Drive unit for mobile assembly

Abstract

A drive unit for driving a mobile assembly where the mobile assembly includes a mobile and a rotational coupling unit for storing and delivering energy to the mobile and where the mobile assembly has an oscillating period. The drive unit includes a motor for connecting to the mobile assembly, a power source, a motor driver for providing power from the power source to the motor and a control unit for controlling the motor driver to provide drive-pulse impulses to the motor with a low duty cycle and with a pulse period tailored to the mobile assembly.

1 . A drive unit for driving one or more mobile assemblies where each mobile assembly includes a mobile and includes a rotational coupling unit for storing and transferring energy to and from the mobile and where each mobile assembly has an oscillating period, said drive unit comprising,
 a motor for connecting to the one or more mobile assemblies,   a power source,   a motor driver for providing power from the power source to the motor,   a control unit for controlling the motor driver to provide drive pulses to the motor with a drive-pulse duty cycle and a drive-pulse period tailored for oscillating one or more of the mobile assemblies.   
   
   
       2 . The drive unit of  claim 1  wherein said motor is a DC motor. 
   
   
       3 . The drive unit of  claim 1  wherein said power source is a battery and said duty cycle is less than 20 percent. 
   
   
       4 . The drive unit of  claim 1  wherein the control unit controls said pulses for causing a first one of the mobile assemblies to rotate in a first direction during certain times and a second one of the mobile assemblies to counter rotate in a second direction during said certain times. 
   
   
       5 . The drive unit of  claim 1  wherein said control unit includes an analog logic and timer unit for controlling the drive-pulse duty cycle and the drive-pulse period. 
   
   
       6 . The drive unit of  claim 5  wherein said analog logic and timer unit includes,
 a first resistor and capacitor timing circuit for controlling a control signal for an ON period and a second resistor and capacitor timing circuit for controlling the control signal for an OFF period,   an ON/OFF switch having a switch connection in series with said motor for controlling the current through said motor and having a control input for receiving the control signal to enable the current through the switch connection during the ON period and for inhibiting the current through the switch connection during the OFF period.   
   
   
       7 . The drive unit of  claim 1  wherein said control unit includes a digital logic and timer unit for controlling the drive-pulse duty cycle and the drive-pulse period. 
   
   
       8 . The drive unit of  claim 7  wherein said digital logic and timer unit is a programmable microcontroller having one or more digital outputs for controlling said motor driver. 
   
   
       9 . The drive unit of  claim 8  wherein said motor driver includes one or more ON/OFF switches having one or more switch connections in series with said motor for controlling the current through said motor and having one or more control inputs controlled by said one or more digital outputs. 
   
   
       10 . The drive unit of  claim 9  wherein said motor driver includes,
 first and second ones of said ON/OFF switches having first and second ones of said switch connections in series with said motor for conducting current through said motor and having first and second ones of said control inputs controlled by first and second ones of said digital outputs for enabling or blocking the current through the motor in a first direction,   third and fourth ones of said ON/OFF switches having third and fourth ones of said switch connections in series with said motor for conducting current through said motor and having third and fourth ones of said control inputs controlled by third and fourth ones of said digital outputs for enabling or blocking the current through the motor in a second direction.   
   
   
       11 . The drive unit of  claim 1  wherein said control unit includes a programmable microcontroller as a digital logic and timer unit, said programmable microcontroller having one or more digital inputs for receiving input signals for controlling said motor driver. 
   
   
       12 . The drive unit of  claim 11  wherein said control unit includes an interface unit providing user input and outputs signals. 
   
   
       13 . The drive unit of  claim 11  wherein said motor driver includes a current sensor for providing a current sensing input to said programmable microcontroller. 
   
   
       14 . The mobile apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said control unit controls the motor drive unit to rotate the coupling unit with a motor driver speed where the motor drive speed is greater than the mobile rotational speed whereby the coupling unit functions as a speed changer. 
   
   
       15 . A drive unit for driving a mobile assembly where the mobile assembly includes a mobile and includes a rotational coupling unit for suspending the mobile and for storing and transferring energy to and from the mobile, said drive unit comprising,
 a motor for connecting to the coupling unit for rotationally driving the mobile assembly,   a battery power source,   a motor driver for providing power from the power source to the motor,   a control unit for controlling the motor driver to provide drive pulses to the motor with a drive-pulse duty cycle and a drive-pulse period causing the motor drive unit to rotate the coupling unit with a motor drive speed and causing the mobile to rotate with a mobile rotational speed where the motor drive speed is greater than the mobile rotational speed whereby the coupling unit functions as a speed changer.   
   
   
       16 . The drive unit of  claim 15  wherein said control unit includes an analog logic and timer unit for controlling the drive-pulse duty cycle and the drive-pulse period and wherein said analog logic and timer unit includes,
 a first resistor and capacitor timing circuit for controlling a control signal for an ON period and a second resistor and capacitor timing circuit for controlling the control signal for an OFF period,   an ON/OFF switch having a switch connection in series with said motor for controlling the current through said motor and having a control input for receiving the control signal to enable the current through the switch connection during the ON period and for inhibiting the current through the switch connection during the OFF period.   
   
   
       17 . The drive unit of  claim 15  wherein said control unit includes a digital logic and timer unit for controlling the drive-pulse duty cycle and the drive-pulse period and wherein said digital logic and timer unit is a programmable microcontroller having one or more digital outputs for controlling said motor driver. 
   
   
       18 . The drive unit of  claim 17  wherein said motor driver includes one or more ON/OFF switches having one or more switch connections in series with said motor for controlling the current through said motor and having one or more control inputs controlled by said one or more digital outputs for controlling ON and OFF states of the ON/OFF switches. 
   
   
       19 . A mobile apparatus including one or more drive units for driving one or more mobile assemblies where each mobile assembly includes a mobile and includes a rotational coupling unit for storing and transferring energy to and from the mobile, each of said drive units comprising,
 a motor for connecting to the one or more mobile assemblies,   a power source,   a motor driver for providing power from the power source to the motor,   a control unit for controlling the motor driver to provide drive pulses to the motor with a drive-pulse duty cycle and a drive-pulse period tailored for one or more of the mobile assemblies causing the one or more mobiles to rotate with mobile rotational speeds.   
   
   
       20 . The mobile apparatus of  claim 19  wherein one or more of said control units controls one or more motor drive units to rotate one or more coupling units with motor drive speeds where the motor drive speeds are greater than the mobile rotational speeds whereby one or more coupling units function as speed changers.