Wind powered pendulating land sail electricity generation system

• US 20060152013A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jon Mooring
• Original Assignee: Jon Mooring
• Inventors: Mooring, Jon
• Granted Patent: US 7,157,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/55
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 5/04 the wind-engaging parts being attached to carriages running on tracks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 5/06 the wind-engaging parts swinging to-and-fro and not rotating
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/10 Combinations of wind motors with apparatus storing energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 1/00 Spring motors spring-driven toys A63H; springs in general F16F; precision time mechanisms, e.g. for clocks or watches, G04B
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/94 on a movable wheeled structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/70 Wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

An electricity generation system having the ability to generate clean electrical power by mechanically capturing the power of the wind. The system utilizes one or more modular wind collecting sail assemblies that are mounted on an upright oriented pole assembly. The bottom end of the pole assembly is rigidly connected to a horizontally oriented elongated spring-motor primary winding axle who'"'"'s opposite ends are journaled in a base assembly. Each end of the spring-motor primary winding axle is connected to a one way sprague coupling. That coupling is in turn connected to the spring-motor secondary winding axle having one or more spring motors mounted thereon. The inner end of each spring motor metal band is secured to the spring-motor secondary winding axle. When the wind force bends the wind collecting sail assembly from its static upright position, the spring-motor primary winding axle will be rotated causing the spring motors to be wound incrementally each time the wind blows the sail from its static upright position. The spring motor housing is releasably connected to a stationary retention member to prevent rotation of the spring motor housing until the spring motors are wound a sufficient amount. An electricity generator is mounted on the base assembly and there is rotation transmission structure connected to the power generation drive shaft of the electricity generator. When the spring motor assembly has been sufficiently wound, a timing gear assembly releases the motor spring housing assembly allowing it to rotate freely to dissipate stored energy and drive the electricity generator. This cycle is repeated throughout the day to generate electricity when the wind is blowing.

Claims

1. A wind powered electricity generation system comprising:

a base assembly having a base member having a top surface and a bottom surface;

a pair of laterally spaced left and right upright beam members each having a top end and a bottom end and said bottom ends being rigidly connected to said top surface of said base member;

a horizontally oriented elongated spring-motor primary winding axle having a left end, a right end and a longitudinally extended X-axis;

said left end being journaled in a first bearing means secured to said left upright beam member and said right end being journaled in a second bearing means secured to said right upright beam member so that said spring-motor primary winding axle can reciprocally rotate about said X-axis;

a wind collection sail assembly having a top end, a bottom end and at least one upright oriented wind collection sail;

primary support means connecting said wind collection sail assembly to said spring-motor primary winding axle so that when a wind force blows against said wind collection sail assembly said spring-motor primary winding axle will be rotated in a first direction and when the force of the wind lessens or stops, said spring-motor drive shaft will reciprocally rotate in an opposite second direction;

a first spring motor assembly having a spring-motor secondary winding axle;

at least one spring-motor mounted on said spring-motor secondary winding axle for rotating said spring-motor secondary winding axle;

a first electricity generator having a first driven shaft;

a first drive means for taking rotational force from said first spring motor assembly and rotating said first driven shaft of said first electricity generator to produce electricity; and

first one-way transmission means connected between said right end of said spring-motor primary winding axle and said spring-motor secondary winding axle that winds said spring motors when the wind blows against said wind collection sail assembly and prevents said spring-motor secondary winding axle from rotating backwardly when the force of the wind lessens or stops and said spring-motor primary winding axle reciprocally rotates in an opposite direction.

2. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a swivel assembly positioned under said base assembly for rotating said wind collecting sail assembly to face the wind.

3. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 2 further comprising tracking means for automatically rotating said wind collection sail assembly to face the wind.

4. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 3 wherein said tracking means comprises a wind vane structure connected to said base assembly.

5. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said base assembly is mounted on a transportable trailer unit.

6. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising counterbalancing means for returning said wind collection sails to an upright position when the force of the wind lessens and stops.

7. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 6 wherein said counterbalancing means comprises an elongated lower pole assembly having a top end, a bottom end, said top end being rigidly connected to said spring-motor primary winding axle.

8. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 7 wherein said counterbalancing means further comprises a counterweight balance bucket attached to said lower end of said lower pole assembly.

9. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said primary support means comprises an upright oriented upper pole assembly having a top end, a bottom end and an elongated Y-axis.

10. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 9 wherein said primary support means further comprises a transversely extending upper support beam that is connected to said top end of said upper pole assembly and first attachment means for attaching said top end of said wind collection sail to said upper support beam.

11. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 10 wherein said attachment means comprises a plurality of return springs laterally spaced across the length of said upper support beam.

12. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 11 further comprising a transversely extending automatic sail retraction unit into which said bottom end of said wind collection sail is received and captured;

and second attachment means for attaching said automatic sail retraction unit adjacent said bottom end of said upper pole assembly.

13. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 12 further comprising a transversely extending louver member connected to said first attachment means for deflecting away the wind adjacent said top end of said wind collection unit.

14. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 7 further comprising air dumping means for dumping air from said wind collection sail assembly when the wind has reached a predetermined critical force.

15. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 7 wherein said air dumping means comprises a plurality of laterally spaced elongated draw cords each having a top end and a bottom end;

said top ends being attached adjacent said top end of said wind collection sail;

said bottom ends being connected adjacent said bottom end of said lower pole assembly.

16. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second wind collection sail assembly connected to said top end of said first wind collection sail assembly.

17. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second spring motor assembly having a spring-motor secondary winding axle;

at least one spring motor mounted on said spring-motor secondary winding axle for rotating said spring-motor secondary winding axle;

a second electricity generator having a first driven shaft;

a second drive means for taking rotational force from said second spring motor assembly and rotating said first driven shaft of said second electricity generator to produce electricity and a second one-way transmission means connected between said left end of said primary winding axle and said second spring-motor secondary winding axle that winds said spring motors when the wind blows against said wind collection sail assembly and prevents said second spring-motor secondary winding axle from rotating backwardly when the force of wind lessens or stops and said spring-motor primary winding axle reciprocally rotates in an opposite direction.

18. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 17 wherein said spring-motor primary winding axle is tubular and said first and second spring-motor secondary winding axles are a unitary member that passes through said tubular spring-motor primary winding axle.

19. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first one-way transmission means is a one-way sprague coupling.

20. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising counting means for keeping track of the number of times said at least one spring motor is wound a predetermined number of rotations.

21. A wind powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 20 further comprising unlatching means for releasing said spring motors after they have been wound a predetermined number of rotations, so that they can power said electricity generator.