Rotation of a pinion gear

• US 10,641,367 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: US Department of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The Government of The United States As Represented But The Secretary of The Army
• Inventors: Sharpes, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Application Number:
  US15/827,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20190162277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 320107
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/38 with power sources
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 19/043 for converting reciprocating movement in a continuous rotary movement or vice versa, e.g. by opposite racks engaging intermittently for a part of the stroke
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2035/003 Gearings comprising pulleys or toothed members of non-circular shape, e.g. elliptical gears harmonic drives with elliptical wave generators F16H49/001
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 35/02 for conveying rotary motion with cyclically varying velocity ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1853 driven by intermittent forces
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1861 driven by animals or vehicles H02K7/1853 takes precedence

Abstract

A pinion gear, with a varied gear ratio, can be inline with a rack. When the rack moves, the pinion gear can rotate. This rotation can cause an interior of an electrical generator to rotate. Rotation of the interior of the electrical generator can cause an electricity to be produced and outputted.

Claims

1. A wearable system, comprising:

a rack; and

a non-circular pinion gear physically coupled to the rack,

where when the rack moves laterally, the non-circular pinion gear experiences a rotation and

where the rack and non-circular pinion gear are inline.

2. The wearable system of claim 1,

where the non-circular pinion gear is physically coupled to a generator and

where the rotation of the non-circular pinion gear causes the generator to generate an electricity.

3. The wearable system of claim 2, comprising:

an insole wearable in a shoe,

where the rack and non-circular pinion gear are integrated in the insole and

where the electricity powers a battery of a personal electronic device of a wearer of the shoe.

4. The wearable system of claim 3,

where when the wearer places a pressure on the insole as part of a step sequence, the rack moves linearly from a heel-side position to a toe-side positon and

where the movement from the heel-side position to a toe-side positon causes the rotation of the non-circular pinion gear.

5. The wearable system of claim 4,

where the rotation is the first rotation,

where when the wearer removes the pressure on the insole as part of the step sequence, the rack moves linearly from the toe-side position to the heel-side position,

where movement from the toe-side position to the heel-side position causes the non-circular pinion gear to experience a second rotation, and

where the second rotation is opposite the first rotation.

6. The wearable system of claim 1,

where the non-circular pinion gear is a singular gear with a larger start radius and a smaller end radius.

7. The wearable system of claim 1, comprising:

an electrical generator

where an insole of a shoe retains the non-circular pinion gear, the rack, and the electrical generator,

where the rotation of the non-circular pinion gear causes rotation of a non-pinion gear, the non-pinion gear being coupled to the non-circular pinion gear and the electrical generator, to cause rotation of at least part of the generator such that the generator generates an electricity,

where the electricity powers a battery of a personal electronic device of a wearer of the shoe,

where a varied gear ratio value of the non-circular pinion gear is lower at a start of the rotation of the non-circular pinion gear,

where the varied gear ratio value of the non-circular pinion gear is higher at an end of the rotation of the non-circular pinion gear,

where when the wearer places a pressure on the insole as part of a step sequence, the rack moves linearly from a heel-side position to a toe-side positon and

where the movement from the heel-side position to a toe-side positon causes the rotation of the non-circular pinion gear and in turn rotation of the generator.

8. The wearable system of claim 1,

where the rotation of the non-circular pinion gear is an about half circular rotation,

where the varied gear ratio value of the non-circular pinion gear at the start of the rotation of the non-circular pinion gear is at a first value,

where the varied gear ratio value of the non-circular pinion gear at the end of the rotation of the non-circular pinion gear is at a second value, and

where the second value is about equal to 1 over the first value.

9. The wearable system of claim 8,

where the non-circular pinion gear comprises an initial transition zone, an intermediary transition zone, and a termination transition zone,

where the initial transition zone has changes of the varied gear ratio value at a first change rate,

where the intermediary transition zone has changes of the varied gear ratio value at a second change rate,

where the termination transition zone has changes of the varied gear ratio value at a third change rate,

where the second change rate is a faster change rate than the first change rate, and

where the second change rate is a faster change rate than the third change rate.

10. A footwear system, comprising:

a pinion gear with a varied gear ratio; and

a coupling mechanism configured to couple the pinion gear to an electrical generator,

where when the pinion gear experiences a rotation, the coupling mechanism experiences a rotation,

where the rotation of the coupling mechanism causes rotation of at least part of the electrical generator such that the electrical generator produces an electricity, and

where the pinion gear is a single gear.

11. The footwear system of claim 10,

where a varied gear ratio value of the pinion gear is lower at a start of the rotation of the pinion gear and

where the varied gear ratio value of the pinion gear is higher at an end of the rotation of the pinion gear.

12. The footwear system of claim 11, comprising:

an insole of a shoe,

where the pinion gear and the coupling mechanism are integrated in the insole of the shoe and

where the electricity powers a battery of a personal electronic device of a wearer of the shoe.

13. The footwear system of claim 12, comprising:

a rack inline with the pinion gear,

where the rack is integrated in the insole of the shoe,

where when the insole of the shoe experiences a pressure, the rack moves linearly, and

where linear movement of the rack causes the pinion gear to experience the rotation.

14. The footwear system of claim 13,

where the rotation is an about half circular rotation of the pinion gear,

where the varied gear ratio value at the start of the rotation of the pinion gear is at a first value,

where the varied gear ratio value at the end of the rotation of the pinion gear is at a second value, and

where the second value is about equal to 1 over the first value.

15. The footwear system of claim 10,

where the pinion gear is non-circular.

16. A method, performed by a shoe insole, the method comprising:

receiving a pressure from a downward step; and

moving a rack in response to the pressure from the downward step,

where moving the rack causes a non-circular pinion gear with a variable gear ratio to rotate and

where the rotation of the pinion gear causes a generator to rotate.

17. The method of claim 16,

where a varied gear ratio value of the pinion gear is lower at a start of the rotation of the pinion gear and

where the varied gear ratio value of the pinion gear is higher at an end of the rotation of the pinion gear.

18. The method of claim 17,

where the rotation is an about half circular rotation of the pinion gear,

where the varied gear ratio value at the start of the rotation of the pinion gear is at a first value,

where the varied gear ratio value at the end of the rotation of the pinion gear is at a second value, and

where the second value is about equal to about 1 over the first value.

19. The method of claim 18,

where the rotation of the generator causes the generator to produce an electricity and

where the electricity powers a battery of a personal electronic device of a wearer of the shoe.

20. The method of claim 16,

where the pinion gear is a single pinion gear.