RECIPROCAL SPRING ARRANGEMENT FOR POWER GENERATION SYSTEM

• US 20110089703A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• 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 8,466,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.C
• 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 vehicle energy harvester including a 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 from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position.

Claims

1. A vehicle energy harvester comprising:

a 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 from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position.

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

a reciprocal spring arrangement applying a biasing force on the vehicle activated treadle to move the vehicle activated treadle away from the second position and toward the first position.

3. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 2, comprising:

a treadle gear coupled to the vehicle activated treadle; and

a ratchet gear mounted on a rotatable shaft,

wherein the rotatable shaft is coupled to the generator,

wherein the ratchet gear rotates freely during movement of the vehicle activated treadle from the first position to the second position, and

wherein the ratchet gear is driven by movement of the vehicle activated treadle from the second position to the first position by the reciprocal spring arrangement.

4. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 3, wherein the transient absorption device is 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 plurality of vehicle activated treadles on the plurality of subunits, each of the plurality of vehicle activated treadles 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; and

a plurality of generators that generate power in response to movement of each of the plurality of vehicle activated treadles,

wherein at least one generator of the plurality of generators generates power in response to movement of one of the plurality of vehicle activated treadles from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position.

7. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 6, comprising:

a reciprocal spring arrangement applying a biasing force on at least one of the plurality of vehicle activated treadles to move the at least one of the vehicle activated treadles away from the second position and toward the first position.

8. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 7, comprising:

a treadle gear coupled to the vehicle activated treadle;

a drive gear mounted on a rotatable shaft, and

a ratchet gear mounted on the rotatable shaft,

wherein the rotatable shaft is coupled to the generator,

wherein the drive gear engages and is driven by movement of the at least one of the vehicle activated treadles from the first position to the second position;

wherein the ratchet gear rotates freely during movement of the at least one of the vehicle activated treadles from the first position to the second position, and

wherein the ratchet gear is driven by movement of the at least one of the vehicle activated treadles from the second position to the first position by the reciprocal spring arrangement.

9. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 8, wherein the transient absorption device is a torsion spring coupled between the rotatable shaft and the generator.

10. The vehicle energy harvester of claim 9, comprising:

a flywheel coupled between the torsion spring and the generator.