gear wheels (e.g., 6) of the plurality of gear wheels; a battery (22); and an inverter (27).

What is claimed is:

1. A device for converting human power to electrical power, said device comprising: a battery; a first gear wheel comprising a center and an opening in the center; a firstaxle, said first axle disposed through the opening in the center of the first gear wheel; a first pedal mounted on a first pedal arm and a second pedal mounted on a second pedal arm, each pedal arm mounted on opposing ends of the first axle; a secondgear wheel interconnected to the first gear wheel with a first pulley belt; a permanent magnet generator assembly comprising: a stator assembly comprising a stator casing and a stator, wherein the stator comprises non-magnetic material thatsubstantially does not conduct electricity, wherein the stator further comprises a plurality of electric wire coils imbedded in the non-magnetic material of the stator, wherein the electric wire coils are connected to the battery, wherein the statorfurther comprises a hole formed at a point that is substantially central to the plurality of electric wire coils, wherein the stator casing supports the stator, and wherein the stator casing is fastened to an anchoring framework; a first rotor and asecond rotor, wherein the first rotor and the second rotor each comprises a respective substantially round, substantially disk-shaped wheel, and wherein each of the first and second rotors comprises non-magnetic material that substantially does notconduct electricity; the first rotor comprising a first center hole and a first plurality of magnets imbedded in a respective first side of the non-magnetic material of the first rotor, wherein each magnet of the first plurality of magnets is imbeddedat a first radial distance from the first center hole in a substantially circular pattern around the first center hole, wherein each magnet is imbedded in the non-magnetic material of the first rotor exposing a magnetic pole of the respective magnet onthe respective first side of the first rotor, and wherein each magnet of the first plurality of magnets is imbedded so that the magnet exposes a magnetic pole of alternating charge in relation to an exposed magnetic pole of an immediately precedingmagnet; the second rotor comprising a second center hole and a second plurality of magnets imbedded in a respective first side of the non-magnetic material of the second rotor, wherein each magnet of the second plurality of magnets is imbedded at afirst radial distance from the second center hole in a substantially circular pattern around the second center hole, wherein each magnet is imbedded in the non-magnetic material of the second rotor exposing a magnetic pole of the respective magnet on therespective first side of the second rotor, and wherein each magnet of the second plurality of magnets is imbedded so that the magnet exposes a magnetic pole of alternating charge in relation to an exposed magnetic pole of an immediately preceding magnet; a shaft comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the shaft passes through the first center hole of the first rotor, through the hole in the stator, and through the second center hold of the second rotor, wherein the first rotor is mounted on theshaft on a first side of the stator such that the respective first side of the non-magnetic material of the first rotor faces the stator, wherein the second rotor is mounted on the shaft on a second side of the stator such that the respective first sideof the non-magnetic material of the second rotor faces the stator, and wherein the first rotor is connected to the second rotor through the hole in the stator such that the exposed magnetic poles of the magnets imbedded in the first rotor are alignedwith magnets imbedded in the second rotor and such that the exposed pole of each magnet on the first rotor is aligned with a magnet on the second rotor that has an exposed pole with an opposite charge; a first rotatable anchoring means, wherein saidfirst rotatable anchoring means rotatably connects the first end of the shaft to a first stationary framework unit; and a second rotatable anchoring means, wherein said second rotatable anchoring means rotatably connects the second end of the shaft to asecond stationary framework unit; and a second pulley belt, the pulley belt interconnecting one of the first end or the second end of the shaft to the second gear wheel.

2. A device for converting human power to electrical power, said device comprising: an alternator; an alternator pulley wheel mounted on the alternator; a battery for storing direct current electrical energy; an inverter for convertingdirect current electrical energy into alternating current electrical energy; a manually-operated first gear wheel comprising a center opening; a second gear wheel, a third gear wheel, a fourth gear wheel, a fifth gear wheel, and a sixth gear wheel; afirst axle disposed through the manually-operated first gear wheel center opening; a second axle disposed through a center opening in the second gear wheel and through a center opening in the third gear wheel such that the second gear wheel and thethird gear wheel are mounted on the second axle; a third axle disposed through a center opening in the fourth gear wheel, and through a center opening in the fifth gear wheel, and through a center opening in the sixth gear wheel such that the fifth gearwheel is mounted on the third axle between the sixth gear wheel and the fourth gear wheel; a first manual-operation means mounted to a first end of the first axle and a second manual-operation means mounted to a second end of the first axle; a firstinterconnecting means interconnectably mounted to the manually-operated first gear wheel, said first interconnecting means interconnecting the manually-operated first gear wheel to the second gear wheel; a second interconnecting means interconnectablymounted to the third gear wheel, said second interconnecting means interconnecting the third gear wheel to the fourth gear wheel; and a third interconnecting means interconnectably mounted to the sixth gear wheel, interconnecting the sixth gear wheel tothe alternator pulley wheel.

