LOW PROFILE, SURFACE-MOUNTED POWER GENERATION SYSTEM

• US 20110084500A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kinetic Energy Corporation (SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Eugene J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,466,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.R
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/025 for power storage
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/07 using pawls and ratchet wheels
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1853 driven by intermittent forces

Abstract

A low-profile, surface mount vehicle energy harvester including a low-profile, surface mount subunit having an upper surface forming a roadway surface; a vehicle activated treadle on the subunit, the vehicle activated treadle moveable between a first position in which an upper surface of the treadle is at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the roadway surface and a second position in which the upper surface of the treadle is flush with the upper surface of the roadway surface; a generator that generates power in response to movement of the vehicle activated treadle; and an entry ramp at a first end of the harvester roadway surface; and an exit ramp at a second end of the harvester roadway surface.

Claims

1. A low-profile, surface mount vehicle energy harvester comprising:

a low-profile, surface mount subunit having an upper surface forming a roadway surface;

a vehicle activated treadle on the subunit, the vehicle activated treadle moveable between a first position in which an upper surface of the treadle is at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the roadway surface and a second position in which the upper surface of the treadle is flush with the upper surface of the roadway surface;

a generator that generates power in response to movement of the vehicle activated treadle;

an entry ramp at a first end of the harvester roadway surface; and

an exit ramp at a second end of the harvester roadway surface.

2. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 1, wherein a height of the low-profile, surface mount subunit is one of equal to and less than three inches.

3. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 1, comprising:

a treadle gear coupled to the vehicle activated treadle; and

a drive gear mounted on a rotatable shaft, the drive gear engaging and being driven by movement of the treadle gear;

wherein the rotatable shaft is coupled to the generator.

4. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 3, comprising a torsion spring coupled between the rotatable shaft and the generator.

5. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 4, comprising:

a flywheel coupled between the torsion spring and the generator.

6. A vehicle energy harvester comprising:

a plurality of subunits each having an upper surface forming a roadway surface;

a vehicle activated treadle on at least one of the plurality of subunits, the vehicle activated treadle moveable between a first position in which an upper surface of the treadle is at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the roadway surface and a second position in which the upper surface of the treadle is flush with the upper surface of the roadway surface;

a generator that generates power in response to movement of the vehicle activated treadle;

an entry ramp at a first end of the harvester roadway surface; and

an exit ramp at a second end of the harvester roadway surface.