Power-Assist Hand Truck or Platform Cart

• Main Authors: TURNER PATRICK EDWARD, TURNER JEBEDIAH EUGENE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.01.2012
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HAND-PROPELLED VEHICLES, e.g. HAND CARTS, PERAMBULATORS; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SLEDGES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A power-assist hand truck for assisting in the movement of objects. The powered hand truck includes two electric disc gearmotors, an overrunning clutch hub for each driven wheel, an e-stop switch, a speed control, a power source, a motor controller, and other necessary electronics, which can be integrated into an existing hand truck or platform cart or compose a new handtruck or platform cart. Power is provided by replaceable/rechargeable batteries. The batteries can be charged from a stationary power source or by a mobile power source such as that of a vehicle battery. In forward motion the speed control and motor controller provide variable power-assist levels, however, the overrunning clutch hubs allow the user to walk as quickly as desired. The e-stop switch engages and disengages the gearmotors from the power supply, thereby allowing the user to selectively switch between regenerative braking and low rolling resistance operation.