3. A device for converting human power to electrical power, said device further comprising: a plurality of pear wheels interconnected with a plurality of interconnection means; a first axle, said first axle disposed through an opening in acenter of a first gear wheel of the plurality of gear wheels; a first pedal mounted on a first pedal arm and a second pedal mounted on a second pedal arm, each pedal arm mounted on opposing ends of the first axle; a second gear wheel of the pluralityof gear wheels interconnected to the first gear wheel with a first interconnection means of the plurality of interconnection means; a permanent magnet generator assembly comprising: a stator, wherein said stator comprises a structure that comprisesnon-magnetic material that substantially does not conduct electricity, wherein said stator further comprises a plurality of electric wire coils imbedded in said non-magnetic material of the stator, and wherein said stator comprises a hole formed at apoint that is substantially central to the plurality of electric wire coils; a stator casing, wherein said stator casing supports said stator; a first rotor and a second rotor, wherein the first rotor and the second rotor each comprises a rounddisk-shaped wheel, wherein each of said first and second rotors comprises a structure that comprises non-magnetic material that substantially does not conduct electricity, and wherein each of said first and second rotors comprises a plurality of magnetsimbedded in a first side of the non-magnetic material of the respective first and second rotor; a shaft having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the shaft is inserted in a hole in the first rotor, wherein the second end of the shaftis inserted through the hole in the stator, wherein the second end of the shaft is inserted through a hole in the second rotor, wherein the first side of the non-magnetic material of the first rotor faces the stator, and wherein the first side of thenon-magnetic material of the second rotor faces the stator; a first rotatable anchoring means, wherein said first rotatable anchoring means rotatably connects the first end of the shaft to a first stationary framework unit; a second rotatable anchoringmeans, wherein said second rotatable anchoring means rotatably connects the second end of the shaft to a second stationary framework unit; and a shaft turning means, wherein said shaft turning means is connected to one of the first end or the second endof the shaft.

4. A device for converting human power to electrical power, said device comprising: a framework; a battery; a shaft; a first gear wheel comprising a center and an opening in the center; a first axle, said first axle disposed through theopening in the center of the first gear wheel; a first pedal mounted on a first pedal arm and a second pedal mounted on a second pedal arm, each pedal arm mounted on opposing ends of the first axle; a second gear wheel interconnected to the first gearwheel with a first pulley belt; and a permanent magnet generator assembly mounted on the shaft and interconnected to the second gear wheel with a second pulley belt, the permanent magnet generator assembly comprising: a first structure comprising afirst planar side and a second planar side, the first structure further comprising a plurality of substantially circular structures mounted in a substantially circular pattern equidistant from a first point in the first structure, each of thesubstantially circular structures of the plurality of substantially circular structures comprising a material adapted for conducting electricity, wherein each of the substantially circular structures of the plurality of substantially circular structuresis connected to the battery, wherein the first structure is connected to the framework, and wherein the first structure is mounted on the shaft; a first rotatable structure comprising a first rotatable structure planar side and a second rotatablestructure planar side, and further comprising a first plurality of permanent magnets mounted in a substantially circular pattern equidistant from a second point in the first rotatable structure, such that each permanent magnet of the first plurality ofpermanent magnets comprises an exposed pole on the first rotatable structure planar side of the first rotatable structure, and such that the exposed pole of each permanent magnet of the first plurality of permanent magnets comprises a first charge thatis opposite a second charge of each adjacent permanent magnet, wherein the first rotatable structure is mounted on the shaft so that the first rotatable structure planar side faces the first planar side of the first structure; and a second rotatablestructure comprising a third rotatable structure planar side and a fourth rotatable structure planar side, and further comprising a second plurality of permanent magnets mounted in a substantially circular pattern equidistant from a third point in thesecond rotatable structure, such that each permanent magnet of the second plurality of permanent magnets comprises an exposed pole on the third rotatable structure planar side of the second rotatable structure, and such that the exposed pole of eachpermanent magnet of the second plurality of permanent magnets comprises a third charge that is opposite a fourth charge of each adjacent permanent magnet, wherein the second rotatable structure is mounted on the shaft so that the third rotatablestructure planar side faces the second planar side of the first structure, and wherein the first rotatable structure is connected to the second rotatable structure so that the each permanent magnet of the first plurality of magnets is aligned with apermanent magnet of opposing pole charge of the second plurality of magnets.

5. A device for converting human power to electrical power, said device comprising: a framework; a battery; a shaft; a first gear wheel comprising a center and an opening in the center; a first axle, said first axle disposed through theopening in the center of the first gear wheel; a first pedal mounted on a first pedal arm and a second pedal mounted on a second pedal arm, each pedal arm mounted on opposing ends of the first axle; a second gear wheel interconnected to the first gearwheel with a first pulley belt; and a permanent magnet generator assembly mounted on the shaft and interconnected to the second gear wheel with a second pulley belt, the permanent magnet generator assembly comprising: a first structure comprising aplurality of substantially circular structures mounted in a substantially circular pattern equidistant from a first point in the first structure, each of the substantially circular structures of the plurality of substantially circular structurescomprising a material adapted for conducting electricity, wherein each of the substantially circular structures of the plurality of substantially circular structures is connected to the battery, wherein the first structure is connected to the framework,and wherein the first structure is mounted on the shaft; and two rotatable structures mounted on the shaft opposing each other on each side of the first structure, each rotatable structure comprising a respective plurality of permanent magnets mountedin a substantially circular pattern substantially equidistant from a respective center point in the respective rotatable structure such that the mounted permanent magnets expose alternating exposed magnetic poles, such that the alternating exposedmagnetic poles of the respective permanent magnets mounted on one of the respective rotatable structures are aligned with, and counterposed in magnetic polarity to the alternating exposed magnetic poles of the respective permanent magnets mounted on therespective opposing rotatable structure.