PIEZOELECTRIC GENERATOR

• US 20100264779A1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: ONO, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,952,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/339
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/306 Cantilevers

Abstract

A generator that collects oscillation energy to convert to electric energy, the generator including a support portion made of non-piezoelectric material, a piezoelectric body disposed on the support portion and having a polarization direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the support portion, the piezoelectric body being configured to oscillate in an oscillating direction to generate the oscillation energy, the oscillating direction perpendicular to the polarization direction, a first electrode provided on a first surface of the piezoelectric body parallel to the polarization direction, a second electrode provided on a second surface of the piezoelectric body parallel to the polarization direction, and a weight disposed on a third surface of the piezoelectric body facing the support portion.

Claims

1. A generator that collects oscillation energy to convert to electric energy, the generator comprising:

a support portion made of non-piezoelectric material;

a piezoelectric body disposed on the support portion and having a polarization direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the support portion, the piezoelectric body being configured to oscillate in an oscillating direction to generate the oscillation energy, the oscillating direction perpendicular to the polarization direction;

a first electrode provided on a first surface of the piezoelectric body parallel to the polarization direction;

a second electrode provided on a second surface of the piezoelectric body parallel to the polarization direction; and

a weight disposed on a third surface of the piezoelectric body facing the support portion.

2. The generator according to claim 1, wherein a length of the piezoelectric body in the polarization direction is larger than a length of the piezoelectric body in the oscillating direction.

3. The generator according to claim 1, wherein a length of the weight in the polarization direction of the piezoelectric body is no more than twice as large as the length of the piezoelectric body in the polarization direction.