Device with deformable shell including an internal piezoelectric circuit

• US 10,350,461 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Savelli, Guillaume, Coronel, Philippe, Huguet, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US15/176,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20170239530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0043 Systems for locating the point of impact on a specific surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2039/006 pressurised
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 39/00 Hollow non-inflatable balls , i.e. having no valves rigid balls A63B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/304 Beam type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/308 Membrane type

Abstract

A device including a deformable shell delimiting an inner space, and a resilient band suspended in the inner space and including two ends secured to the deformable shell. The band includes a piezoelectric material to generate an electric voltage under the effect of the deformation of the shell and two electrodes for collecting the voltage. An electronic circuit for processing the voltage is arranged on the resilient band and connected to the electrodes of the resilient band.

Claims

1. A passive device having a deformable shell delimiting an inner space, the device comprising:

a resilient band suspended in the inner space and having two ends that are secured to the deformable shell, the resilient band comprising a piezoelectric material that generates an electric voltage under the effect of a deformation of the shell, and two electrodes for collecting the electric voltage; and

an electronic circuit that processes the electric voltage and which is arranged on the resilient band and connected to the electrodes of the resilient band, wherein the device is passive in that the electric voltage supplied to the electronic circuit is generated only by the piezoelectric material;

wherein the resilient band comprises a resilient support layer having two opposite surfaces, and a layer of the piezoelectric material arranged on at least one of the surfaces; and

wherein a Shore hardness the support layer is greater than of equal to 70, and a ratio of a length of the support layer to a thickness thereof is smaller than 2,200.

2. The passive device of claim 1, wherein a modulus of elasticity of the support layer is substantially identical to a modulus of elasticity of the deformable shell.

3. The passive device of claim 1, wherein the support layer is made of one of polyurethane and of ethylene-propylene-diene monomer.

4. The passive device of claim 1, wherein the layer of piezoelectric material is made of a piezoelectric polymer, and is covered with a plastic layer.

5. The passive device of claim 1, wherein the deformable shell and the resilient band each comprise a plane of symmetry, and wherein the respective planes of symmetry of the deformable shell and the resilient band coincide with one another.

6. The passive device of claim 1, wherein the deformable shell is a sphere, and wherein the resilient band is a cuboid having a width that is smaller than 50% of a diameter of the sphere.

7. The passive device of claim 1, wherein the deformable shell is a sphere, and wherein a center of mass of an assembly formed of the resilient band and the electronic circuit is arranged at a center of the sphere.

8. The passive device of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises an electric energy storage element.

9. The passive device of claim 8, wherein the electric energy storage element comprises a microbattery formed on a flexible substrate or a rigid substrate.

10. The passive device of claim 8, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a circuit for generating data from the electric voltage generated by the resilient band, and a wireless transmission circuit for the data outside the deformable shell, the generation and transmission circuits being powered by the electric energy storage element.

11. The passive device of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a circuit for determining the force exerted on the deformable shell according to an amplitude of the electric voltage generated by the resilient band.

12. The passive device of claim 1, wherein the deformable shell is a tennis ball.

13. The passive device of claim 4, wherein the layer of piezoelectric material is polyvinylidene fluoride.