1. A tricycle vehicle comprised of a framework elongated upon a center axis between front and rear extremities, paired freely rotating front wheels equidistantly spaced about said axis, a single rear wheel vertically centered upon said axis and rotatable upon a horizontally oriented axle, a rechargeable storage battery, and seating means for a driver, said vehicle being propelled by power provided by a controlled combination of pedaling action by the driver, an internal combustion engine, and an electric hub motor having stator and rotor components associated with said axle, said power being conveyed to said rear wheel which thereby propels the vehicle.
2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said axle is stationary by virtue of securement to said framework, and said rear wheel rotates upon said stationary axle.
3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein said stator component is affixed to said axle, said rotor component embraces said stator component, and said wheel is fixedly associated with said rotor component, whereby electrical power supplied to said hub motor produces rotation of said wheel.
4. The vehicle of claim 3 further comprising an electronic controller which, in a first mode of function regulates the amount of electrical power routed to said motor, and in a second mode of function reverses polarity, causing said motor to produce a braking effect on the vehicle with attendant generation of electricity which is fed to said battery.
5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein shock-absorbing means are associated with said axle to minimize twisting force applied to said axle as a result of switching between said first and second modes of function.
6. The vehicle of claim 1 further equipped with steering means which facilitate hand operation of all control features of said vehicle, thereby allowing the driver’s feet to provide said pedaling action.
7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein chain and sprocket gearing means are provided to increase the rotational speed of said pedaling mechanism to match the rotational speed provided by said engine.
8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein free-wheeling clutch means are provided to couple the rotational force produced by said pedaling mechanism with the rotational force produced by said engine.
9. A vehicle which accommodates a seated driver and extends upon a longitudinal center axis between front and rear extremities of a rigid framework that secures a rear wheel centered upon said axis at said rear extremity and adapted to rotate upon a horizontally oriented axle equipped with an electric hub motor, and a powertrain comprised of:
a) a rechargeable storage battery which supplies electrical power to said motor,
b) an electronic controller which, in a first mode of function regulates the amount of electrical power routed to said motor, and in a second mode of function causes the motor to produce braking of the vehicle with attendant generation of electricity which is fed to the battery,
c) a pedaling mechanism operable by said driver to produce motive power,
d) a gasoline engine which produces motive power, and
e) a transmission system which accumulates the power from said pedaling mechanism and engine, and causes said accumulated power to drive said rear wheel to propel the vehicle.
10. The vehicle of claim 9 further provided with shock-absorbing means associated with said axle to ameliorate the consequences of torque force received by said axle during braking.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members in which a first member formed of a transmissive thermoplastic resin that transmits a laser beam is brought into contact with a second member formed of an absorptive thermoplastic resin that absorbs the laser beam, and their contact surfaces are melted with the laser beam for joining the members, the apparatus comprising:
a laser beam generating means for irradiating the contact surfaces with a laser beam shone from the side of the first member so as to melt at least one of the contact surfaces of the first member and the second member;
a pressing means for pressing the first member and the second member together by a pressing force;
an adjusting means for adjusting the pressing force applied to the first member and the second member;
a detecting means for detecting a temperature or a pressure at a melted portion melted by laser beam irradiation of the first member and the second member, and
a controller configured to directly control the adjustment means based on the detected temperature or pressure;
wherein the controller controls the pressing force by increasing the pressing force to a first pressing force when a detected temperature or pressure is greater than a predetermined value, and further increasing the pressing force to a second pressing force when another detected temperature or pressure indicates cooling at the melted portion.
2. The apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure at the melted portion melted, and
wherein the adjusting means adjusts the pressing force applied to the first member and the second member based on an output of the pressure detecting means.
3. The apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members according to claim 2, comprising a transfer means for transferring the laser beam generating means,
wherein the pressing means comprises a plurality of pressing members for pressing the first member and the second member, and adjusts the pressing force applied to the plurality of pressing members in accordance with the transfer of the laser beam generating means.
4. The apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members according to claim 2, wherein the pressing means employs one or a plurality of spring pressure, oil pressure, and pneumatic pressure.
5. The apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature at the melted portion, and
wherein the adjusting means adjusts the pressing force applied to the first member and the second member based on an output of the temperature detecting means.
6. The apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members according to claim 5, wherein the pressing means employs one or a plurality of spring pressure, oil pressure, and pneumatic pressure.
7. The apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members according to claim 5, comprising a transfer means for transferring the laser beam generating means, wherein the pressing means comprises a plurality of pressing members for pressing the first member and the second member, and adjusts the pressing force applied to the plurality of pressing members in accordance with the transfer of the laser beam generating means.
8. The apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members according to claim 1, comprising a transfer means for transferring the laser beam generating means,
wherein the pressing means comprises a plurality of pressing members for pressing the first member and the second member, and adjusts the pressing force applied to the plurality of pressing members in accordance with the transfer of the laser beam generating means.
9. The apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members according to claim 8, wherein the pressing means employs one or a plurality of spring pressure, oil pressure, and pneumatic pressure.
10. The apparatus for laser welding thermoplastic resin members according to claim 1, wherein the pressing means employs one or a plurality of spring pressure, oil pressure, and pneumatic pressure.