ENERGY GENERATOR

• US 20100253088A1
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MIW Associates, LLC
• Original Assignee: MIW Associates, LLC
• Inventors: Balsamo, Michael, Weinberger, Marvin
• Granted Patent: US 8,476,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.C
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/00 Devices for producing mechanical power from muscle energy driving cycles B62M
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Inertia driven energy harvesters including a movable arm, suspension system, gearing system, generator and energy distribution system. The energy harvesters enable the efficient capture and conversion of kinetic energy to electrical energy.

Claims

1. An inertia driven energy harvester comprising:

a housing;

a first arm comprising a body, wherein said first arm is responsive to a force of a surrounding environment;

a first mass attached to said first arm;

a bumper that restricts the motion of said first arm;

a first spring attached to and suspending an upper surface of said first arm from said housing, wherein said first spring has a spring rate of about 0.01 Nm/Deg to about 5.0 Nm/Deg adapted for capturing low frequency vibrations of said surrounding environment;

a gearing system is connected to said first arm for transferring a kinetic energy of said first arm; and

a generator connected to said gearing system for transforming said kinetic energy to electricity.

2. The energy harvester of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device for storing said generated electricity.

3. The energy harvester of claim 1, wherein a length of said body, at an initial rest position, is substantially perpendicular to a direction of gravity.

4. The energy harvester of claim 1, wherein said arm is capable of moving in response to said force of said surrounding environment in three or more directions and wherein said movement is selected from the group consisting of:

twirling, twisting, bobbing, tapping and combinations thereof.

5. The energy harvester of claim 1, wherein said energy harvester comprises a second arm and second mass.

6. The energy harvester of claim 5, wherein a first length of said first arm is different than a second length of said second arm.

7. The energy harvester of claim 5, wherein a first weight of said first mass is different than a second weight of said second mass.

8. The energy harvester of claim 1, further comprising two fasteners positioned on said housing or said first arm for adjustably positioning said first spring on said housing or said first arm.

9. The energy harvester of claim 1, wherein an end of said first spring is capable of sliding along a length of said body or said housing.

10. The energy harvester of claim 9, wherein said arm or said housing comprises a guide rail and a slidable member and wherein an end of said first spring is attached to said slidable member.

11. The energy harvester of claim 1, further comprising a second spring attached at one end to a lower surface of said first arm and attached at a second end to said housing.

12. The energy harvester of claim 11, further comprising a third spring attached to said first arm and a fourth spring attached to said first arm, wherein a first spring rate of said third or said fourth spring is higher than a second spring rate of said first spring or said second spring.

13. The energy harvester of claim 12, wherein said third spring and said fourth spring are angular spaced apart relative to one another by about 5°

to about 25°

.

15. The energy harvester of claim 13, further comprising an accelerometer and microcontroller.

16. The energy harvester of claim 13, further comprising an energy storage device for storing said electricity.

17. The energy harvester of claim 13, further comprising a bumper attached to said housing for restricting movement of said mass, wherein said bumper comprises a spring or magnetic element.

18. The energy harvester of claim 17, wherein said bumper is removably attached to and adjustably positioned on said housing.

19. The energy harvester of claim 17, wherein said bumper is an electromagnetic element operatively associated with a control for adjusting the resistive force of said bumper during operation of said energy harvester.

20. The energy harvester of claim 17, wherein said bumper has a variable spring rate.

14. An inertia driven energy harvester comprising:

a housing;

an arm responsive to a force of a surrounding environment;

a mass attached to said arm;

a spring attached to and suspending an upper surface of said arm from said housing;

a gearing system is connected to said arm for transferring a kinetic energy of said arm; and

a generator connected to said gearing system for transforming said kinetic energy to electricity, wherein said generator is further provides an initial driving force to said arm to induce movement of said arm from an initial rest position.