Method And System For Generating Electrical Energy Within A Vehicle Tyre
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Accused Products
Abstract
A tyre has a piezoelectric flexing element associated with an energy storage device (e.g., a capacitor). The piezoelectric flexure element is mounted in cantilever fashion in a housing so as to be positioned substantially along a plane orthogonal to a radial direction of the tyre and, so that a first end of the piezoelement is restrained by the housing. A loading mass is coupled to the second end of the piezoelectric flexure element. A small gap is formed between the inner walls of the housing and the outer surface of the loading mass in order to allow limited flexure of the piezo-electric element. The housing including the piezoelectric is mounted in a tyre portion in correspondence of a tread area of the tyre, preferably on the inner surface of the tyre. The piezoelectric element flexes under the action of the radial acceleration when the tyre rotates. The loading mass and the gap are chosen to obtain a) small entity oscillations of the flexure element substantially during a complete revolution of the tyre when the tyre rotates at low speed; b) large entity oscillations of the flexure element substantially only during the passage of the tyre portion including the piezoelectric element in the contact patch. Sufficient electrical power for powering an electronic device included within the tyre is obtained, together with a long durability of the piezoelectric element.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1-27. -27. (canceled)
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28. A method for generating electrical energy within a tyre, comprising:
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associating a housing including a piezoelectric element with a tyre portion in correspondence with a tyre tread area, the piezoelectric element being disposed substantially along a plane orthogonal to a radial direction of said tyre and having a first end substantially fixed to said housing and a second end fixed to a loading mass, a gap being formed between at least one inner wall of said housing and an outer surface of said loading mass;
rotating said tyre on a rolling surface at a first rotation speed lower than a given speed, so as to cause said loading mass to oscillate within said gap, thereby leading to a first deformation of said piezoelectric element during said tyre rotation;
rotating said tyre on said rolling surface at a second rotation speed higher than said given speed, so as to cause said loading mass to contact said inner wall during a first fraction of a complete tyre revolution, during said first fraction said tread area corresponding to said tyre portion being not in contact with the rolling surface, and to cause said loading mass to oscillate within said gap during a second fraction of a complete tyre revolution, during said second fraction said tread area corresponding to said tyre portion being in contact with the rolling surface, thereby leading to a second deformation of said piezoelectric element during said tyre rotation; and
collecting electrical energy generated from said first and said second deformations of said piezoelectric element. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system for generating electrical energy comprising:
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a tyre; and
a power supply comprising a piezoelectric element, associated with a tyre portion in correspondence with a tyre tread area;
whereinsaid piezoelectric element is disposed within a housing so as to have a first end substantially fixed to said housing and a second end associated with a loading mass, a gap being formed between at least one inner wall of said housing and an outer surface of said loading mass;
said piezoelectric element is positioned substantially along a plane orthogonal to a radial direction of said tyre;
said piezoelectric element, said loading mass and said gap are sized so as to obtain;
a) during rotation of the tyre on a rolling surface at a first rotation speed lower than a given speed, an oscillation within said gap of said loading mass associated with said piezoelectric element; and
b) during rotation of the tyre on said rolling surface at a second rotation speed higher than said given speed, a contact of said loading mass with said inner wall of said housing during a first fraction of a complete tyre revolution, during said first fraction said tread area corresponding to said tyre portion being not in contact with said rolling surface, and an oscillation within said gap of said loading mass associated with said piezoelectric element during a second fraction of a complete tyre revolution, during said second fraction said tread area corresponding to said tyre portion being in contact with the rolling surface. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification