SWINGING APPARATUS AND ENERGY HARVESTER USING THE SAME

• US 20100083746A1
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wang, Shih-Hao, Chang, Pin, Li, Chien, Chen, Chung-De, Wang, Yu-Jen
• Granted Patent: US 8,166,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/146.400
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems

Abstract

A swinging apparatus comprising an energy provider and a swinging mechanism disposed thereon. By means of adjusting the size and shape of the swinging mechanism and adjusting a distance between the swinging mechanism and the energy provider so as to control the ratio of the distance between the swinging mechanism and the energy provider to a characteristic value corresponding to the swing mechanism in a range between 4 and 0.25, the swinging frequency of the swinging mechanism may be adjusted automatically to comply with the variation of the motion frequency of the energy provider. The present invention further provides an energy harvester to work with the swinging apparatus and a coil to generate an induced current for power generation during the swing of the swing mechanism. In the present invention, the natural frequency of the swing mechanism may be adjusted according to the rotational velocity of the energy provider.

Claims

1. A swinging apparatus, comprising:

an energy provider, being capable of performing a rotational movement with respect to a rotational axis; and

a swinging mechanism, being disposed on the energy provider and being a specific distance away from the rotational axis, wherein a ratio of the specific distance to a characteristic value is in a range between 4 and 0.25, and the characteristic value is a ratio of the rotational inertia of the swinging mechanism to an equivalent constant of the swinging mechanism.

2. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the swinging mechanism comprises a single object or a plurality of objects.

3. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the swinging mechanism comprises:

a swinging portion, being disposed on the energy provider and capable of swinging with respect to fulcrum, the fulcrum is a specific distance away from the rotational axis of the energy provider; and

a weight loading portion, being connected to the swinging portion so that the swinging frequency of the swinging mechanism varies with the change of frequency of the energy from the energy provider.

4. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the swinging frequency of the swinging mechanism is a resonant frequency of the swinging mechanism.

5. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the swinging frequency of the swinging portion complies with the frequency of the energy from the energy provider.

6. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the weight loading portion is connected to the swinging portion at the fulcrum.

7. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the weight loading portion further comprises:

at least one shaft, being coupled to the fulcrum on one end; and

at least one object, being coupled to the other end of the at least one shaft.

8. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the weight loading portion further comprises:

at least one shaft, being coupled to the swinging portion on one end; and

at least one object, being coupled to the other end of the at least one shaft.

9. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the swinging portion further comprises:

at least one shaft, being coupled to the fulcrum on one end; and

at least one object, being coupled to the other end of the at least one shaft.

10. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the energy provider further performs a translational movement.

11. The swinging apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the frequency of the energy from the energy provider is the frequency of gravity variation.

12. An energy harvester, comprising:

an energy provider, being capable of performing a rotational movement with respect to a rotational axis;

a magnetic swinging mechanism, being disposed on the energy provider and being a specific distance away from the rotational axis; and

an induction coil portion, being disposed corresponding to the magnetic swinging mechanism to generate an induced current when the magnetic swinging mechanism is swinging.

13. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, wherein the magnetic swinging mechanism further comprises:

a swinging portion being disposed on the energy provider and being capable of swinging with respect to a fulcrum; and

a weight loading portion, being connected to the swinging portion so that the swinging frequency of the swinging mechanism varies with the change of frequency of the energy from the energy provider.

14. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, wherein the swinging frequency of the swinging mechanism is a resonant frequency of the swinging mechanism.

15. The energy harvester as recited in claim 14, wherein the swinging frequency of the swinging portion complies with the frequency of the energy from the energy provider.

16. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, wherein the weight loading portion is connected to the swinging portion at the fulcrum.

17. The energy harvester as recited in claim 16, wherein the weight loading portion further comprises:

at least one shaft, being coupled to the fulcrum on one end; and

at least one object, being coupled to the other end of the at least one shaft.

18. The energy harvester as recited in claim 17, wherein the object is a magnetic object.

19. The energy harvester as recited in claim 16, wherein the weight loading portion further comprises:

at least one shaft, being coupled to the swinging portion on one end; and

at least one object, being coupled to the other end of the at least one shaft.

20. The energy harvester as recited in claim 19, wherein the object is a magnetic object.

21. The energy harvester as recited in claim 16, wherein the swinging portion further comprises:

at least one shaft, being coupled to the fulcrum on one end; and

at least one object, being coupled to the other end of the at least one shaft.

22. The energy harvester as recited in claim 21, wherein the object is a magnetic object.

23. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, wherein the energy provider further performs a translational movement.

24. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, wherein the frequency of the energy from the energy provider is the frequency of gravity variation.

25. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, further comprises an energy storage device being coupled to the induction coil portion to store the electric energy generated by the induction coil portion.

26. The energy harvester as recited in claim 25, wherein the energy storage device is further coupled to a sensor.

27. The energy harvester as recited in claim 26, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor.

28. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, wherein the swinging mechanism comprises a single object or a plurality of objects.

29. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, wherein the magnetic swinging mechanism further comprises:

a connecting portion, having a fulcrum on one end so that the magnetic swinging mechanism may swing with respect to the fulcrum; and

at least one magnetic object, being connected to the connecting portion.

30. The energy harvester as recited in claim 29, wherein the induction coil portion further comprises:

a pipe, being capable of accommodating one end of the at least one magnetic object; and

a coil, enclosing the pipe.

31. The energy harvester as recited in claim 29, wherein a gap is formed between adjacent magnetic objects.

32. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, wherein a ratio of the specific distance to a characteristic value is in a range between 4 and 0.25, and the characteristic value is a ratio of the rotational inertia of the magnetic swinging mechanism to an equivalent constant of the magnetic swinging mechanism.

33. The energy harvester as recited in claim 12, the energy provider is a tire.