Wheel with a generator

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a wheel, and more particularly to a wheel with a generator for a roller skate or a skateboard.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] With reference to FIG. 4, a conventional roller skate comprises a frame (60), multiple wheels (62) and a shoe (64). The wheels (62) are rotatably mounted on the bottom of the frame (60) and arranged in a row. The shoe (64) is attached to the top of the frame (64) for a person to wear. The conventional wheel (62) for a roller skate is made of plastic or the like. The conventional wheel (62) cannot provide sound or light to the roller skate. The fun of using the roller skate is limited.

[0006] To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a wheel with a generator to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

[0007] The main objective of the invention is to provide a wheel with a generator to generate electricity when the wheel rotates. The wheel has two halves, a generator, two bearings and two metal rings. The wheel halves are detachably connected to each other. The generator is mounted between the wheel halves and composed of an annular coil seat and an annular permanent magnet. The coil seat is securely mounted between the wheel halves and has a winding wound around the coil seat. The permanent magnet is rotatably mounted between the wheel halves and in the coil seat. A gap is defined between the outer periphery of the permanent magnet and the inner periphery of the coil seat. Each bearing is received in one of the wheel halves and electrically connects with one end of the winding. A metal ring is securely attached to each wheel half to abut the bearing mounted in the wheel half. With such an arrangement, the coil seat will rotate with the bodies relative to the permanent magnet, and electricity is generated. The electricity will be transmitted to a lighting device or a sounding device. The fun of using a roller skate or a skateboard with the wheel generator is improved.

[0008] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0009] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a wheel with a generator in accordance with the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional front plan view of the wheel in FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the coil seat and the permanent magnet in FIG. 1; and

[0012] FIG. 4 is a side plan view of a roller skate in accordance with the prior art.

[0013] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a wheel for in accordance with the present invention comprises two wheel halves (10, 12), a generator, two bearings (13,132) and two metal rings (18). The wheel is mounted on a roller skate, a skateboard or the like. Both of the bodies (10, 12) are circular. One of the wheel halves (10) has multiple holes (106) defined in the body (10). The other wheel half (12) has Stubs (126) corresponding to the holes (106) extending from the wheel half (12) and engaging the corresponding holes (106) in the opposite wheel half (10). Consequently, the wheel halves (10, 12) are securely connected to each other by the engagements between the holes (106) and the stubs (126) such that they rotate as a single element. A tire (40) is mounted around the wheel halves (10, 12) to enclose the outer peripheries of the wheel halves (10, 12). Accordingly, the wheel halves (10, 12) will not unintentionally disengage from each other because the tire (40) securely holds the wheel halves (10, 12) together.

[0014] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the generator is mounted between the wheel halves (10, 12) and composed of an annular coil seat (15) and an annular permanent magnet (142). The annular coil seat (15) is securely mounted between the wheel halves (10, 12) and has a winding (not shown) wound around the coil seat (15). The annular permanent magnet (142) is rotatably mounted between the wheel halves (10, 12) in the center of the coil seat (15). A gap is defined between the outer periphery of the permanent magnet (142) and the inner periphery of the coil seat (15). The magnetic poles of the permanent magnet (142) are alternately arranged around the permanent magnet (142).

[0015] A metal cover (16, 17) is securely attached to each side of the coil seat (15) and connected to one end of the winding. Multiple teeth (164, 174) extend perpendicular from the inner periphery of each cover (16, 17) parallel to the axis of rotation and abut the inner periphery of the coil seat (15), such that each cover (16, 17) will securely attach to one side of the coil seat (15). Several tabs (162, 172) are formed on the outer periphery of each cover (16, 17). One of the tabs (162, 172) is connected to one end of the winding. Several recesses (108, 128) are defined in each wheel half(10, 12) to receive one of the tabs (162, 172). Consequently, the coil seat (15) will rotate with the wheel halves (10, 12) due to the engagement between each tab (162, 172) and the corresponding recess (108, 128).

[0016] The bearings (13, 132) are respectively mounted in each wheel half (10, 12). A base (102, 122) is defined in each wheel half (10,12) to mount one of the bearings (13, 132). A wire (104, 124) extends into the base (102, 122) of each wheel half (10, 12). Two ends of the wire (104, 124) respectively abut the bearing (13, 132) and one of the covers (16, 17), such that each bearing (13, 132) is electrically connected with one end of the winding through the metal cover (16, 17) and the wire (104, 124). A nonconductive sleeve (14) is mounted between the bearings (13, 132), and each end of the nonconductive sleeve (14) extends into one of the bearings (13, 132). The permanent magnet (142) is pressed onto the sleeve (14) between the bearings (13, 132), such that the permanent magnet (142) will rotate with the sleeve (14) and relative to the wheel halves (10, 12).

[0017] A metal ring (18) is securely attached to each wheel half (10,12). Each ring (18) abuts the bearing (13, 132) mounted in the wheel half (10, 12) to which the ring (18) attaches. A cap (19) is attached to each wheel half (10, 12) to securely hold each ring (18) on the wheel half (10, 12). Each cap (19) includes a tube (192) extending into the ring (18) and the bearing (13,132) and a flange (194) abutting the ring (18). A tab (182) is formed on an outer periphery of each ring (18). One end of a wire (20) is connected to the tab (182) of each ring (18). The other end of the wire (20) is connected to a lighting device or a sounding device, wherein the lighting device or the sounding device can be mounted on the frame or the shoe of a roller skate or the board of a skateboard. A sheath (22) is mounted on the tab (182) to enclose the conjunction between the tab (182) and the wire (20). The sheath (22) provides a protection to the junction between the tab (182) and the wire (20).

[0018] In use, the wheel in accordance with the present invention replaces one of the conventional wheels of a roller skate or a skateboard. The wheel is rotatably mounted on the frame of the roller skate or the board of the skateboard with an axle (30). Accordingly, when the roller skate or the skateboard is in use and the wheel rotates, the coil seat (15) will rotate with the wheel halves (10,12) and relative to the permanent magnet (142). The winding wound in the coil seat (15) will cut through the magnetic line of flux of the permanent magnet (142) and generate electricity. The electricity will be transmitted to the lighting device or the sounding device through the cover (16, 17), the wire (104, 124) connected to the cover (16, 17), the bearing (13, 132), the ring (18) and the wire (20) connected to the ring (18), and the lighting device or the sounding device will work. Consequently, the enjoyment of using the roller skate or the skateboard is improved. In addition, the lighting device or the sounding device provides a warning effect to other people at night. The safety of using the roller skate or the skateboard is also improved.

[0019] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.