Vibration power generation device

• US 10,027,256 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sumitomo Riko Company Limited.
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sumitomo Riko Company Limited.
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Koichi, Kurikuma, Hajime, Kachi, Takahiro, Nomura, Takeshi, Katsumura, Hidenori, Kagata, Hiroshi, Tamura, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDON, BRYAN P
• Application Number:
  US14/947,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20160079886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 310339, 310328, 310330
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2657 mounted on a shaft, e.g. telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/28 for indicating front of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/30 for indicating rear of vehicle, e.g. by means of reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/00 Generators with reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating coil system, magnet, armature or other part of the magnetic circuit arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with generators H02K7/00, e.g. H02K7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/188 adapted for resonant operation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/306 Cantilevers

Abstract

A vibration power generation device including a multiple-degree-of-freedom vibration system comprising a first vibration system and a second vibration system, wherein a natural frequency of the first vibration system is different from a natural frequency of the second vibration system. A first mass member of the first vibration system has a hollow structure including a housing space inside, where the second vibration system is housed. A power generating element is mounted on a plate spring of the second vibration system. A support part projects within the housing space, and one end side of the plate spring is attached to the support part and supported within the housing space at a position inward from a peripheral wall of the first mass member. A second mass member of the second vibration system is attached to another end side of the plate spring.

Claims

1. A vibration power generation device comprising:

a power generating element configured to be attached to a vibrating member to convert vibration energy of the vibrating member to electrical energy; and

a multiple-degree-of-freedom vibration system including;

(i) a first vibration system in which a first mass member is elastically supported by a first spring member, the first spring member being formed of a rubber elastic body arranged between opposing faces of the first mass member and an attachment member attached to the vibrating member, the first mass member and the attachment member facing each other in a direction orthogonal to a main vibration input direction, and (ii) a second vibration system in which a second mass member is elastically connected to the first mass member by a second spring member, wherein;

the power generating element is arranged between the first mass member and the second mass member, and relative displacement of the first mass member and the second mass member is caused by vibration being applied from the vibrating member to the first mass member and transmitted to the second mass member so that the vibration energy of the vibrating member is input to the power generating element,

a natural frequency of the first vibration system is different from a natural frequency of the second vibration system,

the first mass member has a hollow structure provided with a housing space inside, and the second vibration system is housed within the housing space,

the second spring member of the second vibration system is formed of a plate spring, and the power generating element is mounted on the plate spring,

a support part projects within the housing space of the first mass member in the main vibration input direction from one of at least two peripheral walls of an interior of the hollow structure, the at least two peripheral walls extending in the direction orthogonal to the main vibration input direction and facing each other in the main vibration input direction,

one end side of the plate spring is attached to the support part and supported within the housing space at a position inward from a peripheral wall of the first mass member, and

the second mass member is attached to another end side of the plate spring.

2. The vibration power generation device according to claim 1, wherein a center of gravity of the first mass member is set within the housing space.

3. The vibration power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the natural frequency of the second vibration system is set to a lower frequency in relation to the natural frequency of the first vibration system.

4. The vibration power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the natural frequency of the first vibration system is set to a higher frequency than an electrical antiresonance frequency of the second vibration system.

5. The vibration power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the natural frequency of the first vibration system is √

2 times or less in relation to the natural frequency of the second vibration system.

6. The vibration power generation device according to claim 1, wherein a resonance response magnification of the second vibration system is made larger than a resonance response magnification of the first vibration system, and a product of a mass of the first mass member and the resonance response magnification of the first vibration system is larger than a product of a mass of the second mass member and the resonance response magnification of the second vibration system.

7. The vibration power generation device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper that restricts the relative displacement of the second mass member in relation to the first mass member.

8. The vibration power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to be mounted on a site of the vibrating member by which vibrations of multiple types whose vibration levels become maximum within mutually different frequency ranges are applied to the multiple-degree-of-freedom vibration system.

9. The vibration power generation device according to claim 1, wherein a mass of the first mass member is 10% or greater of an equivalent mass of the vibrating member.

10. The vibration power generation device according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitter that transmits an output state of the power generating element to an outside.

11. The vibration power generation device according to claim 10, wherein the transmitter comprises a wireless transmission device, and the output state of the power generating element is configured to be wirelessly transmitted to the outside by the wireless transmission device being operated using electric power obtained by input of vibration energy into the power generating element.

12. A sensor device comprising:

a sensing element; and

the vibration power generation device as defined in claim 1, wherein

electric power obtained by the vibration power generation device is configured to be self-supplied.

13. The sensor device according to claim 12, wherein the vibration power generation device is an operation power supply for sensing by the sensing element.

14. The sensor device according to claim 12, further comprising a wireless transmission device that transmits a detection signal from the sensing element, wherein the vibration power generation device is an operation power supply for the wireless transmission device.

15. The sensor device according to claim 12, further comprising a signal processing device that processes a detection signal from the sensing element, wherein the vibration power generation device is an operation power supply for the signal processing device.

16. The sensor device according to claim 12, wherein the sensing element comprises the power generating element.

17. The sensor device according to claim 12, further comprising a warning device that gives an alarm depending on power generation condition of the vibration power generation device.

18. A vehicle-use light emitting device that is provided to a vehicle member constituting an end of a vehicle, the vehicle-use light emitting device comprising:

an emitter to emit a light through power supply; and

the vibration power generation device as defined in claim 1, wherein

electric power obtained by the vibration power generation device is configured to be self-supplied.

19. The vehicle-use light emitting device according to claim 18, wherein the vehicle member comprises an automotive member constituting an end of an automobile serving as the vehicle, and the emitter comprises at least one of a corner pole, a door mirror light and a bumper light.

20. The vehicle-use light emitting device according to claim 18, wherein the vehicle member comprises a two-wheeled-vehicle member constituting an end of a two-wheeled vehicle serving as the vehicle, and the emitter comprises at least one of an end cap light of handlebars, a rear position light at a back of a seat, a front position light of a front fork, and a mirror light.

21. The vehicle-use light emitting device according to claim 18, wherein the vibrating member is a separate component attached to a main frame of the vehicle.

22. A building-use light emitting device comprising:

an emitter that lightens a walking region of a building; and

the vibration power generation device as defined in claim 1, wherein

a vibration damper is constituted by the first vibration system in which the first mass member is elastically supported by the first spring member with respect to a floor of the walking region of the building, and

electric power obtained by the vibration power generation device is configured to be self-supplied.

23. The building-use light emitting device according to claim 22, wherein the walking region of the building is set to at least one of a stairway and a corridor.

24. The building-use light emitting device according to claim 22, wherein the walking region of the building comprises a plurality of areas, and electrical circuits are provided separately to the areas, the electrical circuits each turning on the emitter using electric power obtained by the power generating element provided to the multiple-degree-of-freedom vibration system.

25. The building-use light emitting device according to claim 22, further comprising a sound device, wherein the sound device is configured to ring using electric power obtained by input of vibration energy into the power generating element.