Electric Bicycle Rental Outlet For Use In Off-Grid Locations

Abstract

A wind and solar powered Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) rental outlet specifically configured to offer electric bicycles, SEGWAYS,

Personal mobility scooters and other such personal electric modes of transportation for rental in any remote, off-grid location served by the tourist industry, such as islands and beach resorts, and in other locations that typically do not have access to the electrical infrastructure to offer such a rental service. This LEV rental outlet is equipped with enough battery storage so as to allow for the multiple use of each personal electric vehicle on an hourly basis over the course of a day. The LEV rental outlet is configured entirely within an ISO Standard Shipping Container so as to be transportable on commercial container ship. This allows the LEV rental outlet it to be deployed and operated in any location in the world without the need of supporting infrastructure.

Claims

1. A Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet comprising: A plurality of Light Electric Vehicle docks; A plurality of portable battery charging stations; An electrical energy storage device; A photovoltaic solar array; A wind turbine generator; And a mobile enclosure;

2. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 1, wherein the said photovoltaic solar array is attached to said mobile enclosure for the purpose of providing electric power to said battery charging stations.

3. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 1, wherein the said wind turbine generator is attached to said mobile enclosure for the purpose of providing electric power to said battery charging stations.

4. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 1, wherein the said electrical energy storage device is used to store electric power generated from said photovoltaic solar array and said wind turbine generator.

5. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 4, wherein the said electrical energy storage device is used to provide electricity to said battery charging stations when said photovoltaic solar array and said wind turbine generator are not generating electricity.

6. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 1, wherein the said photovoltaic solar array, said wind generator, said battery charging stations, said Light Electric Vehicle docks, and said electrical storage device can be contained within the confines of said mobile enclosure.

7. An Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet operated from within a mobile enclosure comprising: A plurality of Light Electric Vehicle docks; A plurality of portable battery charging stations; An electrical energy storage device; A photovoltaic solar array; A wind turbine generator; And a mobile enclosure comprised from an International Standards Organization (ISO) Standard Shipping Container.

8. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 7, wherein the said photovoltaic solar array is attached to said mobile enclosure for the purpose of providing electric power to said battery charging stations.

9. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 7, wherein the said wind turbine generator is attached to said mobile enclosure for the purpose of providing electric power to said battery charging stations.

10. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 7, wherein the said electrical energy storage device is used to store electric power generated from said photovoltaic solar array and said wind turbine generator.

11. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 7, wherein the said electrical energy storage device is used to provide electricity to said battery charging stations when said photovoltaic solar array and said wind turbine generator are not generating electricity.

12. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 7, wherein said Light Electric Vehicle rack, said battery charging stations, said photovoltaic solar array and said wind turbine generator can be contained within the confines of said ISO Standard Shipping Container.

13. An Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet capable of being transported on commercial cargo container shipping vessels comprising: A plurality of Light Electric Vehicle docks; A plurality of portable battery charging stations; An electrical energy storage device; A photovoltaic solar array; A wind turbine generator; A mobile enclosure comprised from an ISO Standard Shipping Container; And an ISO Standard Shipping Container sustainable to be transported on a commercial container ship.

14. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 13, wherein the said photovoltaic solar array is attached to said ISO Standard Shipping Container for the purpose of providing electric power to said battery charging stations.

15. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 13, wherein the said wind turbine generator is attached to said ISO Standard Shipping Container for the purpose of providing electric power to said battery charging stations.

16. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 13, wherein the said electrical energy storage device is used to store electric power generated from said photovoltaic solar array and said wind turbine generator.

17. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 13, wherein the said electrical energy storage device is used to provide electricity to said battery charging stations when said photovoltaic solar array and said wind turbine generator are not generating electricity.

18. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 13, wherein the said photovoltaic solar array and said wind turbine generator can be attached to the exterior of said ISO Standard Shipping Container.

19. The Light Electric Vehicle rental outlet of claim 13, wherein said Light Electric Vehicle rack, said battery charging stations, said photovoltaic solar array and said wind turbine generator can be contained within the confines said ISO Standard Shipping Container during transport on said commercial container ship.

20. The Light Electric Vehicle rental unit of claim 18, wherein said photovoltaic solar array and said wind generator can be removed from said ISO Standard Shipping Container in a manner that sustains said ISO Standard Shipping Container within ISO Standard Shipping Container Standards of seaworthiness for transport on said commercial container ship.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The invention and embodiments thereof will be better understood when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures. In these figures, key elements are not necessarily drawn to scale, in exacting location or in exact configuration. For the purpose of simplicity, the Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) shown in these drawings and figures are shown as electric bicycles. In general, like key elements appearing in multiple figures are identified by a like reference designation. The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a sketch of an enclosed LEV rental outlet with doors open to reveal the contents herein;

[0019] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1 less several walls, doors and several key elements from FIG. 1;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a sketch of an ISO Standard Shipping Container;

[0021] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an ISO Standard Shipping Container showing one or more of key elements from FIG. 1 contained herein; and

[0022] FIG. 5 is a sketch of typical commercial container ship laden with ISO Standard Shipping Containers for transport.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.

[0024] An Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) 010 (herein shown as an electric bicycle 010) rental outlet 020 specifically configured to offer the LEVs 010 contained herein to be available for rental on an hourly basis from rental outlet 020. This rental outlet 020 is configured from International Standards Organization [ISO] Standard Shipping Container 030 (herein referred to as shipping container 030) so as to be mobile for ease of transportation on commercial container ship 040. This allows the rental outlet 020 to be deployed anywhere in the world.

[0025] The rental outlet 020 is configured to charge the batteries 050 used by LEV 010 separately from the LEV 010 by means of separate battery charging station 060 (herein referred to as charging station 060). The batteries 050 used by the LEV 010 are typically removable so as to be charged separately in charging station 060. After the batteries 050 are charged they are then typically affixed to the LEV 010 in (or on) non-descript mounting bracket 180. It is understood by anyone familiar with the art of LEV 010 battery 050 charging that location and means to charge a plurality of batteries 050 as depicted in this disclosure do not limit the discloser from other means not depicted, and that batteries 050 may be left on LEV 010 non-descript mounting bracket 180 during charge and that scope of this disclosure is not limited by the depiction of removing batteries 050 from LEV 010 non-descript mounting bracket 180 during charge.

[0026] Charging station 060 is provided with electricity though alternative means of electrical power generation, usually photovoltaic solar panels 090 and/or wind turbine 100, via common power transmission means 110. Charging station 060 is configured with a plurality of battery charging receptacles 070 used to charge batteries 050 for use on LEV 010. For the purpose of this description the configuration, quantity, location and general arrangement of the charging station 060 and battery charging receptacles 070 are shown in a limited, simplified view. It is understood by anyone familiar with the art of battery charging that size, location, quantity, connection and means to charge a plurality of batteries 050 as depicted in this disclosure do not limit the discloser from other means not depicted, and that scope of this disclosure is not limited by this depiction.

[0027] The rental outlet 020 contained in the shipping container 030 is equipped with a bank of batteries 080. The bank of batteries 080 are charged by photovoltaic solar panels 090 and/or wind turbines 100 via common power transmission means 110. The bank of batteries 080 is sized appropriately to provide the necessary amount of electrical energy to charge up the batteries 050 used by the LEV 010 via charging station 060 when photovoltaic solar panels 090 and/or wind turbine 100 do not provide electrical power to charging station 060. It is understood by anyone familiar with the means by which to transmit electricity that the electrical transmission means 110 as depicted in this disclosure do not limit the discloser from other means of electrical transmission not depicted and that scope of this disclosure is not limited by this depiction.

[0028] The solar panels 090 and/or wind turbine 100 are typically attached to the shipping container 030 on shipping container roof 120 by non-descript, non-permanent mechanical means 130 such that solar panels 090 and/or wind turbine 100 can be removed from shipping container 030 in such a means as to maintain the original design constraints and structure of the shipping container 030 for transportation on commercial container ship 040. It is understood by anyone familiar with any mechanical means by which to attached solar panels 090 and/or wind turbine 100 to a shipping container 030 on shipping container roof 120, or any other part of shipping container 030 structure not depicted herein, that the depiction of said attachment in this disclosure does not limit the discloser from other mechanical means 130 of attachment to shipping container 030 not depicted herein, and that scope of this disclosure is not limited by this depiction, only that mechanical means 130 of attachment of solar panels 090 and/or wind turbine 100 to shipping container 030 on shipping container roof 120, or any other portion of shipping container 030, does not alter shipping container 030 in such a manner so as to make shipping container 030 no longer seaworthy and no longer transportable on commercial container ship 040.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows doors 140 on rental outlet 020 configured along the longitudinal axis of rental outlet 020 however it is understood by anyone familiar with the configuration of shipping container 030 that doors 140 can and do come configured on all sides of shipping container 030 and that the doors 140 configuration as depicted in this disclosure do not limit size, number, location or operation of doors 140 on shipping container 030 from other configurations not depicted herein and that the scope of this disclosure is not limited by this depiction.

[0030] FIG. 1, enclosed LEV 010 rental outlet 020, FIG. 2, exploded view of rental outlet 020 and FIG. 4, exploded view of shipping container 030 detail approximate locations of key elements LEV rack 150 on shipping container floor 160, bank of batteries 080 on shipping container floor 160, and charging station 060 on shipping container wall 170 in relation to interior of shipping container 030. It is understood by anyone familiar in the art of retail outlets and with the configuration of LEV 010 rental outlets 020 that locations of key elements LEV rack 150, bank of batteries 080 and charging station 060 as depicted in this disclosure do not limit the size, quantity, location, orientation or operation of LEV rack 150, bank of batteries 080 and charging station 060 from other configurations common to the LEV 010 rental industry and that because other configurations of LEV rack 150, bank of batteries 080 and charging station 060 are not depicted in this disclosure that the scope of this disclosure is not limited by this depiction.