Biologically powered electroactive polymer generators
First Claim
1. A generator for converting biologically-generated mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
- i) one or more transducers, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes; and
a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
ii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers; and
iii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive the biologically-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said biologically-generated mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the biologically generated mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed generators includes one or more transducers that use electroactive polymer films to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. The generators may include one or more transmission mechanisms that transfer a portion of an unused biological energy source, an unused environmental energy source or combinations of both to the one or more transducers located in the generators. The energy received by the transducers may be converted to electrical energy by the transducers in conjunction with conditioning electronics located within the generator. A heel-strike generator is disclosed that is integrated into the heel of footwear and is used to convert mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion to electrical energy.
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Citations
103 Claims
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1. A generator for converting biologically-generated mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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i) one or more transducers, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes; and
a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
ii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers; and
iii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive the biologically-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said biologically-generated mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the biologically generated mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A generator for converting biologically-generated mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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i) one or more transducers, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes; and
a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
ii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers; and
iii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive the biologically-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said biologically-generated mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the biologically generated mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer, wherein the polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa.
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39. A generator for converting biologically-generated mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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i) one or more transducers, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes; and
a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
ii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers; and
iii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive the biologically-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said biologically-generated mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the biologically generated mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer, wherein the polymer has a maximum elastic area strain of at least about 10 percent.
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40. A generator for converting mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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i) one or more transducers mounted in footwear, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes; and
a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
ii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer; and
iii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A generator for converting mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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i) one or more transducers mounted in footwear, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes; and
a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
ii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer; and
iii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers, wherein the polymer has an elastic modulus below about 100 MPa.
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68. A generator for converting mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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i) one or more transducers mounted in footwear, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes; and
a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
ii) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive mechanical energy generated during human bipedal motion and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer; and
iii) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers, wherein the polymer has a maximum elastic area strain of at least about 10 percent.
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69. A generator for converting environmentally-generated mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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one or more transducers, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes; and
a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers; and
one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive environmentally-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said environmentally-generated mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the environmentally generated mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer. - View Dependent Claims (70)
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71. A device for converting between electrical energy and mechanical energy, the device comprising:
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i) at least one transducer, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes, and a polymer in electrical communication with said at least two electrodes in a manner that supports one of electrical generation and mechanical actuation;
ii) a first member having a proximate end coupled to a first region of said transducer and a distal end; and
iii) a second member having a proximate end coupled to a second region of said transducer and a distal end coupled to the distal end of the first member, wherein deflection of the polymer along a plane causes the proximate ends of said first and second members to translate along said plane and causes said distal ends of said first and second members to translate together in a direction that is not coplanar with said plane. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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85. A generator for converting between electrical energy and mechanical energy, the generator comprising:
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i) at least one transducer, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes, and a polymer in electrical communication with said at least two electrodes in a manner that supports one of electrical generation and mechanical actuation;
ii) a first member having a proximate end coupled to a first region of said transducer and a distal end; and
iii) a second member having a proximate end coupled to a second region of said transducer and a distal end coupled to the distal end of the first member, wherein deflection of the polymer along a plane causes the proximate ends of said first and second members to translate along said plane and causes said distal ends of said first and second members to translate together in a direction that is not coplanar with said plane iv) conditioning electronics connected to the at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from the one or more transducers; and
v) one or more transmission mechanisms that are designed or configured to receive biologically-generated or environmentally-generated mechanical energy and to transfer a portion of said mechanical energy to the polymer wherein said transferred portion of the mechanical energy results in a deflection in the portion of the polymer.
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86. A generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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i) one or more transducers, each transducer comprising;
at least two electrodes; and
a polymer arranged in a manner which causes a change in electric field in response to a deflection applied to a portion of the polymer;
ii) charge control circuitry connected to said at least two electrodes and designed or configured to add or remove electrical energy from said one or more transducers. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103)
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Specification