BACKPACK BASED SYSTEM FOR HUMAN ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND USE WHEN OFF THE ELECTRIC GRID
First Claim
1. An electricity generating backpack, comprising:
- shoulder straps;
means for accepting a load to be carried by said backpack;
a suspension system having a first portion connected directly or indirectly to said shoulder straps and a second portion connected to said load accepting means, said suspension system incorporating a compliant mechanism that permits said second portion of said suspension system and said load accepting means to be displaced relative to said first portion of said suspension system as a result of a gait of a wearer of the backpack or the application of force to the first or second portions of the suspension system;
a generator that converts a mechanical displacement of said first portion of said suspension system with respect to said second portion of said suspension system into electrical energy;
an energy storage device; and
a load emulating circuit that emulates a desired load to said generator and manages the storage of electrical energy in said energy storage device and/or the discharge of generated electrical energy to minimize overdamping and underdamping of said load by said suspension system.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electricity-generating backpack that is substantially lighter in weight, has the multiple springs replaced with one large spring whose spring constant can be adjusted in the field in seconds, and replaces a DC generator with a brushless AC generator that permits approximately 70% generator efficiency and the generation of up to 20 W of electrical power by converting mechanical energy to electrical power. A device is provided that always removes some electricity, but not too much, as necessary to extract large levels of the electricity while controlling damping by providing electrical damping circuits including a DC-DC converter designed to emulate a desired load at its input terminals. Additional electricity generating E-MOD devices may be used for generating additional power by hooking an E-Mod device to a generator and to the backpack belt at the wearer'"'"'s hip and includes a wand that fits against the wearer'"'"'s femur so as to move through a range of motion as the patient walks. The system also provides multiple possibilities of electricity generation when not walking including a light-weight bicycle ergometer which can be mounted to the backpack frame and generate very high power levels (100 W). The electricity generated and stored by the backpack may be used to charge batteries and to power a number of devices that may be carried by the backpack, such as a Sterling Cooler System that is powered by the backpack'"'"'s stored power to provide cooling power for cooling items carried by the backpack.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An electricity generating backpack, comprising:
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shoulder straps; means for accepting a load to be carried by said backpack; a suspension system having a first portion connected directly or indirectly to said shoulder straps and a second portion connected to said load accepting means, said suspension system incorporating a compliant mechanism that permits said second portion of said suspension system and said load accepting means to be displaced relative to said first portion of said suspension system as a result of a gait of a wearer of the backpack or the application of force to the first or second portions of the suspension system; a generator that converts a mechanical displacement of said first portion of said suspension system with respect to said second portion of said suspension system into electrical energy; an energy storage device; and a load emulating circuit that emulates a desired load to said generator and manages the storage of electrical energy in said energy storage device and/or the discharge of generated electrical energy to minimize overdamping and underdamping of said load by said suspension system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 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)
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7. An electricity-generating backpack as in 6, wherein the at least one bungee cord is routed though at least one square tube at the outside surface of said backpack such that said cam projects into said square tube and clamps said bungee cord against an inside surface of said square tube.
Specification